Photography has always had the incredible power of touching the hearts of people of all nationalities, languages and ages, while being a tool to create awareness on the most varied issues. And this is what British photographer and photojournalist Jimmy Nelson is trying to do by visiting the Planet’s remaining indigenous cultures. Through his lens, he shows us the value – and beauty – of the world’s cultural diversity.

His images bring us to the world’s remotest corners and testimony the speed with which these communities adapt and change as they relentlessly approach and embrace the future. Nelson’s journeys to visit the world’s tribes have given life to the photo book Before They Pass Away (part 1 and part 2). We talked to him about his vocation, his adventures and connections with indigenous tribes.

You started off your journey as a photographer travelling through Tibet. How and why did you begin to focus on indigenous cultures?
When I was 17 I didn’t start out to be a photographer. I ran away. I had some strange experiences as a child that disconnected me. My hair fell out when I was 16 so my appearance changed and I was very creative so some people thought I was stupid. I wasn’t a happy teenager. I disappeared to Tibet not because there were indigenous peoples but because there were monks there with no hair. It was a connection. My journey was a process of reconnection: who am I? How do I look? How do you see me? How do I see you? And my camera was a metaphor for recording who I met. On the journey of two years, more people gave me love and kindness than had ever given me before in my own culture. So maybe today, 33 years later, I’m still doing the same. I’m not an anthropologist, I’m not an ethnologist. I’m selfishly trying to keep reconnecting with people who are humanly very rich and real.

The book Before They Pass Away part 1 is about 35 chosen indigenous communities. How did you select them and how did you contact them?
They were meant to be a visual kaleidoscope of geographical diversity: the world’s most colourful and the world’s most isolated cultures in varying landscapes. The whole idea is an aesthetic cross-section. I’ve connected to them through the experiences I’ve had by spending my whole life travelling. So I know roughly where they are but I leave it to chance when I get there to see what happens. The second part of the project – Before they pass away part 2 – which is coming out next autumn, is about 85 more indigenous groups. But now people are approaching me: “Visit us. We’re special, we’re unique”. And in part 2 I’m returning to some of the tribes in the first book to complete the circle of discussion.

Ni Vanuatu men. Rah Lava Island, Torba Province, Vanuatu, South Pacific © Jimmy Nelson © Jimmy Nelson

Chukchi. The ancient Arctic Chukchi live on the peninsula of the Chukotka. Due to the harsh climate and difficulty of life in the tundra, hospitality and generosity are highly prized among the Chukchi. They believe that all natural phenomena are considered to have their own spirits. Traditional lifestyle still survives but is increasingly supplemented © Jimmy Nelson

Cormorants fishermen, Yangshuo, China. Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained cormorants to fish in the Li river © Jimmy Nelson

Huaorani people. For at least a thousand years, the Amazonian Oriente rainforest, has been home to the Huaorani (meaning ‘human beings’ or ‘the people’). They consider themselves to be the bravest indigenous group in the Amazon. Until 1956, they had never had any contact with the outside world. The Huaorani have a vast knowledge of animals, plants and trees, which stems from a total reliance on the natural world © Jimmy Nelson

The Kazakh are the descendants of Turkic, Mongolic and Indo-Iranian indigenous groups and Huns who populated the territory between Siberia and the Black Sea. They are a semi-nomadic people and have roamed the mountains and valleys of western Mongolia with their herds since the 19th century. The ancient art of eagle hunting is one of many traditions and skills that the Kazakh have held onto for the last decades © Jimmy Nelson

The Maori, Huka Falls, New Zealand.

The Maori participate fully in all spheres of New Zealand culture and society, leading largely Western lifestyles while also maintaining their own cultural and social customs © Jimmy Nelson

The Maori, New Zealand. Due to centuries of isolation from the rest of the world, the Maori established a distinct society with characteristic art, a separate language and unique mythology © Jimmy Nelson

Marken, The Netherlands © Jimmy Nelson

Masai, Kenya/Tanzania. The Maasai’s entire way of life has historically depended on their cattle, following patterns of rainfall over vast land in search of food and water. Nowadays, it is common to see young Maasai men and women in cities selling not just goats and cows, but also beads, mobile phones, charcoal and grain © Jimmy Nelson

Masai. “Lions can run faster than us, but we can run farther” © Jimmy Nelson

Mustang, Nepal. The Mustang culture of Lo stands alone as one of the last Tibetan cultures existing today. Until 1991 no outsiders were allowed to enter Mustang. The traditions of the people of Lo are closely related to early Buddhism. Most still believe that the world is flat. They are religious, prayers and festivals are an integral part of their lives. The grandeur of the monasteries illustrates the prominent position of religion © Jimmy Nelson

Mursi, Ethiopia. The nomadic Mursi people live in the lower area of Africa’s Great Rift Valley. Extreme drought has made it difficult for them to feed themselves by means of traditional cultivation and herding. Their economy is concentrated on bartering and sharing possessions. As tourists are now often visiting Mursi villages, offering money in exchange for photographs, the communal economy is changing © Jimmy Nelson

Goroka, Papua New Guinea. The indigenous population of the world’s second largest island is one of the most heterogeneous in the world. The harsh terrain and historic inter-tribal warfare has led to village isolation and the proliferation of distinct languages. A number of different groups are scattered across the highland plateau © Jimmy Nelson

Nenets. Yamal Peninsula, Ural Mountains, Siberia.

The Nenet are reindeer herders, migrating across the Yamal peninsula for more than a millennium already, facing with temperatures ranging from -50°C in winter to 35°C in summer. The discovery of oil and gas reserves in the 1970s and the expanding infrastructure on the peninsula has challenged their indigenous lifestyle

© Jimmy Nelson

Nenets. Today, more than 10,000 nomads herd 300,000 domestic reindeer on the pastures of the Arctic tundra. After thousands of years of existence, the Nenet now perhaps face perhaps their greatest challenge. Since the discovery of oil and gas reserves in the 1970s, the Nenet have had increasing contact with the outside world and the infrastructure on the Yamal Peninsula has been rapidly expanding © Jimmy Nelson

Karo. Omo Valley, Ethiopia.

The Omo Valley, situated in Africa’s Great Rift