The unyielding forces of globalization and urbanization continue to shape our planet and cultures, with permanent impacts. One of them is the disintegration of the world’s tribal cultures. In his stunning portrait series “Before They Pass Away,” British photographer Jimmy Nelson documents secluded, shrinking tribes around the globe—from the Mongolian Steppe hawk-wielding Kazakh nomads to Guachos on Tierra del Fuego. Though the series has been out for a while, it’s worth revisiting as much for the images’ stunning compositions as it is for their cultural relevancy. Nelson’s dedicated site gives context to the tribes as well, providing an in-depth look at the making of the series shot on large format film.
Before They Pass Away