Photographer & Filmmaker
Another day... another sunset corral
…Riding a horse in Mongolia has been a secret ambition of mine for a few years now. Well, to be more precise, riding a horse across Mongolia actually, an aspiration that I knew I would never realize on this short trip, but one that has since become a permanent fixture at the top of my things-to-do-before-I-die list.
Riding a horse across Mongolia. Just the phrase itself is enough to elicit magical feelings of wild adventure and freedom. Of galloping through epic panoramas, the wind blowing away any memories of the futile concerns born of a life back home lived with unnecessary complications. You may scoff at my romanticism, but Karina who runs the company that organizes our logistics here in Mongolia has fixed it for quite a few people to realize their Mongol horse riding fantasy over the years, and by all accounts this particular dream is very much real.
Winston Churchill is famously quoted as saying that “…There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man”. Never have those words rung so true to me as during these last few days in the saddle. I have now earmarked a 3 month window in 2011 after Human Planet has finished as the time to make my own equine pilgrimage back to Mongolia in order that I can give this amazing place the time and attention it rightly deserves.
And at the end of it all, if I’m just half as happy as the locals here appear to be, then it will have done its job royally. Rural Mongolia certainly contains some of the friendliest, most cheerful people I’ve ever met on my travels around the planet, and I’m sure that their easy and regular access to horse riding has had something to do with that. Of course, I suspect that the thousands of square kilometres of uninterrupted landscape may also play a fair part in eliciting the huge smiles we encounter here every day.
Or maybe there’s just something special in the local fermented horse’s milk.
Got mare's milk?
. . .
Interested in more stories from Mongolia? Try HERE
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Bess,
I’ll have to think about that one for a little while before I answer – its too difficult to decide on just one that might be the best. My mind changes on things like that all the time. Usually I think that I would call my best picture the last one that I took that I really liked, but I get over them quite quickly if you know what I mean, so it’s a continually changing and evolving opinion. Today I shot a lovely picture of a fisherman crossing the Mekong on a wire bridge, here in Laos – it is currently my favourite! I will post it next time.
Timothy
Timothy,
Excellent photos! Everyone use man made light to expose their talent. You went far beyond to capture God’s own light to showcase your talent. As God nature made is better than any other light, your photos to stand taller in creative aspect.
Thanks a lot for sharing this image and the idea behind the shoot.
Can you tell me which is the best photograph you have ever capture ?
bonjour,
Great site..Wonderful framing ,lightness and post-processing..Bravo!
How beautiful these pictures are, I just love your photography, thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Truly beautiful photographs, so inspiring. i am unfortunately a very scared and poor rider, but I still am planning to trek accross the desert of Mongolia on camels. i am one of these strange people who actually loves camel back riding. Just came back from trekking in Iceland, extraordinay alive nature…
Simone,
That shot was taken inside our family’s ger (Mongolian tent) using only available light. Outside, the sun was nearly over head and the only light was entering the ger through the round hole in the centre of the roof and falling directly (and only) on the girl. Her face is lit from that light reflected off the milk’s white surface. The rest of the room was receiving no light at all, and since the sunlight was so strong, exposing for it left the rest of the frame in pitch black.
Fantastic site. You shoot truly beautiful photos Timothy. I would like to ask you about this picture of the girl drinking milk. How did you light this?
Many thanks
S x
How awesome is your job??! Great photos and thanks for sharing bits of your adventure!