Wanderlust: John Kenny and the Omo Valley

Hello chickens! It's P. from What Possessed Me - lowering the tone once again on dearest Deb's blog. I'm so happy to be here and to share with you the work of one of my favorite photographers, John Kenny.

An early source of bonding with Deb was our mutual love of travel - we've both been to some weird and wild places and share the same insatiable wanderlust that has ruined our GI tracts, wiped out our slush funds and generally consumed our waking thoughts.

Perhaps what originally drew me to John Kenny's work is that his own love of exploration and delight in undiscovered beauty come across so clearly in his photographs. Kenny often travels alone or with a guide, trekking into remote regions to shoot his portraits. He avoids using flash and gizmos, preferring instead to work with the dry earth, the sun, and the magnatism of his subjects. The effect is incredibly intimate and intense - particularly in his black and white portraits, which seem illuminated by a silvery, celestial light. If you are interested in travel photography, I'd highly recommend this article on Kenny's methods to achieve this effect with nothing other than his camera and natural sunlight. It's also an interesting commentary on what it's like to pursue photography as a passion alongside a completely unrelated career.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on Kenny's 2010 trip to the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. I'm already plotting my next trip - who's coming with me?