Dassenetch Woman
Ethiopia, Omo Valley 2013
A Dassenetch woman poses with a vessel made from a gourd. I noticed that the Dassenetch women decorated their gourds in a similar style to the Wodaabe of Niger.
Many tourists came to the village on this day. I suppose during the tourist season, dressing up with your best beads and getting into your pose is like going to work for the Dassenetch and other tribes. This woman’s idea was to crouch in her doorway and it framed her beautifully. So beautifully, in fact, that I don’t mind her expression…she is distracted by someone to my left. Normally I would discard this and look for a shot with a better expression as expression is what portraits are all about. But, her strong physique, her attractive beads and headdress make up for any lack of expression.
Contact Osman at www.soratours.com when you are ready to visit the Dassenetch and other fascinating tribes of the Omo Valley.