{"id":11705,"date":"2026-09-04T05:03:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T03:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/09\/04\/a-kathmandu-nepal-photographers-quiet-search-for-the-stories-others-overlook\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T05:03:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T03:03:17","slug":"a-kathmandu-nepal-photographers-quiet-search-for-the-stories-others-overlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/09\/04\/a-kathmandu-nepal-photographers-quiet-search-for-the-stories-others-overlook\/","title":{"rendered":"A Kathmandu, Nepal photographer\u2019s quiet search for the stories others overlook"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tAfzal Khan first turned to photography for a sense of calm amid a demanding advertising career, and it has since become a personal connection to his hometown of Kathmandu, Nepal.<\/p>\n

\"ThoseAfzal Khan<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n
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Meet Afzal Khan<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Home base<\/strong>: Kathmandu, Nepal<\/p>\n

I\u2019m always interested in the way photographers describe their relationship with their camera, and Afzal Khan<\/a>\u2019s story is a particularly thoughtful example. What began with film rolls and childhood self-portraits evolved into a nearly 16-year photographic journey, influenced by a search for calm amid a demanding advertising career.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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From Kathmandu, Nepal, Afzal now uses photography to take it slower and notice the people around him, finding deep stories in their solemn faces, old homes and the majestic landscapes of Nepal. In this edition of \u2018What\u2019s in your bag?\u2019, he also talks about his move from a Sony A7R IV to the Hasselblad X1D II.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhotography has been close to me since childhood. During the film era, I used to buy film rolls and take photographs of myself, usually with the help of friends. It was just something I enjoyed, without really thinking that photography would become such an important part of my life. What started as something I enjoyed as a child has now been with me for nearly 16 years, and I am still continuing the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our \u2018What\u2019s in your bag?\u2019 community spotlight series<\/a> features readers sharing their favorite gear and photography, including from past DPReview collaborators. See below for what Lester has to share.<\/p>\n

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How did you get started as a photographer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"The<\/a>
\u201cThe Night of Shivaratri: A Divine Celebration | A Glimpse of Shivaratri Night in Kathmandu.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sony \u03b17R IV | Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA @ 55mm | F1.8 | 1\/60 sec | ISO 1250<\/figcaption>Afzal Khan<\/span><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhen I started working in advertising in 2004 as a creative, I slowly found myself getting involved with photography from the other side of the camera. As a creative director, I worked with many reputed photographers in Nepal and spent a lot of time observing how they worked and how they saw things through the lens.<\/p>\n

Around 2009, I carried a friend\u2019s camera on a trekking trip, and that was probably when I started to feel I might have an eye for photography. Then, around 2010\u201311, I bought my first camera, a Sony A230<\/a>, and started taking photography more seriously.<\/p>\n

At that time, my advertising career was at its peak, and the work was quite hectic. I needed a break, some peace and a little calmness in my life. Photography gave me exactly that. It became almost like a medicine for me. I could step away from the pressure of work, go somewhere, observe things and just spend time with the camera.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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What\u2019s in Afzal\u2019s bag<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Afzal<\/a>
Afzal Khan\u2019s camera bag<\/figcaption>Afzal Khan<\/span><\/figure>\n

Favorite cameras(s)<\/strong>: Hasselblad X1D II<\/a> and Sony A7R IV<\/a><\/p>\n

Favorite lens(s):<\/strong> Sony Zeiss 55mm FE ZA<\/a>, Sony Zeiss 135mm F1.8<\/a> and a Lensbaby Sol 45<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a few months ago, I switched brands. I am currently shooting with a Hasselblad X1D II<\/a> and Hasselblad XCD 65mm lens<\/a>. It is a new chapter for me, and I am enjoying the change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Must-have accessories:<\/strong> \u201cOne accessory I really like is the Peak Design Capture Clip<\/a>, especially the limited edition made with Carryology. I also like the Peak Design backpack from the Coyote series. Apart from that, I prefer not to carry too many things. For me, the simpler the setup, the easier it is to concentrate on what I am seeing and photographing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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I love writing and reading, too, so my camera bag usually has one or two books in it. I also carry a wired earphone, a pen and a small box of natural solid perfume. They are not really photography essentials, but they are things I like having. My camera bag is not just a camera bag; it carries a few things that are part of my everyday life, too.<\/p>\n

I am also looking forward to getting the Chinotech waist-level viewfinder<\/a>, which is currently on my wishlist.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you like to shoot?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Their<\/a>
\u201cTheir shared ground: old age and an old home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sony \u03b17R IV | Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA @ 135mm | F1.8 | 1\/2000 sec | ISO 100<\/figcaption>Afzal Khan<\/span><\/figure>\n

