From The Optimist Magazine
Summer 2014
Photographer Jimmy Nelson pays tribute to indigenous peoples—while it is still possible.
Jimmy Nelson received international praise 25 years ago when he published his first photos of Tibet, which had been inaccessible up until then. Since then, he has traveled extensively, taking pictures of people in the remotest parts of the world. During his travels he’s realized that unique cultures are increasingly being swallowed up in modern society. That’s why the British photographer, based in Amsterdam, began a journey to visit 31 unique tribes for his latest project, Before They Pass Away.
In less than five years, he visited isolated peoples who still live according to ancient traditions, from the desert in Namibia to the top of the world in Nepal and from the extensive Siberian pine forests to the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. The product of these travels is a magical photographic document that captures these tribes while it’s still possible. | Willemijn Ruissen | Before They Pass Away (teNeues), by Jimmy Nelson; also available as Collector’s Edition XXL | Find out more: Teneues.com
