Africa has so many faces; some faces scarred with the marks of war, others lit up by the constant, blazing sun, others wrinkled by the journey of life and still others fresh-faced and naive. Africa has gone through so much and the faces of her people reflect her suffering and her joy over the ages. From the valleys of Ethiopia to the plains of Kenya and the deserts of Namibia, Africa’s people are as rich and diverse as the land. In these changing times, tradition, culture and people can often be left behind. From young to old, the faces of Africa should be celebrated and these photographers are doing just that:
This little girl was photographed by Dietmar Temps in Hamer, Ethiopia.
Image Source: Dietmar Temps
Tippi who is photographed here has become known as the "Real Life Mowgli Girl". She is the only child of acclaimed wildlife photographers.
Image Source: Bored Panda
Klaus Tiedge's young himba girl with a her goat was taken in Nothwest Namibia. Modern society doesn’t stop and the old rituals and appearances are soon fading from view. So Klaus aims to preserve the original and tribal look of these people that are the heritage of the Africa continent.
Image Source: Klaus Tiedge
This Mursi woman with her mouth plate was photographed by Eric Lafforgue in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia. Girls are seen as beautiful by the men once they have a full-size lip plate which is made of wood or terracotta.
Image Source: Eric Lafforgue
This old African woman lives in a Bushman tribe in the Kalahari desert in Botswana and this magnificent photo was captured by Dietmar Temps.
Image Source: Dietmar Temps
This potrait of an African baby as he clings to his mother was taken by photographer Louisa Seton who was raised in Nairobi, Kenya.
Image Source: Lousia Seton
In Ethiopia's Omo Valley John Kenny experiemented with colour portraiture to create this luminous effect.
Image Source: John Kenny
John Kenny also took this amazing photo in the north of Kenya in the baking hot semi-desert inside a hut.
Image Source: John Kenny
This amazing photo was taken by John Jacobs and the man in the picture shared his story: "‘My mom and dad had 21 children but some are dead. Two of them drank paraffin, some got diseases and others were murdered. There are only about nine left. We all split up because my parents didn’t have much money. From 1974 until 1987 I was in 14 different jails. Big jails – I was a troublesome guy. But now I’m really rehabilitated, for the rest of my life. On Tuesday I got a house from the government. I’m trying to make it beautiful and neat as quickly as possible so that I can get the people back who I lost when I spent that time in jail. I’ve been riding for 12 years and I enjoy it. This is my tenth bicycle. Every winter I have to pawn my bicycle at the pawn shop because I don’t have work, then when I get money again I go fetch my bike. But sometimes it’s gone and then I have to get another one."
Image Source: Bicycle Portraits
This old Himba man was photographed in Northwest Namibia by Klaus Tiedge. When he visited the Himba in their rural village of Namibia close to Angola, he set up his whole portable studio lighting equipment (soft box, generators etc.) and portrayed them as if they were present in his actual studio.
Image Source: Klaus Tiedge
Main image by Ben McRae, see more here
