Silent Nomad
A traveller with a camera!
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Man with metal walking stick

In Jodhpur, I stopped at a street stall selling some nicely brewed Indian-style masala tea (chai). There was some seating nearby under an arch that led to a square, so I took the opportunity to rest and have some chai. I spotted this man sitting opposite me with what appears to have been a metal walking stick. A very distinctive look. He too had some chai later.

Gentoo penguin

When I first took up photography as a hobby, it was important to me that photos be taken in full manual mode as I thought that doing so would teach me about exposures. I’m not entirely sure how successful that method was, but it sure did make me a slow photographer! I now shoot almost invariably in aperture-priority mode and am faster for it. A piece of nostalgia for me, here is a photo from my full manual mode days where I captured this image of a Gentoo penguin in the Antarctic.

Woman of the Hamar tribe

There are quite a few different tribes in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia, each with their distinctive customs. Here we have a portrait of a woman from the Hamar tribe. This tribe is known for their bull-jumping ceremonies, which is accompanied by women inviting the men to whip them, often bloody and leaving permanent scars, as a show of their worth, dedication, and devotion.

 

Pottery in Afghanistan

Istalif village in Afghanistan is high up in the mountains, and surrounded by pleasant lands. It’s also rather famous for its colourful and somewhat rustic pottery. I bought a few pieces of pottery here 10 years ago. The people then were very happy to have their photos taken and to show-off their pottery. The village itself has been through quite a few traumas over the years, and its heritage and livelihood are at risk. Construction and security can certainly help, but it needs visitors, or a way to get its pottery to a wider market. Here, a young lad took me into his store and was very keen to show me the brightly coloured ceramics.