Kevin Frayer: Afghanistan, Helmand.

Helmand province from above

Helmand province is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest region of the country. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation. Much of the fighting between NATO and Taliban forces is taking place in this province and Helmand is said to be a Taliban stronghold.

Associated Press photojournalist Kevin Frayer recently sent out a group of stark black-and-white aerial images that show the rugged, inhospitable terrain of the province.

Frayer made the images while flying in a medevac helicopter from the U.S. Army's Task Force Shadow "Dust Off", Charlie Company 1-214 Aviation Regiment. (total: 19 images)

Kevin Frayer (born 1973) is a Canadian photojournalist noted for his wartime work in the Middle East including the Gaza Strip and Iraq and Afghanistan. Starting his career in 1991 as a photographer for the Canadian Press, his first assignments were in Yugoslavia. From 2003-2009 he was based in the Middle East, and has recently moved to New Delhi as the AP's Chief Photographer for South Asia. His work is distributed by the Associated Press (AP) and has accompanied countless news stories around the world.

In 2006, Frayer along with a group of colleagues were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in news photography for their reporting from the war in Lebanon. His photographs of Palestinian protesters caught in a tear gas assault won a prize from the World Press Photo awards in 2009. He is married to the journalist Janis Mackey Frayer, South Asia Bureau Chief for the CTV Television Network.

He was one of several journalists threatened with loaded rifles by Afghan police during elections in Afghanistan.
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