Travelling through the most remote parts of Africa can be logistically difficult.
For this reason, the core team consists only of my wife and myself. We travel by road and spend extended periods integrating with communities and learning about their culture. This is made possible by employing local people from the area who assist with navigation, language and custom.
It is hugely important to me that my imagery portrays the subject with dignity and pride. An authentic representation of their culture also plays a crucial role; with participants being people we've been fortunate enough to meet as they were going about their everyday lives, or have witnessed performing a culturally significant practice.
Before any photographs are created, we seek the approval of the local Chief, Elders and/or Spiritual Leaders. Only with their blessing do we approach the individuals within their community, explain the project and, assuming they wish to be involved, capture their portrait.
Each subject is compensated for their involvement, and as a parting gift presented with their printed photograph.
Where possible, a donation is also made to their villages.
Regardless of who I am photographing, I do my utmost to ensure that the subject leaves feeling like it was a positive experience. When travelling, there is a greater responsibility to uphold this practice, as it is these positive interactions that pave the way for other visitors to be welcomed into a community..
However, with these photographs, I feel I have the opportunity to do more:
Each year, I donate works to various charities and organisations working to preserve and uplift communities throughout Africa. One of my proudest examples is a donation to the Le Ciel Foundation.
The Le Ciel Foundation is a non-profit organisation working to protect the world's indigenous cultures by combining modern know-how with the wisdom of ancestral traditions.
The auction of works from artists like myself went to raise funds for twelve elders from across the globe to present at the UN on humanity's disconnect from nature.
$275,000 was raised, and the elders were able to meet.
A portion of every purchase goes toward addressing some of the issues affecting the areas we've travelled. Currently, this is managed through 'GlobalGiving'. Depending on the location of your photograph, you will contribute to:
Combating the human/ wildlife conflict in Kenya by educating future conservationists.
Bringing clean and safe drinking water to communities along the Omo River in Ethiopia.
The creation of two wells benefiting 186 female farmers in Mali.
Using Art to educate 6,000 Namibian teenagers on HIV.
I am also working on a sustainable method of directly giving back to the communities where the photographs were made. This involves the input of the highly respected individuals within these areas and is a time-consuming process. I hope that we'll have this in place next year.
If you are affiliated to a charity benefiting the rural communities within Africa and wish to enquire about obtaining a print, please reach out to me.
