‘The men submerge themselves up to their chins, mimicking birds in order to attract waterfowl – which they then grab by hand. This technique is 5,000 years old’
n my 30 years at National Geographic, a recurring theme in my work was the impact of extractive industries on pristine ecosystems and indigenous communities. The bird-hunters in this shot are near aarchaeological site in the Indus River Valley. Many of the traditions still surviving in this region of Pakistan can be traced back 5,000 years to the Indus civilisation.
A troop carrier with a mounted machine-gun was arranged to transport me. I had been assigned a lone guard with an assault rifle, too, but I knew the bandits worked in groups of six. I asked him what would happen if they confronted us. He said: “Either they are lucky or I am lucky.” I got rid of this guard, who was willing to start a firefight. The kidnappers hadn’t ever hurt anyone: they just wanted the money. I’d rather National Geographic ended up poorer than I ended up dead.
I’ve often encountered situations in which people perform for tourists, but this was genuine. They weren’t doing it to be quaint – it is a practical method of survival. The photograph captures a culture vastly different from my own and I’m proud of its authenticity. The image is so far removed from the realities most of us know. That gives it a level of mystery.
Twice, I have woken up to find the airport I was supposed to be flying into has been burned to the ground. And there have been times when I’ve gone to extreme lengths to get somewhere, such as Sudan, and then after weeks of preparation, dust storms thwarted my plans for aerial shots. Once you get through all the travel and finally are in front of a scene like this, the real fear is you will miss the opportunity to capture something extraordinary. Yet the few successes make it all worthwhile.
I cherish my years at National Geographic but I’m currently concerned about the diminishing space for social documentary work. We’re in an era rich with visual language, yet it’s challenging for photographers to earn a living from social documentary stories. This concern led me to establishI’ve had incredible experiences over the past three decades, some of which I can hardly believe I was part of. As the world evolves, I hope these stories will be understood and remembered.
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