Video: Gorgeous Portraits of the World’s Vanishing People

When Jimmy Nelson traveled to Siberia to photograph the Chukchi people, elders told him: “You cannot photograph us. You have to wait, you have to wait until you get to know us, you have to wait until you understand us.” In this gorgeously photo-filled talk, join Nelson’s quest to understand — the world, other people, himself — by making astonishing portraits of the world’s vanishing tribes and cultures.

In his quest to photograph endangered cultures, Jimmy Nelson has endured Kalishnikov-toting Banna tribesmen, subzero reindeer attacks, and thousands of miles of hard travel. With a blend of humility and humor, Nelson won the trust of each of his subjects, using an antique plate camera to create stunning portraits of 35 indigenous tribes.  

The result is Before They Pass Away, a photo treasury that Nelson hopes will not only help preserve the lifestyles of people the world over, but also perhaps inspire readers in the developed world to ponder their own connections with their ancestral environments.

To critics who accuse Nelson of creating high-fashion fantasy bordering on cultural appropriation, rather than an authentic ethnographic record, he responds that his pictures of Kazakh, Himba, Huli, Kalam, Goroka, Maori and other peoples are celebratory, and intended to be aesthetic rather than factual. “There is no sociology, no statistics. It’s how I see the world. I am aiming to document the variety and importance of what is left of indigenous culture. Yes, it’s idealistic. Indigenous peoples are usually portrayed as impoverished. But they have a wealth and a pride.”

Running time: 17 minutes.

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