These pictures show the 'real Afghanistan' as captured by an ex-British soldier whose eyes have been opened to the war-torn country's hidden beauty.
Former paratrooper Paul Hutchings spent months photographing Afghan people on a personal mission to show a side of the country away from the suicide bombings and gun-battles.
The 41-year-old spent months gaining the trust of ordinary Afghans to capture these intimate portraits of the lives of the poor and needy.
Young girls smile as they are bought popcorn in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan: These pictures show the 'real Afghanistan' as captured by ex-soldier Paul Hutchings, whose eyes have been opened to its hidden beauty
Elyas, aged 17 months old, poses with a toy AK47: The real thing is a familiar sight in Bamyan Province, where Mr Hutchings now works as a private security contractor. He can't be specific on his role for security reasons
Chefs in a restaurant hang their washing inside the kitchen to dry: Mr Hutchings spent months gaining the trust of ordinary Afghans to capture these intimate portraits of their lives away from the headline news
Men sit by the local hospital wall which points out the rules of entering - including no weapons: Village elders, women and children have all agreed to pose for Mr Hutchings's eye-opening collection of photographs
Two young children shiver in the rain and bitter cold as they walk along a riverside in Bamyan Province: Mr Hutchings said children often made the best subjects as they loved seeing their faces on the camera display
Village elders, women and children have all agreed to pose for his eye-opening collection.
They include a 18-month-old clutching a replica AK47, beggars at the roadside and spirited children roaming the streets, some even running their own businesses.
'At first it was very difficult as photography is seen by some as almost like witchcraft,' he said.
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'Some don't understand how it works and they also see it as an invasion of privacy.
'To gain trust I took one picture when they weren't looking, printed it off and then presented it to the relevant shopkeeper.
'He was so pleased as I showed him my camera and how I did it. He printed off another picture, he showed all his friends and they all wanted one.
'Quietly after gaining trust and confidence, a lot of people allowed me to take their picture.
'Picturing women is still frowned upon by most, but kids love seeing their faces on a screen so if you have some sweets in your pocket to say thanks, they will pose all day if need be.'
A cobbler earns his living in the local Bazaar: Earning the trust of those he pictured was difficult, as some regarded photography as like witchcraft, Mr Hutchings said. But once they saw the result they were happy
A woman and her daughter cross the river over a makeshift bridge in Bamyan Province: Picturing women is still widely frowned, Mr Hutchings said, but many were happy to be photographed after he gained their trust
Two Bamyan boys seek shelter behind sacks of hay from the bitter wind: Most of Mr Hutchings's photographs were taken between January and April in the Province, which 160 miles outside of the capital Kabul
Young children out amongst the snow in Bamyan Province as the snow-capped Hindu Kush mountains rise in the background: Temperatures drop to minus 12-17C at nights in winter but reach as high as 45C in summer
Afghan women make products for export in Bamyan Province: The area, which is elevated 10,000ft above sea-level, is famous for the Silk Road, links to Genghis Khan and huge Buddha Statues
Violent history: The wreckage of a Russian T54 Tank lies rotting in the mountains of Bamyan Province, discarded and stripped after the Russians were defeated in Afghanistan by the Western-backed Mujahideen
A lad carries water on his donkey: Life is hard in in Bamyan Province and many homes lack running water
Youngsters sift through local rubbish bins: 'These last three months have shown me a side of Afghanistan that I never believed existed,' said Mr Hutchings of the period he spent collection this set of photos
Most of Mr Hutchings's photographs were taken between January and April in Bamyan Province, 160 miles outside of the capital Kabul.
Elevated 10,000ft above sea-level, with a backdrop of the dramatic Hindu Kush mountain range, the area is famous for the Silk Road and links to Genghis Khan.
It is also dotted with Buddha statues carved into the living rock of the mountains as far back as 1,600 year ago. The former Taliban rulers of the country sparked an international outcry when they decreed the two most prominent of these, standing 55 and 57 metres tall respectively, were idolatrous and demolished them with artillery.
Life is hard in the region and many homes go without electricity and running water. Temperatures drop to minus 12-17C at nights in winter but reach as high as 45C in midsummer.
