Stunning portraits spotlight world’s most endangered indigenous tribes

A stunning series of portraits captures the raw, natural beauty of some of the world’s most endangered indigenous peoples.

British photographer Jimmy Nelson, 52, has spent his professional life traveling the globe and visiting tribes who have shunned modern civilization.

His skill in gaining the confidence and trust of people normally shy of other cultures has resulted in a spectacular series of portraits.

His work has taken him across the world including Kenya, Ecuador, Thailand, Sudan, China and Papua New Guinea.

One photo shows a tribal leader from the Altai Mountains in Mongolia, swathed in thick fur and holding a magnificent hunting eagle in his gloved right hand.

Another shows a striking young girl, her face streaked with red paint and adorned in tribal dress, from the nomadic Chichimecas tribe in central Mexico.

“People tend to put others on a pedestal. You have to put yourself on the floor and after a short period of time you will be accepted. They know I will return so that says something about me,” Nelson said.

“I think it’s amazing how close you can get to people without talking to them. We speak different languages but that doesn’t seem to matter. We are all the same. It’s about being open to the world, with no judgment, no basis and nothing but love for other places and other human beings.”

Although the tribes live worlds away from smartphones and Netflix, Nelson said we can learn some valuable lessons from them.

“We’re always thinking about the future but they very much live in the present and in the moment, it’s wonderful.”