TEDGlobal 2014
Jimmy Nelson: Gorgeous portraits of the world's vanishing people
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When Jimmy Nelson traveled to Siberia to photograph the Chukchi people, elders told him: "You cannot photograph us. You have to wait, you have to wait until you get to know us, you have to wait until you understand us." In this gorgeously photo-filled talk, join Nelson's quest to understand -- the world, other people, himself -- by making astonishing portraits of the world's vanishing tribes and cultures.
Jimmy Nelson - Last tribes photographer
Jimmy Nelson’s photographs of vanishing tribes illuminate the indigenous cultures of our shared world. Full bio
Jimmy Nelson’s photographs of vanishing tribes illuminate the indigenous cultures of our shared world. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Now, I've been making pictures
for quite a long time,
for quite a long time,
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and normally speaking,
a picture like this, for me,
a picture like this, for me,
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should be straightforward.
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I'm in southern Ethiopia.
I'm with the Daasanach.
I'm with the Daasanach.
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There's a big family,
there's a very beautiful tree,
there's a very beautiful tree,
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and I make these pictures
with this very large,
with this very large,
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extremely cumbersome, very awkward
technical plate film camera.
technical plate film camera.
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Does anybody know
4x5 and 10x8 sheets of film,
4x5 and 10x8 sheets of film,
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and you're setting it up,
putting it on the tripod.
putting it on the tripod.
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I've got the family, spent the better part
of a day talking with them.
of a day talking with them.
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They sort of understand what I'm on about.
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They think I'm a bit crazy,
but that's another story.
but that's another story.
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And what's most important for me
is the beauty and the aesthetic,
is the beauty and the aesthetic,
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and that's based on the light.
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So the light's setting
on my left-hand side,
on my left-hand side,
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and there's a balance
in the communication with the Daasanach,
in the communication with the Daasanach,
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the family of 30, all ages.
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There's babies and there's grandparents,
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01:02
I'm getting them in the tree
and waiting for the light to set,
and waiting for the light to set,
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and it's going, going,
and I've got one sheet of film left,
and I've got one sheet of film left,
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and I think, I'm okay,
I'm in control, I'm in control.
I'm in control, I'm in control.
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01:11
I'm setting it up and I'm setting up,
and the light's just about to go,
and the light's just about to go,
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and I want it to be golden,
I want it to be beautiful.
I want it to be beautiful.
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I want it to be hanging on the horizon
so it lights these people,
so it lights these people,
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in all the potential glory
that they could be presented.
that they could be presented.
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And it's about to go
and it's about to go,
and it's about to go,
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and I put my sheet in the camera,
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it's all focused,
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and all of a sudden
there's a massive "whack,"
there's a massive "whack,"
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and I'm looking around,
and in the top corner of the tree,
and in the top corner of the tree,
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one of the girls slaps
the girl next to her,
the girl next to her,
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and the girl next to her pulls her hair,
and all hell breaks loose,
and all hell breaks loose,
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and I'm standing there going,
"But the light, the light.
"But the light, the light.
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Wait, I need the light.
Stay still! Stay still!"
Stay still! Stay still!"
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And they start screaming,
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and then one of the men turns around
and starts screaming, shouting,
and starts screaming, shouting,
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and the whole tree collapses,
not the tree, but the people in the tree.
not the tree, but the people in the tree.
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They're all running around screaming,
and they run back off into the village
and they run back off into the village
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in this sort of cloud of smoke, and I'm
left there standing behind my tripod.
left there standing behind my tripod.
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I've got my sheet, and the light's gone,
and I can't make the picture.
and I can't make the picture.
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Where have they all gone? I had no idea.
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It took me a week, it took me a week to
make the picture which you see here today,
make the picture which you see here today,
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and I'll tell you why. (Applause)
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It's very, very, very simple --
I spent a week going around the village,
I spent a week going around the village,
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and I went to every single one:
"Hello, can you meet at the tree?
"Hello, can you meet at the tree?
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What's your story? Who are you?"
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And it all turned out to be
about a boyfriend, for crying out loud.
about a boyfriend, for crying out loud.
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I mean, I have teenage kids.
I should know.
I should know.
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It was about a boyfriend. The girl
on the top, she'd kissed the wrong boy,
on the top, she'd kissed the wrong boy,
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and they'd started having a fight.
