James Reeve’s series Banned is a positive look at Afghanistan sans Taliban rule. Reeve has photographed unvarnished liberties, like female schooling, as well as simple pleasures, such as bird-keeping, which, with the lifting of harsher religious restrictions, are once again available to the people. 

The extreme Islamic ethos of the Taliban meant that many apparently harmless and everyday activities could no longer be enjoyed and their proscription was systematically enforced with draconian punishments, including beatings, amputations and even executions.