EXPANDED: APRIL 9th, 2020
I think the biggest challenge of a travel photographer or travel journalist is to photographically capture the heart of a country – portraits of its people. Over many years I have captured some interesting portraits of many amazing people.
Every face tells a story!
Every picture I have captured has a story behind it (in particular the portraits) and unless I share these stories, my photos won’t be appreciated by you as much as I appreciate them. So, let me start by providing my side of the story behind a few of my portraits. While we won’t know the story of each subject, we can take a long and close look, and just imagine what story each of these people could tell the world. Some happy, others heartbroken.
MYANMAR
I was walking around Shwe Inn Thain near Inle Lake, Myanmar, when I came across this lady. I asked for a photo, and she asked for money. I said “nope, no money”, and she said “nope, no photo”. I smiled and walked away. After a few minutes, I convinced myself that I could not let this opportunity go. Going against my policy, I walked back and offered her the money. She smiled, and now I will treasure this photo for the rest of my life.
TIBET
Tibet is one of the countries with the most photogenic people, a rich and colourful culture. Sadly the China Communist government is fast (not slowly) eroding the Tibetan culture and oppressing the Tibetan people. At the Jokhang temple, founded in the 7th century, and located on Barkhor Square in Lhasa, people prostrate clockwise around the temple. I found an obscure spot from where I photographed the crowd, one at a time. The few people who did notice me smiled and obviously approved my photography (or so I conveniently read their body language). This boy (or girl) was among the crowd and become one of my most treasured portraits.
GEORGIA
En route to the mountain village of Kazbegi in northern Georgia, close to the border with the Russian Chechen Republic, I stopped at the village of Mtskheta to photograph the Sveti-Tskhoveli Cathedral. Outside the cathedral, I walked up to this monk (after much hesitation) and asked if I could take a photo. With a much-reserved smile, he agreed, and with a big smile in return, I took a few photos. He did some natural poses for me for which I am thankful for life.
MOLDOVA
It was a long and tedious journey to reach the Cave Monastery of Orheiul Vechi in northern Moldova. As I descended the steps into this highly sacred cave monastery, I was met by this monk. As he most likely speaks no English I pointed at my camera and then at him. Without any emotion, he pointed to his face, which I took as a signal of approval. I smiled and took two photos. He seems very uncomfortable but at least he did approve. I walked out of the cave feeling like a true National Geographic photographer. A photo I truly treasure.
SYRIA
This is one of my most treasured portraits. I hired a car and driver in Damascus, Syria, to take me to the so-called “beehive houses” in the villages of Sarouj and Twalid Dabaghein in the desert not far from the Iraqi border. We passed the little “Bagdad Hotel” on the lonely road, and sadly I did not ask the driver to stop for a photo. This was pre-civil war, so now this area is off-limits.
These villages are famous for their cone-shaped mud houses, reminiscent of beehives. The huts are about six metres in diameter and about five metres high. At the top of the cone-shaped hut is a small opening which allows the hot air to escape.
I met this lady outside her hut and even though she speaks no English, and I speak no Arabic, she invited me into her bare hut, devoid of any furniture except for a few red carpets. Tea was on the menu. As she prepared the tea, she kept talking non-stop, assuming that all people understand Arabic. We both smiled a lot and I tried to make some conversation in English. While she most likely understood no English at all, she kept speaking in Arabic. She reluctantly agreed to a few photos. After about 30 minutes of non-stop talking, we parted our ways.
I often wonder if she survived the civil war and what horrific treatment she may have endured under the invading ISIS extremists. A truly special photo in my collection.
IRAN
This is another truly special photo of this 120-year-old Ghashghai lady. In the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, I rented a car and driver to take me to the nomads in the fields outside the town of Firuzabad. These people, of Turkish descent, live almost entirely off their goats, and move location every few weeks in the interest of their grazing animals.
We stopped at the main road and then hiked for a while to reach this small family of about ten people. They have set up a few home-made tents in the greenish meadows where they guard over the goats. The tents are rather haphazardly made from the hair of their goats. Most of their food, which includes meat, cheese, yoghurt, and milk comes from their goats. My guide and I had a long conversation with them and with their approval, I took a few photos. This lady was really shy to the camera and eventually said that she will only pose if I offer money. I wholeheartedly agreed to offer them something for their time and lovely yoghurt, bread and tea which they served as lunch. As soon as I said “of course I’ll give money”, she turned into a very willing model. What a special afternoon I spent with these amazing people! I just love Iran and its people so much!
