The image question

The sign for passport photos led to a tiny metal-framed tent tucked between two crumbling walls on an otherwise anonymous road. Inside, a child-sized plastic stool stood in front of a plain backdrop. On a camping table were an old can of insect spray, two stained plastic combs and a political magazine from 2009. There was no equipment and no trace of a photographer.

As I turned to go, I noticed a woman running towards me from the end of the street. She motioned me back towards the tent, wished me good morning and held back the thin white sheet that hung over the entrance. From her bag she pulled a Canon EOS 500D, Canon Speedlite 430 EXII and HiTi PhotoPrinter P11OS, collectively worth the thick end of £1,000.