JIMMY NELSON: FORGOTTEN TRIBES

In 2009 famous Dutch photographer, Jimmy Nelson, started to work on his biggest project to date: Before they Pass Away. He travelled for 3 years and photographed more than 35 indigenous tribes around the world in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and the South Pacific; using a 50-year-old 4x5in camera. The results were remarkable! Jimmy said that the project was “inspired by Edward Sheriff Curtis and his great photographs of Native Americans”. The tribes that Jimmy photographed included the Huli and Kalam tribes of New Guinea, the Tsaatan of Mongolia and the Mursi people of the Omo River valley in southern Ethiopia. Today this incredible work is displayed in galleries across the planet. We venture back to some of these remote parts of the world to re-capture the essence of some of these often challenging and dangerous photographic expeditions and we get a behind the scenes look at how Jimmy pulled off this remarkable achievement.

Jimmy said that the project was “inspired by Edward Sheriff Curtis and his great photographs of Native Americans”. The tribes that Jimmy photographed included the Huli and Kalam tribes of New Guinea, the Tsaatan of Mongolia and the Mursi people of the Omo River valley in southern Ethiopia. Today this incredible work is displayed in galleries across the planet. We venture back to some of these remote parts of the world to re-capture the essence of some of these often challenging and dangerous photographic expeditions and we get a behind the scenes look at how Jimmy pulled off this remarkable achievement.

We venture back to some of these remote parts of the world to re-capture the essence of some of these often challenging and dangerous photographic expeditions and we get a behind the scenes look at how Jimmy pulled off this remarkable achievement.