A veteran documentary photographer, Teru Kuwayama frequently finds himself on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan—the latter of which he calls his "hands-down favorite country on earth." This despite the fact that he and Outside Reconnaissance Agent and Hard Way columnist Mark Jenkins were arrested after traversing Afghanistan's northeastern corner and detained for five days in Tajikistan while on assignment. "Even the detention wasn't so bad, as those things can go," says the Brooklyn-based Kuwayama. "The people holding us gave us tea and cookies." The story, titled "A Short Walk in the Wakhan Corridor," is now on stands in the November issue of Outside. Kuwayama's work has been featured in Newsweek, Time, Fortune, and, of course, Outside. Here, view some 21 photos from the expedition.

Over the past decade he has carved a nomadic path across Asia and the Middle East, seeking out remote, undeveloped, and conflicted areas. His projects have taken him from Tibet to Sri Lanka, from Indonesia to Iraq. Kuwayama works in black and white and color, using film, digital, panoramic, and toy cameras. His photographs have received numerous awards and citations, including grants from the Alexia Foundation for World Peace, and The New York Foundation for the Arts.

Kuwayama's work also accompanied the 2003 story, "The Coldest War" by Outside Correspondent Kevin Fedarko. To read the story, see the images, and view a slideshow of Teru's work with audio commentary by the photographer, click here

In 2004, working with his brother Shinji, Kuwayama created Lightstalkers, a web-based community of unconventional travelers. Lightstalkers currently has a global membership of thousands of photographers, journalists, aid workers, and military personnel.

Teru can be located or contacted via www.lightstalkers.org/teru

View the Teru Kuwayama photo gallery here