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And there was a very, very beautiful
lesson for me in that:
lesson for me in that:
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If I was going to photograph these people
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in the dignified, respectful way
that I had intended,
that I had intended,
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and put them on a pedestal,
I had to understand them.
I had to understand them.
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It wasn't just about turning up.
It wasn't just about shaking a hand.
It wasn't just about shaking a hand.
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It wasn't about just saying,
"I'm Jimmy, I'm a photographer."
"I'm Jimmy, I'm a photographer."
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I had to get to know
every single one of them,
every single one of them,
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right down to whose boyfriend is who
and who is allowed to kiss who.
and who is allowed to kiss who.
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So in the end, a week later,
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and I was absolutely exhausted,
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I mean on my knees going,
"Please get back up in that tree.
"Please get back up in that tree.
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It's a picture I need to make."
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They all came back.
I put them all back up in the tree.
I put them all back up in the tree.
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I made sure the girls
were in the right position,
were in the right position,
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and the ones that slapped,
one was over there.
one was over there.
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They did look at each other.
If you look at it later,
If you look at it later,
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they're staring
at each other very angrily,
at each other very angrily,
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and I've got the tree and everything,
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and then at the last minute, I go,
"The goat, the goat!
"The goat, the goat!
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I need something for the eye to look at.
I need a white goat in the middle."
I need a white goat in the middle."
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So I swapped all the goats around.
I put the goats in.
I put the goats in.
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But even then I got it wrong, because
if you can see on the left-hand side,
if you can see on the left-hand side,
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another little boy storms off
because I didn't choose his goat.
because I didn't choose his goat.
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So the moral being I have to learn
to speak Goat as well as Daasanach.
to speak Goat as well as Daasanach.
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But anyway, the effort
that goes into that picture
that goes into that picture
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and the story that I've
just related to you,
just related to you,
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as you can imagine,
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there are hundreds of other
bizarre, eccentric stories
bizarre, eccentric stories
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of hundreds of other people
around the world.
around the world.
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And this was about four years ago,
and I set off on a journey,
and I set off on a journey,
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to be honest, a very indulgent journey.
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I'm a real romantic. I'm an idealist,
perhaps in some ways naive.
perhaps in some ways naive.
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But I truly believe that there are people
on the planet that are beautiful.
on the planet that are beautiful.
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It's very, very simple.
It's not rocket science.
It's not rocket science.
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I wanted to put
these people on a pedestal.
these people on a pedestal.
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I wanted to put them on a pedestal
like they'd never been seen before.
like they'd never been seen before.
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So, I chose about 35 different groups,
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tribes, indigenous cultures.
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They were chosen purely
because of their aesthetic,
because of their aesthetic,
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and I'll talk more about that later.
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I'm not an anthropologist, I have
no technical study with the subject,
no technical study with the subject,
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but I do have a very,
very, very deep passion,
very, very deep passion,
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and I believe that I had to choose
the most beautiful people on the planet
the most beautiful people on the planet
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in the most beautiful
environment that they lived in,
environment that they lived in,
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and put the two together
and present them to you.
and present them to you.
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About a year ago,
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I published the first pictures,
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and something extraordinarily
exciting happened.
exciting happened.
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The whole world came running,
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and it was a bizarre experience,
because everybody, from everywhere:
because everybody, from everywhere:
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"Who are they? What are they?
How many are they?
How many are they?
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Where did you find them?
Are they real? You faked it.
Are they real? You faked it.
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Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me."
Millions of questions for which,
Millions of questions for which,
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to be honest, I don't have the answers.
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I really didn't have the answers,
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and I could sort of understand, okay,
they're beautiful, that was my intention,
they're beautiful, that was my intention,
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but the questions that I
was being fired at,
was being fired at,
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I could not answer them.
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Until, it was quite amusing,
about a year ago
about a year ago
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somebody said, "You've been
invited to do a TED Talk."
invited to do a TED Talk."
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And I said, "Ted? Ted? Who's Ted?
I haven't met Ted before."
I haven't met Ted before."
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He said, "No, a TED Talk."
I said, "But who's Ted?
I said, "But who's Ted?
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Do I have to talk to him or do we
sit with each other on the stage?"
sit with each other on the stage?"
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And, "No, no, the TED group.
You must know about it."
You must know about it."
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And I said, "I've been in a teepee
and in a yurt for the last five years.
and in a yurt for the last five years.
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How do I know who Ted is?
Introduce me to him."
