For the last 30 years, photographer, conservationist and humanitarian Cristina Mittermeier has traveled all over the world to document nature, the beauty of wildlife and the power of the ocean, as well as the wisdom of indigenous people. In this video, the Sony Artisan shares the story of an image that she loves and calls special to her. “It’s a photograph that I found in a remote part of Ethiopia, in the Omo Valley.” Keep watching as she recalls the story behind the shot:
Photographing Community & Culture Around The World
The area has been in a drought for over 10 years, but the spirit of community is alive and well throughout the Omo Valley. “Even with so much poverty and need,” Mittermeier explains, “the women there decorate themselves. They want to be beautiful, as women do in so many parts of the world.”
When Mittermeier was walking through the market, a young girl selling vegetables had a beautiful headdress made out of wild flowers that caught her eye. “I took her outside to make her a portrait,” she explains. “I placed her against a green wall and it was just open shade – no flash, no nothing. And she just stood there, looking with this incredible intensity.” Mittermeier was equipped with her Sony Alpha 1 II and Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master to capture the moment.
A Way To Give Back
Mittermeier titled the photograph, “Flowers In My Hair,” knowing that it would be a special one. “And indeed, it was, because it has gone on to become the cover of my book, ‘HOPE.’ When I make a portrait that I love, that I use for a book or for a print, I like to give back. So I’m sending money back to these remote villages because the need is immense.”
Learn more about Mittermeier’s book project and how to support it HERE.
Watch more videos like this one on the Alpha Universe YouTube Channel.
