Jimmy Nelson documents secluded tribes “Before They Pass Away”

Photographer Jimmy Nelson has gone on a quest to document the traditions of isolated tribes “Before They Pass Away” using beautiful photography.

There are multiple campaigns which are aimed to preserve Earth and the environment in general. When people hear about these campaigns, most of them think that they are about wildlife, animals, oceans, forests, plants, and places in general. However, they seem to ignore the fact that there are isolated tribes and cultures which will go extinct unless something is done to preserve them as well.

Soon enough, “humanity” will expand so much that ancient civilizations will disappear and their traditions will be lost forever. This is why photographer Jimmy Nelson has decided to document the tribes and their activities in an image series called “Before They Pass Away”.

Jimmy Nelson has documented about 30 secluded civilizations in just a few years

The popular photographer has started this quest in 2009. His goal has been to visit about 30 remote civilizations which are unknown to most people. Jimmy Nelson’s travels have taken him to Siberia, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Kazakhstan, and many other countries around the world.

Upon completing his journey, the lensman has compiled a hard-cover photo book with stories and hundreds of amazing photos of these tribes. The book is available for purchase at Amazon for $142.50.

Tribesmen have integrated Jimmy Nelson into their rituals “Before They Pass Away”

Jimmy Nelson has not simply observed these tribes, he has gotten involved and interacted with the tribesmen. He has taken part in their rituals, but not before learning them to try and make the most of these unique opportunities.

The photographer has noticed that the changing environment and the fast development are having a huge effect on these rituals so these secluded civilizations will be forced to “change their way of life forever”.

These people have their own gods and beliefs, but they seem to have accepted Nelson as one of their own, which is a massive achievement for the lensman.

Photographer has experienced the traditions of 15 million people in 29 tribes

Taking photos of indigenous people is not an easy task. Despite all that, Jimmy Nelson has a collection of thousands of images of more than 15 million people grouped in 29 tribes.

The list of tribes visited by the photographer include Himba, Maori, Mustang, Ladakhi, Drokpa, Haro, Korowai, Nenets, and Maasai.

All cultures are irreplaceable and their traditions are invaluable. With all that, not enough efforts are done to preserve their civilizations and we have to thank Nelson for his amazing photos of these tribes before it is too late and they pass away.