Halim Ina, Global Community Portraits, Cleveland Print Room, Humana People to People India, July 12, 2013

Woman, Karo Community, Ethiopia

Her village is so remote that even the local guides were unsure of which path to take. Looking through images of this community online will more than likely yield similar views since the population is less than 3,000 in number. They tend to their cattle and also grow such crops as sorghum, maize and beans. At times they paint their faces with chalk, mixed with yellow rock, red iron ore and charcoal for variation. Their clothes are made from animal skin and the women scar their skin in the quest for beauty. We visited their village in the early afternoon and returned to a campground for rest before heading out the next morning. My desire to stay longer was cut short by an illness lasting for seven days leading up to the visit. My companions felt it necessary to take me to the next town for a visit to the doctor, and so we left this community for a future date.

Unframed $650
Framed $800
Smaller Prints Available
100% of proceeds going to Schools for Girls in association with 

Humana People to People India

Man + Cane, Mursi Community, Ethiopia

Numbering less than 7,500, this community struggles for their existence daily. Living on the fringes of Society, they continue in their traditions and have adapted to the onslaught of tourists most ingeniously. On this day we approached the community and they agreed to let their women and girls be documented first in the morning. After the early session we had at least six hours to pass, and did so with them. When the afternoon sun was acceptable we asked the men to be photographed and they obliged. One by one we photographed them as they wished, with objects ranging from blades to machine guns to canes.

Unframed $400
Framed $550
Smaller Prints Available
100% of proceeds going to Schools for Girls in association with 

Humana People to People India

Bedouin Woman, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

She sits for this portrait in front of her home, along with her grandchildren. In my numerous visits to her street this is the only portrait she allowed, quite a courageous act to do in public. She has since passed away, remembered here through this image. In her eyes can be seen her grandchildren standing next to me, watching her being photographed.

Unframed $450
Framed $600
Smaller Prints Available
100% of proceeds going to Schools for Girls in association with
Humana People to People India

Karo Man, Headrest, Paint, Feather, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, March, 2010

On the eve of this image, we camp an hour away from this village. The hour can be attributed to the fact that a road is lacking. A rough path is what guides us to this man's home. He belongs to the Karo Community and lives on the east bank of the Omo River. With a population ranging between 1,000 to 1,500, the survive growing sorghum, beans and maize. They are well-known for beautifying themselves with chalk, charcoal and other materials.

The women in this community produce scars on their body in order to augment this beautification process while the men do the same thing but for a different reason, the killing of an enemy or a dangerous animal. The women also prepare their hair with a mixture of clay and organic material, giving it a most beautiful appearance.

This man carries a headrest, one that he uses when lying down so as to keep his head from touching the ground. This headrest also doubles as a small chair.

We arrive on this hot day after camping out nearby. After this morning, my friends decide that seven days without a meal for me is enough and decide to take me to a hospital four hours away. Before the drive however, we make magnificent portraits, both in color and in black and white. Due to a physical weakness this morning, the truck is parked right behind me, protecting me from the sun. A seat is also provided for me to sit upon, allowing me to manage the still and video cameras with ease and without exhaustion.

The portrait above is a still from the video camera.

We have a short discussion with the men and begin the photography after agreeing on a price for the portraits. In the Lower Omo Valley, negotiations are always necessary and a price is to be fixed prior to the photography. This community, like the rest, are used to tourists and requires an amount for each portrait, as well as an entrance fee for their village.

They are unsure of my work since it requires a dozen exposures for each person at times. We agree that a higher price is to be paid in exchange for the possibility that more is needed by me. We advise them that, for most, the payment will actually be higher. This is the balance that is struck.

We photograph the men first, followed by the elders and then the younger men. In this village, the children seem missing and we walk away without any younger portraits. We drive to the next location, four hours away and with the thought that a good doctor will be waiting on the other end of this drive to improve my condition for the remainder of my time in Ethiopia.

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