I’d like to share some safari photography from my recent trip to Africa. It was an amazing experience.
I had no phone or internet connection for most of the trip! Sometimes I’d put down my camera and just immerse myself in their lives. That allowed me to learn more about the people and their traditions. Living with them definitely helped quite a bit in capturing some of these photographs. Sharing meals and laughs, learning how to sing, and teaching them my awful dance techniques were some of the highlights of this trip. Not to mention pancakes made from a root of a banana-like tree that was fermented in the ground for 7 months!! Yummy!!
I made notes under many photographs so that you can understand a bit more about each photo and what it represents. Please note that there’s some nudity. For many of us, it’s a bit of a taboo, but it is normal for a number of tribes in the areas where I’ve photographed.
The conditions some of these tribes live in are pretty harsh, and I often wondered how they survive. They’re adapted very well, and yet the mortality rate is extremely high. Even 2 of my DSLR cameras did not survive the trip…
Enjoy!!
Portrait of a Mursi woman. Mursi are one of the most unique tribes in the world. They are mostly known for wearing lip plates. Among the other tribes, they are known as the most fierce warriors. I enjoyed dancing, singing and trying to communicate with them. We are unique to them, just like they are unique to us.At around puberty, females cut their lower lip and install a clay plate in the opening. As time goes by, they stretch the hole and put a bigger disk in it. Those plates can easily reach 7 inches in diameter! Lower teeth are often removed to make the lip plate sit comfortably in the opening.There are a lot of kids everywhere. They tend to know 1-3 English words
Kids help their parents by looking after their younger siblings. I saw many 4-6-year-old kids carrying their brother/sister on their backs.Guns are owned by most, if not all, men in all the tribes. Kalashnikov AK-47 is a weapon of choice. Most tribesmen own guns, with the Kalashnikov AK-47 being the weapon of choice. In fact, owning a gun is a prerequisite for getting married, as is ownership of at least 30 cows (which are given to the parents of the bride).The Suri’s grazing lands are under intense competition from neighbouring tribes, and as a result, they have to protect themselves and their cattle.
These girls are from the Hamer tribe. Note the hairstyle, which is typical for women in that tribe
There is often not enough grass around the villages, and so sometimes, the cattle are taken many miles away
Mother is trying to calm her child. Behind is her house. It may not seem big, but that’s where her family lives. A 60 sqft house for the whole family!!Adults often mix cattle blood with milk for drinkingHere’s a woman with a leather ring around her neck. It indicates that she is the first wife. No other rings are visible. That means she is the only wife her husband has.In some areas, you can find kids on the side of the road dancing and doing tricks. All they want is an empty water bottle. Ignorant tourists feel sorry and give them money, bottles and other gifts. They don’t know that these kids are skipping school with the idea that they rather do this and make money(they sell the bottles) than study. Empty water bottles are sold in markets!The scars are from the bull jumping ceremony. Women let their men whip them with sticks, inflicting deep scars. If I am not mistaken, they also put oil or butter on the wounds to make the scars bigger. Every woman has to go through this ceremony. They are very proud of their scars!This is how coffee is made in Ethiopia. Beans are roasted right in front of you. Then they are crushed, and hot water is added. I am not a coffee drinker, but I had it almost every day! You won’t be able to drink Starbucks after trying this coffee!!Many tribes eat raw meat…They claim it tastes better than cooked!All of these decorations are to show what tribe he/she belongs to. Beads are used in prayers to count blessings. They also believe that beads bring peace, health and prosperity to the wearer.Many men and women take good care of their hairYoung people sometimes put on “everything they have” when they go to the market to show off to the ladiesTraditional Evangadi dance
Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early/late or a few kilometres off course, and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity?
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