July 07 : 2025
Sarah Wouters
Wouter's winning image offers viewers a glimpse into a world where animals and humans are deeply interconnected, delivering a powerful message to us all in beautiful, rich color.
by Lily Fierman
Image: the elephant herder
Q:
Can you please tell us more about creating your winning image, “The elephant herder”?
A:
I am Dutch, but a native of Thailand, so I can speak Thai fluently, which is very convenient for me when traveling around Thailand. For this winning image, I have traveled to a village called “Ban Ta Kalng," about a 6-hour drive from Bangkok, in the Surin province of Thailand, on a few occasions before capturing this Image.
Q:
Can you tell us more about the role of a mahout in Thailand? What about the tattoos on the mahout?
A:
I used a telephoto lens to capture this image because I didn’t want to interfere with the emotion and connection between the elephant and the mahout, and to be able to see the mahout’s tattoo on his body clearly. The tattooing isn’t focused on beauty or art but serves mainly as a superstitious belief, such as making them invincible, safe from dangers, and bringing good fortune.
Q:
What are you working on next?
A:
As I consider myself a travel photographer, most of my photos are captured in color because I would like to keep the beautiful memories during my trip and express them and tell the story of my memories through my photos, as I have seen it in color.
Q:
Can you tell us more about working in Thailand? How did you reach this scene and this village, or gain access to it?
A:
I visited this village a few times and had opportunities to take photos of the mahouts and their elephants. People can visit the village freely and hire a local guide at Elephant Kingdom to show them around. As you walk around, you'll notice many mahouts have tattoos on their bodies. Tattooing is not about beauty or art but is mainly rooted in superstitions, such as believing it makes them invincible, safe from various dangers, and brings them good fortune.
Q:
Who are some of the photographers who inspire you?
A:
There are many photographers who inspired me such as: Steve McCurry, Martin Parr, Sebastiao Salgado, Jimmy Nelson and many more.
Q:
What do you wish people knew about this bond or community that perhaps they don’t?
A:
The mahouts live with the elephants and take care of them like domestic animals. In the past, the mahouts also took elephants to explore around to earn money in nearby provinces, which sometimes caused many problems. Therefore, since October 2009, a project was introduced and run by the government called “ Bringing elephant back to homeland. " Each mahout's family receives land and a salary of about 8000 baht every month for caring for these elephants. Today, there are more than 100 elephants in this village. There is an elephant study center called Elephant Kingdom, where tourists can experience the way of life and nature with elephants as much as possible.
Q:
Why do you love color photography versus black and white photography, or any other medium of expression?
A:
As I consider myself a travel photographer, I have traveled to more than 70 countries around the world, and now I am working on a project about the tribes in Omo Valley in Ethiopia. I hope one day I can exhibit or publish them.
ARTIST
Sarah Wouters
Location:
Thailand
