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Men and Goats at Sundown
As the sun drops over the dusty banks of the Omo River, Kara men and boys herd their goats back to the village compounds.
If you are carrying heavy cameras around on your travels, you want to be able to use them to full effect. Chances are there are a some “iconic” shots you hope to add to your collection of images: some of these might be staged, but others arise organically out of everyday activities. I never do enough homework before I go on trips, but I usually have a few rough ideas of images I’d like to make and techniques I want to try or practice.
For most travellers, the focus in the Lower Omo Valley in south west Ethiopia is on the the people. The region is home to 16+ ethnic groups, each with their own distinctive customs, dress, and body art. These people are fascinating to photograph, and the bright – often harsh – equatorial light provides extra challenges to keep photography enthusiasts on their toes.
I was staying several days in the heart of Kara (Karo) territory, a half-day’s drive from the market town of Turmi. Even by Ethiopian standards, this region is hard to get to, and infrastructure is almost completely absent. However, I was travelling with photographer Ben McRae on a Piper Mackay tour, and we were lodged in relative luxury at a mobile campsite organised by Grand Holidays Ethiopia.
Our camp was close to Dus Village, the largest of three Kara villages in Ethiopia; the majority of Kara people live in South Sudan or the Central African Republic. Some of the villagers helped around the camp, or sat in the shade, engaging in their beading or face- and body-painting. This added to my feeling of being in the middle of things. Our location also meant we were able to visit the village a number of times, and therefore could spend time with the locals as they went about their daily lives (see: Visits to a Kara Village and The Kara of Dus Village).
The relaxed environment made it easier for me to focus on things I wanted to achieve photographically – particularly with respect to experimenting with light. I’ve already shared some of the deliberately underexposed pictures I made of the Mursi people in very bright light (see: Meet the Mursi); I also wanted to work with whited-out backgrounds, and get more practice with off-camera flash.
In addition, I really wanted to make some silhouettes: every afternoon, the boys and young men of the village bring the goats back to their compounds for the night. As the goats cross the flat, dry landscape, clouds of dust rise – filtering the lowering sun and creating a wonderful light. I wanted an image of the goats, and the warriors who look after them, silhouetted against the afternoon sky.
Our local guide knew when things were going to happen, and Ben had plenty of tips on how to make the most of what we were going to see.
Join me in search of portraits and silhouettes:
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Lale America
Lale is a bit of a legend in this region, and a wonderful ambassador for his Kara people. He was still nursing a bullet injury when I met him: inter-tribal warfare is a reality here. Men need to demonstrate their ability to protect the village and herds, and must own an AK47 before they are allowed to marry.
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Woman in Guinea Fowl Spots
The Kara people are well known for their creative face and body paint, and for their love of layered beads. They are closely related to the Benna-Bashada-Hamar group and share many linguistic features and cultural practices with these tribes. The goatskin smocks the women wear is one of the many similarities.
Woman in Guinea Fowl Face Paint
This was my idyllic campsite on the Omo River, and this gentle Kara woman in her beautiful face paint was a regular visitor. She tied a beaded bracelet on my wrist before we left the camp: it is still intact – a semi-permanent reminder of my time here.
Kara Woman
Back in Dus Village, the face paint is variable, but everyone proudly wears their layers of beads.
Young and Younger
It is not unusual for youngsters to be charged with looking after their younger siblings.
Girl with a Baby
Walking around the village with an off-camera flash allowed us to make portraits with lovely warm skin-tones.
Carrying Wood
Every-day life continues around the village, but people are quite willing to pause long enough to face our cameras.
Old Man with his Stick
This old man is carrying his walking stick and his wooden headrest.
Young Mum
I was fascinated by this young woman’s face and cornrow braids.
On the Banks of the Omo
The afternoon shadows grow long, but there are still plenty of people wandering around the plateau above the river.
Afternoon at River’s Edge
Others tend crops in the rich silt at the water’s edge down below.
Outside Dus Village
It’s a beautiful environment, with stunning mountains in the background.
Kids and a Goat
The villagers get paid for every photo that is clicked, so the children grab young goats to make themselves attractive to visitors.
Children on the Bank
Other children ignore us, as they sit on the bank watching the river flow.
Sundown Silhouettes
Late afternoon, and the dust in the air makes silhouettes out of the hut and the people – and the water tower in the background.
Old Warrior in the Sunset
We’ve met this man before: in silhouette, the feather stands out from the clay skullcap that Kara men wear attached to their hair after a kill to celebrate their bravery.
Dusty Sundown
Men and Goats at Sundown
The dust swirls in clouds, blotting the lowering sun.
An Afternoon Sunburst
Boys, Goats, and a Water Tower
I lay on my belly on the lowest ground I could find to try to capture the silhouettes and the wonderful sky.
Sunburst on the Horizon
We are very close to the equator: the sun drops quickly. The goat herd also moves quickly across the plateau.
Silhouettes like Scherenschnitten
The scenes formed by the moving goats remind me of traditional German scissor-cut art.
Goat Herd with a Gun and a Stick
Goats
Although the Kara have a small number of cows, goats are their main livestock.
Sunset on the Water Tower
Blue Hour
The sun drops below the horizon and the goats are almost home.
I never really got that one shot I wanted – which is probably why I took so many. I suppose I could have posed some “models”, but where is the challenge in that?
And, I was going back to try again the next day.
Until then,
Happy Travels!
[…] This proximity had allowed us to visit the largest Kara settlement, Dus Village, a number of times. Sadly, it was our last full day there. After a morning of portraiture (see: Tribal Portraits), I was off to make a second attempt at capturing the daily activity of bringing the goats home at sundown (see: Men and Goats and Dust). […]