Introduce me to him."
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Anyway, to cut a long story short,
he said, "We have to do a TED Talk."
he said, "We have to do a TED Talk."
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Researched. Oh, exciting. That's great!
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And then eventually you're going
to go to TEDGlobal.
to go to TEDGlobal.
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Even more exciting.
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But what you need to do, you need
to teach the people lessons,
to teach the people lessons,
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lessons that you've learned
on your travels around the world
on your travels around the world
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with these tribes.
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I thought, lessons, okay, well,
what did I learn? Good question.
what did I learn? Good question.
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Three. You need three lessons,
and they need to be terribly profound.
and they need to be terribly profound.
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(Laughter)
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And I thought, three lessons, well,
I'm going to think about it.
I'm going to think about it.
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(Applause)
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So I thought long and hard,
and I stood here two days ago,
and I stood here two days ago,
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and I had my test run,
and I had my cards
and I had my cards
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and my clicker in my hands
and my pictures were on the screen,
and my pictures were on the screen,
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and I had my three lessons,
and I started presenting them,
and I started presenting them,
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and I had this very odd
out-of-body experience.
out-of-body experience.
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I sort of looked at myself
standing there, going, "Oh, Jimmy,
standing there, going, "Oh, Jimmy,
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this is complete loads of codswallop.
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All these people sitting here,
they've had more of these talks,
they've had more of these talks,
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they've heard more lessons in their life.
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Who are you to tell them
what you've learned?
what you've learned?
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Who are you to guide them
and who are you to show them
and who are you to show them
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what is right, what is wrong,
what these people have to say?"
what these people have to say?"
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And I had a little bit of a,
it was very private,
it was very private,
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a little bit of a meltdown.
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I went back, and a little bit like the boy
walking away from the tree with his goats,
walking away from the tree with his goats,
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very disgruntled, going, that didn't work,
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It wasn't what I wanted to communicate.
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And I thought long and hard about it,
and I thought, well, the only thing
and I thought, well, the only thing
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I can communicate is very, very basic.
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You have to turn it all the way around.
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There's only one person
I know here, and that's me.
I know here, and that's me.
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I'm still getting to know myself,
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and it's a lifelong journey, and I
probably won't have all the answers,
probably won't have all the answers,
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but I did learn some extraordinary
things on this journey.
things on this journey.
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So what I'm going to do
is share with you my lessons.
is share with you my lessons.
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It's a very, as I explained at the
beginning, very indulgent, very personal,
beginning, very indulgent, very personal,
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how and why I made these pictures,
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and I leave it to you as the audience
to interpret what these lessons
to interpret what these lessons
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have meant to me, what they could
perhaps mean to you.
perhaps mean to you.
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I traveled enormously as a child.
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I was very nomadic.
It was actually very exciting.
It was actually very exciting.
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All around the world,
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and I had this feeling that I
was pushed off at great speed
was pushed off at great speed
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to become somebody,
become that individual, Jimmy.
become that individual, Jimmy.
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Go off into the planet,
and so I ran, and I ran,
and so I ran, and I ran,
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and my wife sometimes kids me,
"Jimmy, you look a bit like Forrest Gump,"
"Jimmy, you look a bit like Forrest Gump,"
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but I'm, "No, it's all
about something, trust me."
about something, trust me."
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So I kept running and I kept running,
and I sort of got somewhere
and I sort of got somewhere
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and I sort of stood there and looked
around me and I thought, well,
around me and I thought, well,
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where do I belong? Where do I fit?
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What am I? Where am I from? I had no idea.
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So I hope there aren't too many
psychologists in this audience.
psychologists in this audience.
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Perhaps part of this journey
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is about me trying to find out
where I belonged.
where I belonged.
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So whilst going, and don't worry, I didn't
when I arrived with these tribes,
when I arrived with these tribes,
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I didn't paint myself yellow and run
around with these spears and loincloths.
around with these spears and loincloths.
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But what I did find were people
that belonged themselves,
that belonged themselves,
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and they inspired me,
some extraordinary people,
some extraordinary people,
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and I'd like to introduce you
to some heroes of mine.
to some heroes of mine.
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They're the Huli.
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Now, the Huli are some of the most
extraordinarily beautiful people
extraordinarily beautiful people
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on the planet.
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They're proud. They live in
the Papua New Guinean highlands.
the Papua New Guinean highlands.
