It has been a while since I've done any sort of personal writing or blogging. Hopefully I'll get to it sometime soon. My mind has been distracted and has had a difficult time focusing on the present, while there are so many pieces of my life up in the air. I miss Mundri and wish I was back there, especially during the holiday season. This has been a difficult season for me, learning contentment amidst chaos and uncertainty.
My nostalgia for African culture had me doing a little web-browsing, which brought me to the website of photographer Sam Barker. He mainly does commercial stuff, all glossy and dramatic. Some of his photos reminded me of South Sudan. I thought I'd share some favorites.
This particular series is on the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. The people groups in this region have become the poster children for what Western society deems "Africa." Of course, these groups of people don't dress in the full-on paint and headdresses all the time; however, it is a great look at the richness of a very distinct part of African culture.
A lot of these staged shots could take away the authenticity for the viewer. Still, Barker succeeds in taking beautiful shots. (He is a commercial photographer, after all.) Also, like all good photographers, his shots give me a story, leaving me wanting to find out more about the lives of these particular people.
