Due to a serious illness in my family, I’ll be stepping away from posting and interaction for the foreseeable future. Take care of yourselves—life moves faster than we expect.

I am working on several projects that are taking up most of my time. I apologize if I have not acknowledged or responded to you🙏

I had the rare privilege of meeting and photographing the Living Goddess of Patan, Samita Bajracharya. Only eight years old, she was revered as the earthly embodiment of divine power within the sacred Kumari Ghar — a presence so potent that even a glimpse of her is believed to bring good fortune.

To grow up as a girl in the Omo Valley of southern Ethiopia is to live at the intersection of beauty and burden — to inherit a proud culture rooted in nature, kinship, and art.. Her world is vibrant, communal, and embodied — but also fragile, as centuries-old customs meet the modern world’s gaze.

Imagine it. No toys forged in distant factories, no screens glowing with borrowed dreams. Just 52 rectangles of faded cardboard, edges curled from a thousand shuffles by hands before his. In a life stripped to essentials, imagination is the ultimate wealth.

When I met the wide-eyed gaze of this schoolgirl—her tousled hair, her face alive with quiet curiosity—I lowered my camera. In that instant, her unguarded innocence shattered my detachment, reminding me of the fleeting privileges we take for granted and the fragile beauty of our shared humanity.

In the remote, mountainous regions of northern Vietnam, girls from ethnic minority groups struggle to access education. In Pakistan, young Kalash girls face similar challenges, where a lack of female teachers, scarce schools, and early marriage hinder their growth and learning.

The skin scraping ceremony of the Xingu people, called arranhadura, is a healing ritual performed by various indigenous groups in the Xingu River region of Brazil. The practice, which is for both men and women, is believed to strengthen the body and spirit by revitalizing the muscles and skin.

Viewer Discretion is advised A pubescent girl has removed the very tight cotton wrappings around her knees and ankles, which make her calves bulge enormously, a highly valued sign of beauty and strength in Xinguano culture. Kuarup is the principal funeral ritual of the Indians of the Xingu.

Arunachal Pradesh, India - The practice of Apatani women wearing large wooden nose plugs (yaping hurlo) and facial tattoos (tippei) originated as a form of protection but evolved into a powerful marker of their cultural identity. This tradition has largely been abandoned by younger generations.

"People Of The Spirit World" Kutia Kondh women are marked with beautiful geometric facial tattoos. It is said that these identifying marks ensure that they will recognize each other in the spirit world.

The Waura, also known as the Wauja, are an indigenous Arawak-speaking people residing in the Upper Xingu region of the Amazon rainforest in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Feathers are integral to the Waura body adornment. Elaborate feather crowns or headbands are worn by men during dances and rituals.

In Canada, the Indian Act prohibited powwows and other cultural expressions between 1876 and 1951. Indigenous communities kept their traditions alive in secret, and modern powwows are a powerful symbol of their survival and resistance.

Chinchero, a Quechua community in Peru's Sacred Valley, is home to women who traditionally wear their hair in long braids. This style is a significant part of their cultural identity, reflecting Quechua heritage. Braids may vary in complexity, sometimes incorporating intricate patterns.

The Kuang Si Falls, sometimes spelled Kuang Xi or known as Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls, is a three-tier waterfall about 29 kilometers south of Luang Prabang. The water collects in numerous turquoise blue pools as it flows downstream. The many cascades that result are typical of travertine waterfalls.

The Wind and Rain Bridges are iconic structures built by the Dong people, an ethnic group primarily residing in the mountainous regions of southern China, particularly in Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi provinces. These covered bridges, also known as "Flower Bridges" due to their intricate carvings.

Seems I posted this before about Wodaabe children and will delete it🙂

The Raas Leela depicts the cosmic dance of Krishna and the cowherd maidens. Manipuri dance is one of the major classical dance forms in India. It originates from Manipur, a state in north-eastern India on the border with Myanmar.

The Gerewol festival is an annual courtship ritual and beauty pageant held by the Wodaabe, a nomadic Fulani subgroup in Niger. The men paint their faces with red ochre, often mixed with clay or saffron, to create striking red or orange hues that highlight their features.

Huli widows Among the Huli people of the Southern Highlands Province of PNG, widows cover their bodies in white clay or ashes after the death of their husband. They also wear many strands of "Job's Tears" seeds as necklaces, removing one each week to mark the passage of time.

The Condong dance is considered a basic dance that many Balinese children learn. It requires discipline, energy, and dedication to master the intricate movements and intense facial expressions. The Condong dance is thought to have originated in the palaces of Bali in the mid-19th century.

In Papua New Guinea (PNG), women often adorn themselves with vibrant face paint and elaborate feather headdresses for cultural events. These sing-sing celebrations feature women from various tribes, such as those from the Western Highlands, applying bold red, white, and blue face paint.

Huli men use face paints, particularly yellow ochre and other clays, in bold patterns to convey identity and strength during ceremonies. Rituals, dances, and ceremonies are central to Huli life, and their elaborate dress and headwear are worn to express their connection to the spirits of nature.

The Huli people, also known as the Huli Wigmen, are an indigenous group residing in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, particularly in the Tari Basin and Hela Province.

The H'mong ethnic minority is one of the major ethnic groups residing in Ha Giang province, Vietnam. They are known for their distinctive culture, traditions, and vibrant clothing, and their villages are often found nestled in the mountainous regions of the province.

