In 2009, photographer Jimmy Nelson set out on a journey to document the ‘world’s last indigenous cultures’. Using a 4×5 camera, Nelson took an amazing series of portraits, featuring 31 ancient tribes around the world.

The project, entitled Before They Pass Away, culminated with an elegant hardcover book (available in three versions) featuring stories of his encounters and nearly 500 photos.

The series has also led to a number of speaking engagements and exhibits around the world. See here for a list of upcoming events.

On the project website, beforethey.com, you will find many additional pictures of each tribe along with information about Nelson’s experience photographing each.

The project has also received some criticism. Most notably from Tim McLaughlin and Elissa Washuta. Nelson even responded to McLaughlin’s critical review of the project here.

The dialogue in the articles above are valuable and the fact that Nelson responded to the criticism provides an intriguing conversation around the topic. I encourage you to read them and derive your own conclusions.

For the latest from Before They Pass Away, you can find more information at the links below.