We were deep in southern Angola, about as remote as one can be, camping near a few Himba homesteads. Going in deep and setting up mobile tent camps is certainly a huge challenge. However, being in a pristine remote village at sunrise is such an authentic magical experience it is worth every challenge.
Just before sunrise, we walked up to a small homestead. In the Southern African countries, the tribes do not live in big manyattas like most tribes in East Africa. Instead, they each have their homestead in a tribal community area. Similar to many households around the world a mother will be busy cooking breakfast for the children. The children are warming up over the fire, and the older ones care for the younger.
Rather than disturbing their morning routine, we took on the role of being an observer/invited guest and being fully present. Allowing the scene to unfold naturally. Over the next hour, there was plenty of activity going back and forth to huts, helping prepare breakfast, eating breakfast and then going to attend to the livestock. This presented numerous opportunities to authentically capture natural moments as the images below.
My standard color set up is two full-frame bodies, one with a 70-200 2.8 and the other with a 24-70 2.8. I usually have a 1.4 teleconverter in my pocket. My Nikon D850’s allows me to crop the full-frame sensor in-camera, giving me up to 50% more reach to isolate a subject. This is ideal when wishing to create a variety of images from environmental portraits to isolating a single person. To make it more complicated I carry a third body – Nikon Z7 (full frame-same lenses) converted to IR. It is my newest toy, so I shot heavily with it in Angola.
While I enjoy stylizing beautiful portraits of some tribes, I personally find it more rewarding to try capturing a portrait naturally. More than a photograph is the experience – without the authentic experience, the images would personally feel empty. The other huge advantage of photographing the scene naturally, without interruption, is that it brings lots more photographic opportunities and variety to your work – especially when forced to creatively shoot around the obstacles.
What I witness often is a photographer who approach’s a beautiful natural scene, takes a few shots and then quickly goes into the safe zone – setting up the more perfect shot or portrait. This is easily a dangerous pattern to fall into. One that discourages or stops you from learning, pushing the creative boundaries, and taking a risk; ultimately limiting new ideas and your personal style. What a lot of photographers do not realize is once they start posing a person, the magical ambiance is broken, and the result is they are now probably limited to a few posed portraits rather than a plethora of beautiful natural moments; producing more compelling, honest, innovative photographs.
“Live the Adventure, Capture the Experience”
I always encourage photographers to photograph for the love and pleasure it brings, not with the intention of the likes and acknowledgment that feeds only the ego and NEVER the soul. When you are looking back on the footprints of your life, do you want to remember the authentic adventurous experiences captured or just view years of perfectly set up shots?
These are exquisite – natural beauty with heat and soul.
THank you Wendy!
Stunning photographs Piper, they show how close you are and accepted by the people. They are obviously very comfortable with you in their midst, they sense your love for them.
Thank you for the wonderful compliment. Spending personal time with the tribes ins beyond magical and I am so grateful for all the wonderful experiences I have ad with them.
Capturing such beauty, amazing and stunning. Thank you Piper
Thank you Barbara!
Amazing images, Piper!! A beautiful people. Such a privilege to be accepted by them.
Thank you Sherry. Yes, I am honored by all the time I have spent with them!
Piper, I so agree with you. While I love looking at everyone’s beautiful stylized portraits, I never really have a desire to photograph this way myself, except as a learning experience. Perhaps it is my early journalist training, but in my opinion your candid photos tell a much richer story. Kudos! I would love sharing this kind of authentic experience.
Thank you Phyllis. These tribes are beautiful to me so I enjoy stylizing some portraits to capture them in the best light and background, but I would not want this to be the only way I represent them. Their lives, traditions, and and way of life is fascinating, which I enjoy sharing through images.
The gentle morning moments and beautiful thoughts too …
the soulful adventures always resonate and are remembered !
THank you Terri – we have had many wonderful adventures!
Compelling images…wonderful to see “non-staged” shots.
THank you Doris. My intention was to give a reminder that it is important to have a wonderful mix and not just set up shots.
Love all your images Piper…especially love your write up. It takes a lot of patience to stand back and be an observer and not get involved. That makes your images very unique because they look so natural instead of the pose effect. It’s as if you were there, but they don’t see you.
Thank you Don. Patience is key in the type photography, not only for creating striking images, but to enjoy the entire experience.
I love to lock at your Shots, always stunning and impressive.
Thank you very much!