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There's not many of them left,
and they're called the Huli wigmen.
and they're called the Huli wigmen.
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And images like this, I mean,
this is what it's all about for me.
this is what it's all about for me.
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And you've spent weeks and months there
talking with them, getting there,
talking with them, getting there,
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and I want to put them on a pedestal,
and I said, "You have something
and I said, "You have something
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that many people have not seen.
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You sit in this stunning nature."
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And it really does look like this,
and they really do look like this.
and they really do look like this.
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This is the real thing.
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And you know why they're proud?
You know why they look like this,
You know why they look like this,
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and why I broke my back literally
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to photograph them
and present them to you?
and present them to you?
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It's because they have
these extraordinary rituals.
these extraordinary rituals.
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And the Huli have this ritual:
When they're teenagers,
When they're teenagers,
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becoming a man,
they have to shave their heads,
they have to shave their heads,
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and they spend the rest of their life
shaving their heads every single day,
shaving their heads every single day,
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and what they do with that hair,
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they make it into a creation,
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a creation that's
a very personal creation.
a very personal creation.
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It's their creation.
It's their Huli creation.
It's their Huli creation.
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So they're called the Huli wigmen.
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That's a wig on his head.
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It's all made out of his human hair.
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And then they decorate that wig with
the feathers of the birds of paradise,
the feathers of the birds of paradise,
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and don't worry,
there are many birds there.
there are many birds there.
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There's very few people living,
so nothing to get too upset about,
so nothing to get too upset about,
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and they spend the rest of their life
recreating these hats
recreating these hats
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and getting further
and further,
and further,
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and it's extraordinary,
and there's another group,
and there's another group,
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they're called the Kalang,
and they live in the next valley,
and they live in the next valley,
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but they speak a completely
different language,
different language,
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they look completely different,
and they wear a hat,
and they wear a hat,
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and it's built out of scarabs,
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these fantastic emerald green
little scarabs,
little scarabs,
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and sometimes there are 5,000
or 6,000 scarabs in this hat,
or 6,000 scarabs in this hat,
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and they spend the whole of their life
collecting these scarabs
collecting these scarabs
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to build these hats.
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So the Huli inspired me
in that they belong.
in that they belong.
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Perhaps I have to work harder
at finding a ritual which matters for me
at finding a ritual which matters for me
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and going back into my past
to see where I actually fit.
to see where I actually fit.
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An extremely important part
of this project
of this project
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was about how I photograph
these extraordinary people.
these extraordinary people.
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And it's basically beauty.
I think beauty matters.
I think beauty matters.
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We spend the whole of our existence
revolving around beauty:
revolving around beauty:
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beautiful places, beautiful things,
and ultimately, beautiful people.
and ultimately, beautiful people.
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It's very, very, very significant.
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I've spent all of my life analyzing
what do I look like?
what do I look like?
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Am I perceived as beautiful?
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Does it matter if I'm
a beautiful person or not,
a beautiful person or not,
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or is it purely based on my aesthetic?
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10:40
And then when I went off,
I came to a very narrow conclusion.
I came to a very narrow conclusion.
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Do I have to go around the world
photographing, excuse me,
photographing, excuse me,
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women between the age of 25 and 30?
Is that what beauty is going to be?
Is that what beauty is going to be?
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Is everything before and after that
utterly irrelevant?
utterly irrelevant?
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And it was only until I went on a journey,
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a journey that was so extreme,
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I still get shivers when I think about it.
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I went to a part of the world,
and I don't know whether any of you
and I don't know whether any of you
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have ever heard of Chukotka.
Has anybody ever heard of Chukotka?
Has anybody ever heard of Chukotka?
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Chukotka probably is, technically,
as far as one can go
as far as one can go
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and still be on the living planet.
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It's 13 hours' flight from Moscow.
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First you've got to get to Moscow, and
then 13 hours' flight nonstop from Moscow.
then 13 hours' flight nonstop from Moscow.
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And that's if you get there.
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As you can see, some people
sort of miss the runway.
sort of miss the runway.
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And then when you land there,
in Chukotka are the Chukchis.
in Chukotka are the Chukchis.
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Now, the Chukchis are the last
indigenous Inuits of Siberia,
indigenous Inuits of Siberia,
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and they're people I'd heard about,
I'd hardly seen any images of,
I'd hardly seen any images of,
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but I knew they were there,
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and I'd been in touch with this guide,
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11:40
and this guide said,
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"There's this fantastic tribe.
