The Eagle Hunters

Kazakhs who were driven from their homeland by the Soviet Union during the time of Stalin fled to the Altai Mountains region of Mongolia. Those who fled became the keepers of their culture as it had been destroyed in Kazakhstan. The greatest expression of their culture is hunting with golden eagles. The nomadic Kazakhs are herders and they predominately hunt foxes and wolves which prey on their livestock. They have practiced this form of hunting for hundreds and possibly thousands of years. It is believed that this region is the birthplace of falconry.

The portraits for this project resulted in me being awarded People Photographer of the Year by the International Photography Awards (IPA) and nominated for International Photographer of the Year for the Lucie Awards. View the list of winners here and my winning submission here.