With a camera and tripod in hand and the ambition of sharing more about remote cultures with the world, a Russian photographer has produced a series of breathtaking portraits of Kenyan tribes hiking across rugged, mountainous landscapes.
He divided his journey into three parts. The first part of his incredible photo series depicts interactions with the Samburu people.
It’s one thing to watch abundant African wildlife from a vehicle on safari, said Kordan, but it’s something entirely different to “immerse yourself in the very heart of it.” In spending time with indigenous tribes, he learned to read warning signs; “My guide could easily recognize animals just by the look of a slightly broken tree branch,” he explained.
The Maasai, Kordan recalled, were not afraid to meet lions. They simply crouched on their knees, looked into the lion’s eyes, and watched the big cat walk away.
Kordan reached epic lookout points with the Samburu people, having his clothes being torn apart by unforgiving thorn bushes along the way. He was even surprised by a hyena leaping out at him from behind a bush. However, Kordan’s hiking guide scared it away with an imitation lion’s roar.
The second series of the photographer’s Kenya trip depicts meeting the Maasai.
Behind the big smiles and open hearts of the Maasai, said Kordan, lies a formidable knowledge of the nature surrounding them. Photos from this leg of the trip highlight the hikers’ powerful stances, shields and weaponry, and emblematic red clothing.
He and his hiking guides waited a few days before setting off this time, hoping for stormy weather, the heavy gray clouds and turbulent skies serving as a metaphor for the potential fate of indigenous cultures.
Kordan described the Kenya trip in its entirety as “a lifetime experience.” A selection of his photos is displayed in large print at Lumas galleries around the world, in hope that the “vanishing, unique culture of these beautiful people” will be valued and preserved for generations.
Kordan’s fascination for photography was inspired by the picturesque lake region near Moscow where he grew up. To this day, nature and human companionship are his biggest inspirations.