There's only about 40 of them.
There's only about 40 of them.
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You'll be okay. We'll find them."
So off we went on this journey.
So off we went on this journey.
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When we arrived there, after a month
of traveling across the ice,
of traveling across the ice,
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and we'd got to them, but then
I was not allowed to photograph them.
I was not allowed to photograph them.
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They said, "You cannot photograph us.
You have to wait.
You have to wait.
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11:56
You have to wait until you get to know us.
You have to wait until you understand us.
You have to wait until you understand us.
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You have to wait until you see
how we interact with one another."
how we interact with one another."
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12:04
And only then, it was many,
many weeks later, I saw a respect.
many weeks later, I saw a respect.
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They had zero judgment.
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They observed one another, from the youth,
from the middle aged to the old.
from the middle aged to the old.
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They need each other.
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The children need to chew the meat all day
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because the adults don't have any teeth,
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but at the same time, the children
take the old aged people out
take the old aged people out
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to the toilet because they're infirm,
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12:23
so there's this fantastic
community of respect.
community of respect.
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And they adore and admire one another,
and they truly taught me
and they truly taught me
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what beauty was.
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(Applause)
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Now I'm going to ask for a little bit
of audience interaction.
of audience interaction.
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This is extremely important
for the end of my talk.
for the end of my talk.
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If you could look at somebody
left to the right of you,
left to the right of you,
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and I want you to observe them,
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12:44
and I want you to give them a compliment.
This is very important.
This is very important.
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12:47
Now, it may be their nose or their hair
or even their aura, I don't mind,
or even their aura, I don't mind,
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but please look at each other,
give them a compliment.
give them a compliment.
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You have to be quick,
because I'm running out of time.
because I'm running out of time.
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And you have to remember it.
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13:01
Okay, thank you, thank you, thank you,
you've given each other compliments.
you've given each other compliments.
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13:05
Hold that compliment very, very tightly.
Hold it for later.
Hold it for later.
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13:09
And the last thing, it was
extraordinarily profound,
extraordinarily profound,
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13:13
and it happened only two weeks ago.
Two weeks ago I went back to the Himba.
Two weeks ago I went back to the Himba.
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13:17
Now, the Himba live in northern Namibia
on the border of Angola,
on the border of Angola,
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13:20
and I'd been there a few times before,
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13:22
and I'd gone back
to present this book I'd made,
to present this book I'd made,
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13:25
to show them the pictures,
to get into a discussion with them,
to get into a discussion with them,
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13:27
to say, "This is how I saw you.
This is how I love you.
This is how I love you.
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13:30
This is how I respect you. What
do you think? Am I right? Am I wrong?"
do you think? Am I right? Am I wrong?"
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13:34
So I wanted this debate.
It was very, very, very emotional,
It was very, very, very emotional,
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13:37
and one night we were sitting
around the campfire,
around the campfire,
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13:39
and I have to be honest, I think I'd had
a little bit too much to drink,
a little bit too much to drink,
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13:43
and I was sort of sitting under the stars
going, "This is great,
going, "This is great,
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you've seen my pictures,
we love each other." (Laughter)
we love each other." (Laughter)
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And I'm a little bit slow,
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13:52
and I looked around me, and I said,
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13:54
I thought, maybe, the fence is missing.
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Wasn't there a fence here
last time I came?
last time I came?
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13:58
You know, this big
protective fence around the village,
protective fence around the village,
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14:01
and they sort of looked at me
and go, "Yeah, chief die."
and go, "Yeah, chief die."
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14:04
And I thought, okay,
chief dying, right, you know,
chief dying, right, you know,
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14:07
look up at the stars again,
look at the campfire.
look at the campfire.
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14:09
Chief die. What on Earth does
chief die have to do with the fence?
chief die have to do with the fence?
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14:13
"Chief die.
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14:16
First we destroy, yeah?
Then we reflect.
Then we reflect.
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14:18
Then we rebuild. Then we respect."
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14:22
And I burst out in tears, because
my father had only just died
my father had only just died
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14:26
prior to this journey,
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14:28
and I didn't ever acknowledge him,
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14:30
I didn't ever appreciate him for the fact
that I'm probably standing here today
that I'm probably standing here today
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14:34
because of him.