The White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) is classified as critically endangered. This is due to a rapid and severe population decline primarily driven by poisoning from diclofenac, a drug used in livestock.They are also victims of illegal trade.

Leopards are facing a severe conservation crisis. They have lost 75% of their historical range globally, and in South Africa, they are already extinct in 67% of their former range. Without immediate action to address habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict, leopards could disappear entirely.

"In your heart, I see my past, my present, and my future." Mothers play a key role in transmitting cultural values, traditions, and language to their daughters, thereby shaping their sense of heritage and belonging.

Hoang Thimai is a twenty-year-old Tay woman. Her traditional dress is made from homegrown cotton that is indigo-dyed. Women wear skirts or trousers, often paired with short shirts underneath and long ones worn on top. There is usually little to no embroidery or other decorations. #HumansOfBluesky

Four-year-old Ms. Phee never took her eyes off of me. The Hmong people are an ethnic group residing primarily in the mountainous regions of Laos, making them the third largest ethnic group in the country. They are a subgroup of the Miao people and have a distinct history, culture, and language.

Laughter is often considered a universal human expression, transcending cultural and linguistic barriers. Research suggests that basic emotions like amusement, anger, fear, and sadness are shared across different cultures, and laughter is a key component of expressing amusement

MALI - AVOID ALL TRAVEL. The Dogon are best known for their religious traditions, their mask dances, wooden sculpture, and their architecture. Dogon masks rank among the most respected within the world of tribal art collections.

Jagua is an important fruit in the lives of the Embera and Waounan people of Panama. It is used as a black dye to paint people's skin. The pigment stays in the skin until the outer layer naturally exfoliates, usually lasting between 10 to 12 days.

Jingle Dress Dance is a Native North American women's pow wow dance. The regalia worn for this dance is the jingle dress, which includes ornamentation with multiple rows of metal cones that create a jingling sound as the dancer moves.

Handmade shoes and sandals crafted by ethnic minorities often reflect deep cultural heritage, unique craftsmanship, and traditional techniques passed down through generations, incorporating local materials, patterns, and stories.

Handmade shoes and sandals crafted by ethnic minorities often reflect deep cultural heritage, unique craftsmanship, and traditional techniques passed down through generations, incorporating local materials, patterns, and stories.

Dao women in Vietnam traditionally wear their hair long. While some Dao groups traditionally shave their heads or eyebrows, many Dao women, particularly Red Dao women, wear their hair long and arrange it in various styles, often incorporating it into elaborate headdresses or turbans.

The Red Yao women's secret to long, healthy, and dark hair lies in their use of fermented rice water, a practice passed down through generations. They also have a unique tradition of cutting their hair only once in their lives, at the age of 16, as a coming-of-age ritual.

The Wauja (or Waura) Indians, inhabiting the Xingu region in Brazil, have a rich shamanic tradition. The shaman exercises control over the relations between the village and the supernatural world: he regulates the relations between men and the spirits that inhabit the waters and forest.

The hand-wrapped Hmong turban, a traditional headdress worn by Hmong women in Laos, is typically made by wrapping a long piece of dark purple or black fabric around the head, topped with a black and white striped fabric called a siv ceeb.

Yao Bride The Yao are found in the northern and southwestern parts of Laos, particularly around the borders with China and Burma, as well as in the areas of Sam Neua and Nam Tha. Originating from China and migrated to Laos beginning in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Oma are a small ethnic group residing in the northern mountains of Laos, known for their unique and vibrant traditional clothing. They are closely related to the Akha people and are distinguished by their hand-spun, indigo-dyed clothing adorned with intricate red embroidery and appliqué.

The Dong people, also known as Kam people or Dongzu, are an ethnic minority group in China, mainly residing in Guizhou province, as well as in neighboring Hunan and Guangxi provinces. They are famous for their "bright cloth," also called liangbu.

"Mirror, mirror, in the hand, who's the fairest in the land?"

"Keepers of silver" The Miao ethnic group's silver ornaments are second to none in quantity and variety. Of course, the purpose of wearing all this silver is primarily aesthetic, but it also shows affluence and is thought to ward off evil spirits.

The Miao, an ethnic minority primarily in southern China, lacks a script. Instead, they embed their history, myths, and traditions into their clothing through detailed embroidery and batik patterns. These designs often depict legendary stories of their migrations, wars, and religious beliefs.

The Kalasha women are known for their long, flowing hair. They often braid their long hair, sometimes using intricate or traditional patterns. The Kalasha use henna, known as mehndi, for various cultural and symbolic purposes, including adornment, celebrations, and expressing joy and prosperity.

The Minor Headdress, known as the Shu'shut, is consistently worn by Kalasha women of Pakistan. A woman only removes it when going to bed at night. Kupas are worn over the Shu'shut and hold significant importance in Kalasha culture. They are worn during all major ceremonies.

The Tai Dam are an ethnic minority in Laos, part of the broader Tai people, also known as the Black Tai. They live mainly in northern Laos, often in upland valleys. They have a distinct language, writing system, and cultural practices, including weaving and traditional attire. #HumansOfBluesky

The Flower Lolo of Meo Vac, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam hand appliqués under 4,000 rainbow-coloured triangles onto each traditional dress. Five triangles can take up to two hours to sew. Therefore, the Flower Lolo‘s dress is revered as one of Vietnam’s finest textile accomplishments. #HumansOfBluesky