Olivier Föllmi is one of my favorite travel photographers, along with Eric Valli. He developed a passion for the Himalayas at the age of 18 and lived there for more than 20 years. Since 2003, he has traveled the world with his wife to capture on film the soul of the people featured in the series Offerings for Humanity.
I wandered along High Street Kensington this afternoon, and visited Waterstone's where piles upon piles of photography books are on display (presumably for the Christmas season). I had the pleasure of leafing through Föllmi's magnificent book Africa, which took the better part of an hour.
I've had the privilege of photographing in the north and south of Ethiopia, and through Föllmi's splendid images of the Omo tribes, and the devout Christian priests and deacons of Lalibela, I relieved that wonderful experience.
The book's 200 or more photographs, from the deserts of Namibia to the grasslands of Cameroon, from the Himba shepherds to the Hamar tribes, this book reveals fascinating cultures and peoples. It's available from online bookstores for $35...a very reasonable price, and much cheaper than here in London!!
Föllmi's website could be improved with higher resolution photographs, but it still holds interesting information about him, his philosophy and his work.
Olivier Föllmi
