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The salt of Ethiopia's Earth

The Afar have been trading in salt for millennia and trains of camels come to collect the salt from the highlands in an eight day cycle. The salt is on extracted by hand and cut into large blocks which are then loaded onto the camels and there are thousands of them. In appearance it is biblical.

Awards

Black & White Photo Contest

2023

Honorable Mention

Photojournalism

Professional

Honorable Mention

Travel

Professional

The salt of Ethiopia's Earth

The Afar have been trading in salt for millennia and trains of camels come to collect the salt from the highlands in an eight day cycle. The salt is on extracted by hand and cut into large blocks which are then loaded onto the camels and there are thousands of them. In appearance it is biblical.

About Artist

Trevor Cole

To capture people and landscapes and the interactions between them in the light of a world in transition is to encapsulate an inimitable moment, which will never again materialise. His own 'take' as a geographer photographer! Born in the City of Derry (Ireland), he has lived most of his life outside the bounds of Ireland; in England, Singapore, Togo, Italy, Ethiopia and Brazil. He returned to Ireland (Donegal) in 2012. His photography, together with travel, have become two of his life’s passions. His photography focuses predominantly on culture and landscapes; images which reflect a spatial and temporal journey through life and which try to convey a need to live in a more sustainable world. He seeks the moment and the light in whatever context he finds himself and endeavours to use his photographic acumen to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. He leads small photo tours in his 'own Donegal’ and Ireland but also to other destinations. He lived in Ethiopia from 2006-2010 and since then has returned to take photographers to the Western and Eastern Omo, Harar, the Danakil desert and the highlands of Ethiopia. Additionally he takes photo tours to Iceland, Namibia, South Sudan, Chad, Angola and India as well as travelling himself to discover and capture in new locations, often with a focus on indigenous people. He loves most genres of photography but capturing the rapidly changing cultures of remote areas in Africa has become a focal point. His lens has become his vision of indigenous people and with time he has tried to turn his photographs into emotive moments where he encapsulates the connectivity that is integral to convey emotion. These people are still inextricably connected to the earth living sustainably with a very small ecological footprint. Tourism can be degrading but it can, if sensitively done, also bring hope and cultural resilience. Spending time with these people is so rewarding and he hopes his images truly convey a sense of feeling and value which helps to ensure their survival in the face of homogenisation.

Trevor Cole

Photographic Areas of Focus

Nature, People, Photojournalism, Portrait, Travel

Location

Ireland

Explore Other Winners

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Nominee

DB

Daniel Balteanu

Travel

Honorable Mention +1
Matteo Busetto

Matteo Busetto

Travel

Bronze
People’s Vote Award
Nominee
Stathis Vlahos

Stathis Vlahos

People

Honorable Mention
Steve Carr

Steve Carr

Travel

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