Among the Nomads of Kyrgyzstan
I’ve spent time with herding families in Kyrgyzstan over several visits, and there’s always something that makes me want to return. The mountain scenery is spectacular, but getting to know the people who live and work there has been the most rewarding part of those journeys.
Around the summer pastures, family life, livestock and the daily work of running a camp are closely connected. Spending time in one place gives me a chance to understand more of what’s happening and become a familiar face. I enjoy the conversations and the opportunities to photograph everyday life as it unfolds.
This collection brings together photographs of the people, their surroundings and the activities that form part of life in the mountains. I want to give a sense of what it feels like to spend time there, while keeping the people at the centre of the story.
Preparing tea and bread inside the family yurt.
A quiet moment between a boy and his dog outside the family home.
A warm welcome - homemade bread and balls of fermented milk.
A child sits on a donkey while his brother looks on.
A young herder rides through the hills with camp in the distance.
Two boys share a horse on the open plain.
Riders charge forward during a game of Kok Boru.
A rider leans down at full speed to grab money from the ground.
A lone rider gallops along the shore.
A horse feeds near camp at sunset.
A woman stands proudly outside her traditional felt-covered home.
Washing hangs between yurts in the high pastures.
Two children peek out from the family yurt at the end of the day.
