The village chief sits inside a hut talking with members of his tribe on August 12, 2015 in the Kunene Region of Namibia. Like most other tribal societies, the Himba people are very distinct with regards to the roles of the men and women. Typically, the men are the warriors; they are the ones who bring food to the table, and the ones who are the authority on tribal affairs. The Himba are indigenous peoples. One of Southern Africa's last traditionally living pastoral tribes with an estimated population of about 50,000 people living in northern Namibia, they are semi-nomadic with the men tending to livestock. The Himba live by herding sheep, goats and some cattle, and they move location several times a year to graze their livestock. The Himba are a people that live very distant from the "modern-western" world. Although they have contact with the western society, the Himba people have managed to maintain their traditional lifestyle.
The village chief sits inside a hut talking with members of his tribe on August 12, 2015 in the Kunene Region of Namibia.

 

Located in Namibia, the Namib Desert is an effortlessly beautiful landscape that shows its age with ancient scars carved into the earth. Unique shapes and patterns form over great lengths of time as the winds whip to transform, shape and move this majestic landscape. The Namib Desert stretches 1,000 miles along the Atlantic coast of Southern Africa making Namibia one of the least densely populated countries in the world, with a population of 2.1 million people. A number of unusual species of animals that are highly adaptive and can live on little water are found in this desert, including oryx, springboks, ostriches, and in some areas even desert elephants.

Living within this harsh landscape and calling it their home are the indigenous Himba people.

They are one of Southern Africa’s last traditionally living pastoral tribes with an estimated population of about 50,000 living in northern Namibia. They are semi-nomadic with the men tending to livestock and the women performing more labor-intensive duties such as homebuilding, water fetching and meal preparation in addition to caring for children. The Himba live by herding sheep, goats and some cattle, and they move locations several times a year to graze their livestock. The Himba are a people that live very distant from the modern Western world. Although they have contact with Western society, the Himba people have managed to maintain their traditional culture and lifestyle.

The Namib Desert is ancient, severe and beautiful all at the same time. It will grace you with dust, drought, stifling heat and harsh conditions. It will deprive you of necessities like water and food. However, the landscape has produced such treasures as the Namib Sand Sea and the Skeleton Coast. That same desert beauty can be seen in the tribe of the Himba people, whose women not only use the earth (stone of the ochre) to beautify their bodies giving them their red color, but whose customs also have transcended time and technology to maintain a tribal lifestyle that has been virtually unchanged since the 16th century.

Remaining unchanged in its present form for the last 2 million years of its 55 million year existence, one can only wonder what rare form the landscape and it inhabitants will take over the years to come? –Jeremy Lock

 

 

 

Bio: SEVEN-TIME MILITARY PHOTOJOURNALIST OF THE YEAR, JEREMY T. LOCK

 

For the past 21 years, photojournalist and now retired military photographer Jeremy Lock directed his lens towards the elements of the world that many of us will never have the opportunity or even the desire to see firsthand. His images are beautiful, heartbreaking, provocative and devastating – sometimes all in the same frame.

 

“My photographic journey is rooted in my ability to capture the essence and reality of humanity at its finest and at its worst,” says Lock. “I’ve captured everything from the hunt for Osama bin Laden, to the playful nature of our young military who are defending our freedom, and the plight of humans in search of food after the Haiti earthquake disaster.”

 

Lock is not only an accomplished military veteran receiving the Bronze Star Medal for distinguished service in Iraq. His experience as a seasoned photojournalist has led to his work being published in magazines, newspapers and books including National Geographic, TIME, New York Times, and The Washington Post among others. His work has also earned multiple awards from prestigious organizations including World Press Photo, National Press Photographers Association and Oasis.

 

“Not only do I get to live my life, but I’ve been able to live the lives of those I photograph, even if it was just for a moment,” notes Lock. “I constantly want to share my experiences to remind myself and others that what I am doing is very important and the world needs to see it. I like to think the experiences haven’t changed me, but I know they have, and I’m thankful for that change. There is more to the world than what is outside your front door.”

 

Contact: www.jeremytlock.com

Instagram: @jeremytlock