West Papua

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Indonesia | Friday, November 4, 2011 | 5 photos

These are the last remains of the traditional culture and way of life found in the Baliem Valley, West Papua, Indonesia. Even today, the only way to reach this remote valley is by aircraft, although the old ways are rapidly being lost as influence from the outside world creeps in at an ever increasing pace. Many of the people here still have an aura about them which has been lost in most parts of the world; they somehow seem very real, direct and genuine in their interactions. It is a privilege to spend time with them and to be able to take intimate portraits of them as they practise different aspects of their traditional way of life. As I am taking these images, I become aware many of the women have fingers missing; I learn that they cut off a finger with a stone chisel each time a close relative dies. They do this in order to release their grief and to be ever reminded of their loved ones throughout their lives. These people still live simple way of life at a pace which many of us in other parts of the world might envy. In our increasingly homogeneous global society is important to remember and to celebrate humanity's diversity.
I am passionate about creating images of different places that I have been able to visit. In doing so, I try to capture the essence of what I have experienced, in an attempt to give the viewer a taste of the place, people, culture and landscape which I have seen. I try to learn something new each time I make an image and the subjects often teach me as I go along. The connection which can be made through brief encounters while photographing something, whether it be a flower, an animal, a landscape or a person, draws us deeply into the moment where a sense of wonder can be felt. It is this wonder that I want to share through my photography.