Dispatches from the Frontiers | Uzbekistan, September 2026
Light, patience and asking nicely: notes on street photography from the Silk Road in Uzbekistan
The School Run, Margilan, Uzbekistan
My approach to candid street photography in one frame. Choose the time, find the spot, wait for the moment and get lucky.
When friends look through my photographs, two questions come up more than any others. How do you approach photographing people? And does the camera matter?
The second is easier, so I'll deal with it first. I use Sony cameras, but my iPhone also does a lot of heavy lifting. The camera does matter, up to a point. A good full-frame camera will forgive a lot, as long as you're happy to spend hours in Lightroom twiddling with white balance and exposure. What it won't do is compose the scene, find the light or strike up a conversation with a stranger. Those matter more. Whatever you have in your hand will do.
Find the Light
Most photographs are transformed by good light and for me that means getting up early, looking for shade or taking time in the late afternoon.
Golden hour at the Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent
With the right light, photos often compose themselves. I was chatting with this onion seller in Tashkent just before six in the evening. The light fell beautifully on him – so I asked for his portrait, took out my little compact camera and pressed the shutter release.
Firing up the Tandir in Khiva
An early morning shot. Low sun coming in from behind, smoke rising from the tandir (clay oven) as a woman fired it up for a day of baking. Shooting into the light rather than with it made the picture for me. Early mornings, especially in the Silk Road cities, are not just about light. They're also before the tour groups arrive, so it's easier to capture these quiet moments.
It’s behind you
I'm a great believer in 360-degree walking. It's something I've learned over the years, having missed so many opportunities because I was fixated on the path ahead and not what was behind, above or below me.
Morning conversation in Khiva
Take this shot. I was spending the morning photographing the monuments of Khiva in the early light. I’d put my camera bag down at my feet, turned around to get something and noticed this scene out of the corner of my eye. It’s one of my favourite candid shots and I almost missed it completely.
Although to be fair, the Kalta Minor in the early light is worth it.
Wait for the moment
I have much more time these days, and a penchant for taking my time. There are occasions when I spot a scene but just need to wait for something to happen, or someone to walk into the frame. As an independent traveller, I can doss around, as they say where I come from. It’s also why I often drive my travelling companions nuts.
Silk Road Mornings
By midday, Bukhara's arches vanish behind souvenir stalls. Early one morning, I spotted the pool of light under the arch and waited for people to walk through. After a few abandoned attempts, this man cycled past and I caught him as he crossed into the sunlight. No particular skill. Just a little time on my hands, an idea of what I wanted, and waiting. Same story in Khiva – with traders setting up for the day. Low sun raking across the madrasa wall, and a line between light and shade I knew someone would have to cross. Eventually someone did.
And only one makes the cut
The same doorway in Margilan, one morning on the school run. Plenty of near-misses, and a few I still like. But one stood out: the frame that opens this post