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These people taught me that we are only
who we are because of our parents
who we are because of our parents
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and our grandparents
and our forefathers
and our forefathers
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going on and on and on before that,
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and I, no matter how romantic
or how idealistic I am on this journey,
or how idealistic I am on this journey,
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I did not know that until two weeks ago.
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I did not know that until two weeks ago.
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So what's this all about?
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Well, there's an image
I'd like to show you,
I'd like to show you,
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14:59
quite a special image, and it wasn't
essentially the image I wanted to choose.
essentially the image I wanted to choose.
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15:03
I was sitting there the other day,
and I have to finish on a strong image.
and I have to finish on a strong image.
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15:07
And somebody said, "You have to show
them the picture of the Nanev. The Nanev."
them the picture of the Nanev. The Nanev."
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15:11
I was like, yeah, but that's not
my favorite picture.
my favorite picture.
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She went, "No no no no no no no.
It's an amazing picture.
It's an amazing picture.
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You're in his eyes."
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15:17
I said, "What do you mean I'm in his eyes?
It's a picture of the Nanev."
It's a picture of the Nanev."
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She said, "No, look, look closely,
you're in his eyes."
you're in his eyes."
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15:23
And when you look closely at this picture,
there is a reflection of me in his eyes,
there is a reflection of me in his eyes,
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15:27
so I think perhaps he has my soul,
and I'm in his soul,
and I'm in his soul,
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15:31
and whilst these pictures look at you,
I ask you to look at them.
I ask you to look at them.
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15:34
You may not be reflected in his eyes,
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but there is something extraordinarily
important about these people.
important about these people.
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I don't ultimately have the answers,
as I've just shared with you,
as I've just shared with you,
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but you must do.
There must be something there.
There must be something there.
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15:46
So if you can briefly reflect
on what I was discussing
on what I was discussing
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15:50
about beauty and about belonging
and about our ancestors and our roots,
and about our ancestors and our roots,
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15:55
and I need you all
to stand for me, please.
to stand for me, please.
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15:59
(Laughter)
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16:01
Now you have no excuse.
It's almost lunchtime,
It's almost lunchtime,
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16:03
and this is not a standing ovation,
so don't worry,
so don't worry,
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I'm not fishing for compliments.
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16:07
But you were given a compliment
a few minutes ago.
a few minutes ago.
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16:10
Now I want you to stand tall.
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16:12
I want you to breathe in.
This is what I say.
This is what I say.
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16:14
I'm not going to get
on my knees for two weeks.
on my knees for two weeks.
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I'm not going to ask you
to carry a goat,
to carry a goat,
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and I know you don't have any camels.
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16:21
Photography's extraordinarily powerful.
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16:23
It's this language which
we now all understand.
we now all understand.
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16:25
We truly do all understand it,
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16:27
and we have this global
digital fireplace, don't we,
digital fireplace, don't we,
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16:29
but I want to share you with the world,
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16:31
because you are also a tribe.
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16:33
You are the TED tribe, yeah?
But you have to remember that compliment.
But you have to remember that compliment.
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16:36
You have to stand tall,
breathe in through your nose,
breathe in through your nose,
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16:39
and I'm going to photograph you. Okay?
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1968
16:41
I need to do a panoramic shot,
so it's going to take a minute,
so it's going to take a minute,
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so you have to concentrate, okay?
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Breathe in, stand tall, no laughing.
Shh, breathe through your nose.
Shh, breathe through your nose.
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I'm going to photograph.
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(Clicks)
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16:59
Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jimmy Nelson - Last tribes photographerJimmy Nelson’s photographs of vanishing tribes illuminate the indigenous cultures of our shared world.
Why you should listen
In his quest to photograph endangered cultures, Jimmy Nelson has endured Kalishnikov-toting Banna tribesmen, subzero reindeer attacks, and thousands of miles of hard travel. With a blend of humility and humor, Nelson won the trust of each of his subjects, using an antique plate camera to create stunning portraits of 35 indigenous tribes.
The result is Before They Pass Away, a photo treasury that Nelson hopes will not only help preserve the lifestyles of people the world over, but also perhaps inspire readers in the developed world to ponder their own connections with their ancestral environments.
More profile about the speakerThe result is Before They Pass Away, a photo treasury that Nelson hopes will not only help preserve the lifestyles of people the world over, but also perhaps inspire readers in the developed world to ponder their own connections with their ancestral environments.
Jimmy Nelson | Speaker | TED.com