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
September 2014, and I found myself in Akameku village, in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. I was sitting around a smoky fire inside a hut with a thatched roof with this little boy staring at me. He was truly baffled by me and did not smile once, despite my jokes and other efforts to established some form of communication between us.
He looked rather unhappy, or just perplexed, and kept staring at me with his puzzled and sad face. The light was low as we were sitting in the smoke waiting for the rice to cook. I did not use a flash and thought the photo will be way too dark. Thanks to modern technology, the photo ended up being one of my all-time favourites! How much I wish I could read his mind!
TIBETAN CHINA
Northern reaches of China’s Yunnan province near Tibet: After a 6-hour hike over the snowy mountains, slipping and sliding, I reached the very remote village of Yubeng. Most people here are of Tibetan descent as this is part of the real Tibet (not the way China redrew the borders since their occupation in 1950).
As I walked up from the village on a narrow slippery path, I saw this young man coming towards me. My immediate instinct was to photograph him so I lifted my camera and boom – without having time to think (or to ask), I captured this photo. As usual, after the shot, I asked for permission and he smiled and kept walking. Wow… I smiled and continued up the path, only to later turn back after being stuck in deep snow.
The Tibetans of Yubeng village are true survivors! So was I in getting there and away – I thought I’ll never again see civilisation.
UYGHUR CHINA
I was on an 8-hour train ride through the desert of China’s western province of Xinjiang from the town of Hotan to the town of Kashgar, some 500 km apart. The train was packed with people and my seat was directly opposite the small table of this young woman. She was very shy and tried not to make eye contact for the first six hours but after she eventually accepted some of my snacks, she made eye contact. I so much wanted to take a photo but I knew it was a no-no.
She had several male family members around her to whom I talked and started to play with my camera and I let them take pics of each other until I took over the camera and took some photos of all but her. She was shy but was laughing and started to open up. While we all had fun I ever so kindly asked her for a photo and to my surprise she agreed, but I had to wait until she had most of her face covered. Thanks, my dear, much appreciated!
YEMEN
Far north of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, is the rather remote village of Al-Mahwit. While people are generally friendly, I had an uncomfortable feeling about this place. These Muslim people are very conservative and I was wary of the radicals in their midst. When I pointed my camera at a mosque, a few guys yelled at me and vehemently protested my intentions to take photos of the mosque.
As I walked through the village market I came across these two guys working at an auto repair shop. I asked for a photo and they immediately accepted and posed on a bench. They are hard-working guys and dirty from top to toes. Thanks guys!
MOROCCO
Aït-Ben-Haddou is a mountain village some 200 km southeast of Marrakech in Morocco. This friendly man is part of the Tuareg Berber nomadic pastoralist tribe who is spread across the Sahara desert and in countries such as Libya, Algeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and in southeastern Morocco.
I was wandering through the adobe village of Aït-Ben-Haddou when I came across him. He spoke no English but was very talkative in French. He eventually led me to his very interesting shop where he was more than happy to pose for photos as he sat amongst his prized possessions.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
September 2014 and I have the immense privilege to be at the annual Sing-Sing Festival in Goroka, Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. This little boy was in the Wild Snake Sing-sing Group. He just looked so mysterious and could not believe that he was looking at me…. a white ghost from across the sea.
NEPAL
During a 16-day hike from Lukla to Everest Base Camp, I hiked through the small mountain village of Khumjung. I found this girl and she was very shy at first. I made jokes and eventually we somehow connected and she hesitantly allowed me to take a photo. I showed her the photo and she just loved it! I pointed my camera again at her and she was quite happy to pose for a few more.
These people live in very harsh conditions with brutally cold winters – hence her cracked skin even during the summer months. As I walked away, some lady at her nearby home ( I assume her mother or maybe grandmother), yelled at me and threw stones at me. Fortunately, I was further away than her stones could reach. Eish!
AFGHANISTAN
In the small mountain village of Shughnan in rural Afghanistan I met many interesting people. This man was sitting at his little shop selling some basic household products. At first he looked grumpy so I wasn’t sure if I should approach him. However, I have learned over time that I should never waste a “Kodak moment”. So, I walked up and said “As-salamu alaykum. Photo?”. He gave me a big smile and nodded, so I took about five photos of him. Not much of a story I know, but you should have seen this authentic mountain village where it seems time has not moved over the past 100 years! I’m proud of myself for having the guts to walk around like a Nat Geo photographer – among people with big machine guns!
That’s it for now… more portraits to come soon!
☛ Read more: Posts with more portraits
Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.