ABOUT
This is me – the girl in the center of the photo with the scarf.
The photo is a polaroid. The quality is poor, but it is one of my favorites because it reminds me why I do this.
I took this photo towards the end of my journey into the Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan and I was exhausted.
Elevation was at about 4,800 meters, and I had been walking over 25km per day up mountains and across freezing rivers in a pair of shoes that were a size too small. My feet were destroyed, my breathe was short, and I doubted my physical strength and sanity for embarking on this journey no less than ten times a day.
By the time I arrived in the village where this photo was taken, I had been walking alone for days and days.
People were naturally a little hesitant about seeing a foreigner walk into one of the most isolated places on earth.
Then I pulled out my polaroid camera.
Children ran towards me asking for their picture, and soon their parents and grandparents joined them.
“Sister”, they called out to me, “Please come have tea with us”.
They welcomed me into their yurt – the home that moved with them anywhere from two to four times a year.
They offered me whatever they had.
All I could give them was a photo of themselves and it gave them joy.
In return, they let me take a photo of them and it gave me hope.
The more I travel, the more I have faith in the good of humankind, and see the importance of returning to a life where we focus on what is essential: family, love, nature.
I am fascinated by all things people : from human migration, and ancient civilisations, to visiting places where cultures intersect, and diversity exists.
I take photos to show people about some of the lesser known parts of this world in the hope that it will lead to a greater understanding, tolerance and interest in humanity.