Tiji Festival Gallery Is Now Available

 

I am getting caught up on my photography website.  Today I got around to selecting and uploading 45 photographs from my May/June 2019 journey to Upper Mustang, The Former Kingdom of Lo, in Northern Nepal to attend the Tiji Festival.

The Tiji Festival is an annual event which commemorates the forces of good vanquishing evil.  It is a ritual which has deep roots in Tibetan Buddhism - Vajrayana practice.  It has been conducted in Lo Manthang since the 17th century.

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/2019-Tiji-Festival-Upper-Mustang

Mobile App Link:

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/2019-Tiji-Festival-Upper-Mustang?mobile=true

Hamer Tribe - Omo Valley, Ethiopia October 2019 - Photo Gallery Available

A gallery of 24 selected photographs from my recently completed journey to the Omo Valley in Ethiopia is now available for viewing on my personal photography website.

Gallery Link:
 
https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Hamer-Tribe-of-Omo-Valley-Ethiopia-October-2019

Mobile App Link:

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Hamer-Tribe-of-Omo-Valley-Ethiopia-October-2019?mobile=true


The fourth tribe on my journey through the Omo Valley were the "Hamer", also known as the "Hamar".

The Hamer is a tribe of approximately 70,000 people in the Omo Valley. They grow corn, and sorghum as well as tend cattle and goats..

Hamer women are world renowned for their appearance.  Their hairstyle is particularly unique - fringes of tightly braided hair smeared with ochre and butter.  They wear a goatskin garment called a "kasha" which hangs around their neck and covers their breasts.  The kasha is decorated with rows of cowrie shells.

I was very fortunate to spend some quality and very productive time interacting with as well as photographing some Hamer people inside of their home located in a very small village.

I am very pleased with the photographs from that visit.

Karo Tribe - Omo Valley, Ethiopia October 2019 - Photo Gallery Available

A gallery of 33 selected photographs from my recently completed journey to the Omo Valley in Ethiopia is now available for viewing on my personal photography website.

Gallery Link:
 
https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Karo-Tribe-of-Ethiopia-October-2019

Mobile App Link:


https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Karo-Tribe-of-Ethiopia-October-2019?mobile=true

The third tribe on my journey through the Omo Valley were the "Karo", also known as the "Kara".

The Karo are a small tribe of less than 3,000 in the Omo Valley. They grow corn, beans, and sorghum.

I visited the tribe late in the afternoon.  Although suffering from giardiasis, I managed to get some memorable photos of the people, and their homes.  Realizing that I was feeling ill, one of the elders ensured that the people gave me some personal space.  Many of the visits to the Omo Valley can be somewhat daunting, with people pressing to have their photos taken and to view thier photos on the back of your camera.

I was very impressed with the openness and friendliness of the Omo Valley tribes.  The people were very interesting and a pleasure to interact with.

Nyangatom Tribe - Omo Valley, Ethiopia October 2019 - Photo Gallery Available

A gallery of 32 selected photographs from my recently completed journey to the Omo Valley in Ethiopia is now available for viewing on my personal photography website.

Gallery Link:
 
https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Nyangatom-Tribe-of-Ethiopia-October-2019

Mobile App Link:

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Nyangatom-Tribe-of-Ethiopia-October-2019?mobile=true

The second tribe on my journey through the Omo Valley were the "Nyangatom".

The Nyangatom, also known as the Bome (Bume), are a tribe of approximately 20,000 in the Omo Valley. They are pastoralists - tending their herds and growing some crops as the availability of water allows.   They are known for being fearsome warriors. Even these days there are fatal encounter with the neighbors - Hamer, Suri, and Karo tribes.

I was able to witness and photograph an early morning ritual where a family extracted fresh blood from their cattle to drink.  It was unlike anything that I have ever experienced to date.

NOTE:  This gallery contains photographs of naked men, blood., and the drawing blood from live cattle.

The linked gallery provides a glimpse of a people and their culture in a land far away and living in a long ago time in today's world.

Long may they continue and thrive as they choose. 

Suri Tribe - Omo Valley, Ethiopia October 2019 - Photo Gallery Available

 

Another day, another photo gallery is now available for viewing.

A gallery of 31 selected photographs from my recently completed journey to the Omo Valley in Ethiopia is now available for viewing on my personal photography website.

Gallery Link:
 
https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Suri-Tribe-of-Omo-Valley-Ethiopia-Oct-2019

Mobile App Link:

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Suri-Tribe-of-Omo-Valley-Ethiopia-Oct-2019?mobile=true

After my journey to the Gerewol Festival in Chad and having to pass through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in order to return home in Thailand, I took a detour to explore, photograph, and experience the truly amazing tribes of the Omo Valley near the borders of Kenya and the South Sudan.

The first tribe on my journey through the Omo Valley were the "Suri".

 

The Suri, also known as the Surma, are one of the less visited tribes of the Omo Valley due to their remoteness and inaccessibility.  They are known for their ornate decoration of their bodies.  The Suri paint their bodies with mud or paints.  Bodies are also decorated through scarification - causing keloid scars by cutting with razor blades.  In addition the Suri people extensively use local plants and flowers to adorn their bodies.

Like the Mursi tribe, Suri women pierce their lips and insert clay plates.

Soon I will write a blog sharing my experiences as well as observations that I had during my two days with the Suri people.

Gerewol Festival 2019 Chad - Gallery Is Now Available

A gallery of 33 selected photographs from my recently completed journey to Chad (Tchad) is now available for viewing on my personal photography website.

Gallery Link:
 
https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Gerewol-Festival-Chad-2019

Mobile App Link:

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Gerewol-Festival-Chad-2019?mobile=true

I had gone to Chad to witness, document as well as experience the Gerewol Festival.

The Gerewol Festival is the annual gathering of the nomadic people of the Wodaabe Tribe of the Sahel region of Africa.  At the gathering, the males compete for the attention and "favors (favours) of the young females.  The Wodaabe people consider themselves to be the most beautiful people in the world.

For the festival which provides the opportunity to comingle the bloodlines of the various clans, the males dress and make-up to emulate birds while accentuating their features that are considered beautiful and desirable.

Starting a little before sunset each day, the young men will dance and chant all night long before stopping just after sunrise.

Attending this festival was a great opportunity for me to: "show extraordinary people doing ordinary things.  In so doing, I wish to show how different people can appear, to provide a glimpse of other cultures, to celebrate the diversity of mankind, and to demonstrate that despite our appearances we are so much alike."

Chad was definitely one of the places that I now seek and treasure  - "a place less visited"

A New Photo Gallery Is Available - "Saddhus of Pashupatinath"

A new photography gallery, "Saddhus of Pashupatinath", on my personal website is now available for viewing.

This gallery contains some selected photos of Saddhus, Hindu Holy Men, that I encountered on my recently concluded visit to Nepal.

Some of the Saddhus, I had visited and photographed on my previous two visits to Nepal in the past three years.  Many of the Saddhus, being wandering holy men, had left, some of them returning to India.

As always the interaction with the Saddhus was interesting and often entertaining.

The following is the link to the new gallery:

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/The-Saddhus-of-Pashupatinath