Golden Eagle Festival

Mongolia has drawn me back more than once. I first travelled there in 2018 to photograph the Eagle Hunters and the Golden Eagle Festival. I went in search of strong images, but came home with something more: a deeper respect for the people, their traditions and the way they live with the land.

On later journeys, I spent time with Eagle Hunter families, rode through mountain valleys before sunrise, slept in traditional yurts and travelled north to photograph the reindeer herders. Some moments were exhilarating; others were quiet and humbling. Together, they gave me a far richer understanding of Mongolia than I had expected.

One tradition has stayed with me above all others. After several years together, an Eagle Hunter releases his bird back into the wild. The bond may be deep, but the eagle is never regarded as something to be owned forever. What is taken from nature must, in time, be returned.

After my first journey, Malaysia’s AiFM radio station invited me to speak about western Mongolia, the people I met and the stories behind these photographs.

To read the full interview, click here.