What thrives Jimmy Nelson?

He takes photos of unique people. Everyone is, of course. But these people are still authentic and pure, live in isolated places and are not yet influenced by technology.

He shows these people the pictures he has taken from them. When they see themselves on the pictures, Nelson makes them aware of their cultural heritage. “This personal artistic documentation is a way of re-igniting the fire and pride within and for indigenous people, of creating mutual respect for all people, and of empowering future generations all over the world to illuminate their cultural heritage,” he tells us on his ow website.

Nelson’s father was a geologist who traveled all over the world. He travelled as a kid with him until he had to go to school. Which he left because that was not his place to be. No Burkely tas for Nelson. Now Nelson is doing the same as his father did, going around and meeting people from all over the world. He says: “personally all of my travels and photographing have a lot to do with searching for a place where I can feel that I belong.”

After the success of Before They Pass Away he started his own company and a foundation in 2016, based in Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Het created a second book: Homage to Humanity, with a lot of stories about the people portrayed.

He means that technology and globalizing threatens cultural diversity. The people which he took pictures of are still very authentic and pure. Still… how long will it take before they lose their specific identity and culture? That is constantly the question.

Already in his youth, he traveled through Tibet. It was his first adventure on his own. From that moment on he was an adventurer with a camera on his neck. He became a professional photographer for magazines among other things. The last couple of years he follows his passion: making pictures and stories about people and their natural environment. People that live in isolated places, all over the world.

Exhibitions with his works can be seen all over the world. And of course, there are his books. Take your Ted Baker tas and go out for seeing his photo’s and read his stories about it. And his foundation. “I will be continuing my voyage of discovery. To conceive the definitive multi-media experience to enable the viewer to come as close as possible to experiencing true human empathy with the other.”