\u201cI never really believed in dividing photography into genres. A camera doesn\u2019t say, \u201cI only capture landscapes\u201d or \u201cI only capture wildlife.\u201d For me, a camera is simply a tool that allows me to capture what I love to see. I am usually more attracted to things that people tend to ignore, forgotten places, ordinary people and small moments of life that may look insignificant but actually have many stories hidden inside them. There are so many moments happening around us that we hardly notice, and I think I am always looking for those moments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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There are so many moments happening around us that we hardly notice, and I think I am always looking for those moments.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

If I had to describe myself as a photographer, I would probably say I am a storyteller. I am always hunting for a story, whether it is in a person\u2019s face, a place, a small detail or a particular moment. I enjoy many kinds of photography, but if I had to pick my favorites, portraits, macro, and more artistic and experimental work are what attract me most. They give me the freedom to look at things a little differently and tell a story in my own way.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s changed since the beginning?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"A<\/a>
\u201cA Quiet Sadness II.\u201d<\/figcaption>Afzal Khan<\/span><\/figure>\n

\u201cI have gone deeper into searching for stories and understanding life and nature. I think most of my improvement came from regular practice. I never really made photography my profession, and I was never behind followers or trying to become popular. I simply kept doing it because I love photography.<\/p>\n

That regular practice not only refined my skills of capturing things, but also improved my observation. I became more curious and more of an observer. I started noticing things, moments and stories that I might have ignored before. I think photography has not only made me a better photographer, but it has also made me a better observer and, in some ways, a better human being.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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What places have helped you to better understand your photography?<\/h2>\n
\"Colors<\/a>
\u201cColors of Devotion IV | In Hindu and Buddhist worship, ritual powders such as Sindoor, Turmeric, Abir, Gulal, Saffron, Sandalwood paste, and Sacred Ash are repeatedly applied to deities and sacred spaces. Over time, these pigments accumulate, transforming temples and stupas into vibrant, unintentional abstractions. These layered colors stand as quiet traces of devotion, faith, and time.\u201d
<\/figcaption>Afzal Khan<\/span><\/figure>\n

\u201cI believe I can find stories in almost every corner, though I am not really a crowded-place or festival-kind-of photographer. I need some breathing space to observe things, understand the surroundings and create or capture some stories. I usually feel more connected to quieter places, where I can slow down and look around.<\/p>\n

In recent years, two places that really stayed with me are Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, and the Forbidden Kingdom of Mustang. Both places helped me understand my subjects in a different way.<\/p>\n

In Mustang, I started to feel stories even in the landscapes. The sand, land and mountains create a kind of magic that makes you look at the landscape differently. Lumbini gave me something completely different. Its spirituality and calm made me look at human life in a quieter way, and that was reflected in the pictures I took there. Both places were not just trips for me; they changed the way I saw and photographed the subjects around me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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What would you say to other photographers about their work mattering?<\/h2>\n
\"Boudhanath<\/a>
Boudhanath Codex VI | \u201cWith our thoughts, we make the world.\u201d \u2013Buddha<\/p>\n

Sony \u03b17R IV | 1\/2500 sec | ISO 100<\/figcaption>Afzal Khan<\/span><\/figure>\n

\u201cI feel many photographers today are trying to capture photographs with their brain, thinking they can make everything later on a computer or through an app. But for me, the photograph is actually created at the time of the shoot. So I would say, shoot with your heart, not just with your brain. Cameras already have enough brains these days.<\/p>\n

What we need is the heart to understand and feel the subject, to observe before pressing the shutter, to feel the moment, and to hunt for your own kind of light. Getting good light and capturing a photograph is not enough. Look for \u2018your\u2019 kind of light, the light that is pleasant to your eye and makes the subject feel more like yours. That, for me, is where photography becomes personal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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What we need is the heart to understand and feel the subject, to observe before pressing the shutter, to feel the moment, and to hunt for your own kind of light.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

It may sound a little weird, but I actually talk to my camera sometimes. I might say, \u201cIt\u2019s good, let\u2019s capture,\u201d or after taking a photograph, \u201cThat\u2019s great, well done.\u201d I think this little friendship between my camera and me actually makes a difference.<\/p>\n

Afzal really enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would love to hear what you think of his photography and to answer any of your questions in the comments below.<\/p>\n

You can check out Afzal\u2019s other work at behance.net\/afzalkhanvisuals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Have your photography featured on the DPReview homepage! Find out how.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong>\u00a0This article continues a series, \u2018What\u2019s in your bag?\u2019, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on.\u00a0Would you like your photography to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself by filling out\u00a0this form<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

About the Author: <\/span>Mathew Anderson is a proud Community Manager for the technology industry and a past visitor to DPReview.com for all his camera needs. He is currently the lead of DPReview\u2019s community and primary communication link between the community and DPReview\u2019s team.<\/div>\n
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Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases?\u00a0Add DPReview as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.<\/p>\n

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