All around the people of Bamyan lie reminders of past conflicts such as burned-out Russian tanks and ammunition.
A group of Bamyan Province farmers sit chatting waiting for people to buy their livestock: The majority of Mr Hutchings's pictures were taken using a small pocket camera and taken through armoured glass
A village elder sits and watches the world go by: Although Mr Hutchings' takes most of his photographs from within an armoured car, he has grown more comfortable hitting the streets on his own
A woman breaking and collecting fire wood for her home: 'There is no electricity and if you have any then it's run off of solar panels or a small generator and there is no freshwater, most of it comes from wells,' he said
'These last three months have shown me a side of Afghanistan that I never believed existed,' added Mr Hutchings, who is originally from North Wales.
'People literally struggle with life, everyday. It is their own war of survival.
'I have noticed how resilient the people are. There is no electricity and if you have any then it's run off of solar panels or a small generator and there is no freshwater, most of it comes from wells or the river.
'A kid was lucky to have an ice-cream the other day in Nowruz and it fell on to the dirt and three kids fought to try and eat it. That's how bad it is.'
The father-of-one works as a security consultant but cannot be more specific on his role for security reasons. His fiancee Non, 33 a nurse, is based back in Cardiff and is carrying his second child, due in September.
His daughter Kitty is five-years-old.
Shy: Women wait for their husbands in Bamyan Province
Needs must: A mother and daughter brave snow to go and wash clothes in the icy river in Bamyan Province
Creature comforts: A man cleans out his cups before making green tea in Bamyan Province
A soldier overlooks the infamous Buddhas of Bamyan and the Silk Road: The Taliban sparked an international outcry when they decreed the 1,600-year-old Buddhas idolatrous and in 2001 destroyed them with artillery
When in Afghanistan he tends to spend the nights in a guarded compound.
And although he takes most of his photographs from within an armoured car, he has grown more comfortable hitting the streets on his own.
He said: 'This is Afghanistan so the element of danger is always there. But in the area I am in, you are more likely to get run over or robbed than you are to get shot.'
It is much different to his days in Kabul though, where he saw suicide bombings and was roughed up by the police for taking photographs.
Scars of wary: The remains of a building that was attacked and peppered with bullets in Kabul
A bicycle sales and repair shop in Kabul: In the more-dangerous environment of the Afghan capital Mr Hutchings saw suicide bombings and was roughed up by the police for taking photographs
Women in traditional dress sit on the roadside near a military compound in Kabul: He was based in Kabul for most of the time but was unable to take many photographs because the streets of the capital are dangerous
Worse than London: Mr Hutchings's driver Dawood battles his way through the crazy Kabul traffic
The relentless march of progress? Workmen lay cables for internet and electricity in Kabul
Mr Hutchings fell into photography after leaving the parachute regiment and landing a security job in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
He also worked in Kurdistan in northern Iraq before moving to Afghanistan in 2008.
He was based in Kabul for a most of the time but was unable to indulge his passion for photography because the streets of the capital are more dangerous.
The majority of his pictures have been taken using a small pocket camera and taken through armoured glass.
'The biggest problem I have with this country is the corruption,' he said. 'The amount of billions of dollars that gets pumped in to this place is unreal, yet millions find their way in to the pockets of warlords and ministers.'
Hard life: A young girl carries heavy containers filled with water through the Kabul streets for her family
A dangerous job: Mr Paul Hutchings by a vehicle which was damaged during a suicide bomber attack on an International Security Assistance Force convoy near Kabul
Dangerous place to be: A local guard tower keeps watch as the sun sets over the Afghan capital
Sports: A traditional Buzkashi match in Mazar e Sharif where men on horseback try to get the body of a beheaded goat from one end to another
His experience have given him a perception of Afghanistan he did not believe he would see and he has ambitions to continue capturing the secret beauty of the country.
He added: 'These people are survivors and their resilience is second to none. They are friendly, open and honest.
'They treat you like a king, yet they have nothing but give you all that they do have - it's heart warming.
'What we would perceive as rubbish in the Western world and discard it and think nothing of it, these people find a different use for it.'
'It is unbelievable some of the things you see. It has been quite a journey.'