Thursday 5 February 2009

Zackary Canepari: The Raika of India

Photo © Zackary Canepari-All Rights Reserved

Zackary Canepari is an freelance editorial photographer based in New Delhi, India and whose self-description on his website is "I am a photographer". That's the extent of his biography. His photographs have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, IHT, The San Francisco Chronicle and others.

He recently was awarded first place in the Travel Portraits of PDN's World In Focus (The Ultimate Travel Photography Contest); results which were published in PDN's February 2009 issue.

His winning image was the one above of Raika camel breeders Madharam Raika and Bawerlal Raika in the Kumbhhalgarh sanctuary in Rajasthan waiting for their herd to finish grazing. This image is part of a larger photo essay by this talented (but publicity-shy) photographer, and can be found on his website.

The Raikas are also known as Rabaris and Dewasi, and are migratory herders who keep camels, sheep, and goats. They are the largest pastoral group of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

REI | De Las Flores

REI by Tewfic El-Sawy on on Exposure