Topic: The Omo People of Southern Ethiopia

[Nichi]

<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TGLR8wEvRfQ/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TGLR8wEvRfQ"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/TGLR8wEvRfQ&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/TGLR8wEvRfQ&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;</a>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGLR8wEvRfQ

[Nichi]

Southern Ethiopia:  The people of the Surma and Mursi tribes are body painters: they paint their bodies with pigments made from the earth as an immemorial and quotidian practice – mothers paint babies, children and adults paint themselves and each other in a tradition that seems unchanged for thousands of years. Their paintings range from abstract designs of circles, lines, dots and swirls, sometimes focused on specific body parts, to all-over patterns of flowers, zig-zags and fingerprints that form a dazzling array on the entire body. White, yellow, orange and ochre; the natural pigments that they use are derived from the soil and rocks of their surroundings. The tribes’ daily paintings are an essential expression of their lives – more elemental to them than music or dance...../...../
http://www.artnet.com/Galleries/Exhibitions.asp?gid=143541&cid=145958

[Nichi]

"Although the origins of this astonishing tradition have been lost over the years - the Surma and Mursi spend much of their time involved in tribal and guerilla warfare - their homeland is a hotbed of the arms and ivory trades.

Fifteen tribes have lived in this region since time immemorial, and many use zebra skins for leggings, snail shells for necklaces and clay to stick their wonderful designs to their heads.

As they paint each other's bodies and make bold decisions about their outfits(all without the aid of mirrors), it seems that the only thing that motivates them is the sheer fun of creating their looks, and showing them off to other members of the tribe.

As a celebration of themselves and of their stunning environment, this is truly an African fashion parade like no other."

Pictures by Hans Silvester (Rapho/Camera Press) from the book Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa by Hans Silvester, published by Thames and Hudson
The Incredible Fashion Show Inspired by Mother Nature

I don't know if it's really that simple. Don't see joy in the eyes of most of these "photographic subjects". Will look into it more.

[Nichi]

Camouflage.