Eight weeks at the edge of the extraordinary

I spent eight weeks travelling through Ethiopia, a country of extraordinary contrasts where dramatic landscapes, wildlife, ancient cultures and difficult journeys constantly challenged my expectations.

The journey began with the wildlife of Awash National Park and the flamingos of Lake Abijatta, before taking me into the Bale Mountains for a demanding 126-kilometre trek. Ethiopia quickly showed me that photographing this country would require much more than carrying a camera. It required endurance, patience and a willingness to leave my comfort zone.

In the Danakil Depression, one of the most extreme environments I have ever experienced, the adventure became considerably more serious. The year before my visit, five tourists had been killed in the region. During my journey I was accompanied by four armed soldiers, positioned around us as we travelled through the area. It was impossible to ignore the reality of where we were.

I later climbed Erta Ale, the active volcano, and spent the night on its rim. On the descent, walking across the hard lava, I fell and damaged my camera. It was an expensive reminder of an important lesson: on demanding photographic journeys, always carry at least two camera bodies. Not only as insurance against equipment failure, but also because changing lenses in dusty environments can expose valuable equipment unnecessarily.

Ethiopia also brought me into contact with some of its extraordinary cultural traditions. In the Omo Valley, I spent time with several indigenous communities, including the Hamer, Karo, Dassanech and Mursi. With the Hamer people I witnessed preparations for a traditional wedding ceremony, including the remarkable bull-jumping tradition.

These encounters required a different kind of observation from wildlife photography. I was entering someone else's world, and respect, patience and sensitivity were essential. I photographed only a selection of these encounters; many more images remain in my archive and could eventually form a separate story about the people of the Omo Valley.

Beyond the landscapes, wildlife and extraordinary traditions, one of the things that has stayed with me most strongly is the hospitality of the Ethiopian people. In many of the villages I passed through, people lived in circumstances that were, by our standards, extremely basic and sometimes genuinely harsh. Yet I was repeatedly greeted with warmth and a smile.

There was an openness and generosity that I encountered again and again, even where daily life was clearly difficult. It made me reflect on how little material wealth is sometimes needed to show dignity, generosity and happiness. These encounters became part of what I carried home from Ethiopia, just as much as the photographs did.

The journey also took me through Lalibela, Tigray and the Blue Nile, revealing yet another side of Ethiopia's history and landscape. At times the conditions were extremely basic. One night I slept outside on a bench without covers, and another night underneath the car. These were not experiences I had planned, but they became part of the reality of travelling through such remote areas.

The journey ended in the Simien Mountains, one of Africa's most spectacular settings. Here I spent several days among large troops of gelada baboons. Their social behaviour, expressions and extraordinary proximity made them fascinating photographic subjects, while simply sitting among them provided some of the most peaceful moments of the entire journey.

Throughout this extraordinary adventure I was accompanied by my guide, Wegderes. Of all the guides I have travelled with over the years, he remains one of the most memorable. Curious, attentive and immensely proud to share his country with me, he seemed genuinely happy to see Ethiopia through the eyes of a photographer. His knowledge, dedication and warmth made an enormous difference to the journey.

Wegderes Degu was not simply my guide. He became part of the experience itself. His heart was enormous, and I could not have asked for more from someone accompanying me through such a demanding and extraordinary country.

Ethiopia revealed itself to me as a land of extremes, wild, authentic, demanding and deeply human.

The photographs that follow are only fragments of those eight weeks, moments that remained with me long after I left Ethiopia. The rest lives in the memories of the landscapes, the people, the risks, the exhaustion, the unexpected encounters and the extraordinary privilege of having been there.