Recent Travels

Philip recently travelled through France, predominantly around the Dordogne, continuing his personal portrait projects on religious devotion and farmers.

 

 

The next month will see Philip in Japan, Australia, and Kashmir, northern India.

 

 

Please scroll down for latest interviews about Philip's recent travels.

 

 

 

 

In the footsteps of George Rodger

 

 

Philip recently returned to Africa to retrace the footsteps of legendary Magnum photographer George Rodger's journey 60 years ago. Philip first went to the Maasai Mara to photograph the Maasai, then onto the mountains of Uganda to spend time with the truly amazing Batwa pygmies, culminating in the once in a lifetime experience of photographing Nuba wrestling in the central mountains of the Sudan.

 Q & A

Q: Did you and the crew encounter any difficulties crossing these countries, in particular Kenya and the Sudan given the civil unrest at the time?

A: Yes, especially in the Sudan where travel is heavily restricted especially amongst the Nuba mountains. There were many conflicting opinions on what we could and couldn’t do and where we could and couldn’t go. But in the end even with all the bureaucracy we managed to make it, although there were many times when we thought we may have to turn around and come back.

Q: How closely did you follow George Rodger’s journey and had much changed from his time?

A: We tried to end up at the same destinations as George Rodger although due to closed borders and restrictions we were unable to drive exactly the same way. For example we entered the Kordofan range from the North East whereas George had driven from the South. On the surface there were probably many changes as there would be anywhere in the world over 6 decades, perhaps less so in the Sudan, although civil war has certainly changed the make up of this land and its people.

The landscape of the Nuba mountains is extremely close to how it would have been in George Rodger’s day to the point that one night we camped under the same boabab trees as he had done 60 years previously.

Q: Had time affected the lifestyles of the people you met very much?

A: Each of the three tribes had changed in its own unique way.

The Maasai have embraced tourism, and seem to have kept a lot of their traditional ways and beliefs yet have also embraced modern technology such as mobile phones and western medicine.

The Batwa 60 years ago were still forest dwelling and were completely nomadic but they left the forest almost 30 years ago due to deforestation and government pressure to comply. Their life is probably the saddest and most desperate of the three tribes we met. They rely totally on the kindness of others to simply exist. The Nuba are to a degree cut off from the outside world but have unfortunately suffered hardship due to the civil war and religious extremism.

Q: You were privileged enough to have witnessed Nuba wrestling. What were your impressions of this ancient sport?

A: Wrestling is still an integral part of the Nuba’s life, as it was in George Rodger’s day, although now one feels it is more for entertainment rather than village rivalry. Also most of the men of the village at wrestling age had either been conscripted into the civil war or had left the Sudan altogether in search of better wages.

Q: How do you feel having completed such an incredible and challenging journey?

A: It has been amazing, not just photographically but being privileged enough to spend time with Jinx Rodger, George’s wife, and to hear her tales of her time and adventures with George. My appreciation of what he achieved has been heightened by the trip and although he was perhaps the quietest founding member of Magnum his work has certainly stood the test of time.

The full article is now available to read within recent commissions on this site or in OneLife, Landrover’s customer magazine.

 

Rwanda

 

Please read on for a Q & A session with Philip about his September trip to Africa photographing mountain gorillas in Rwanda, as part of a travel story for Conde Nast Tatler magazine.

 Q&A

 Q: What were your overall impressions of Rwanda and how does it compare to other African countries you've spent time in?

A: It's an amazing survival story. On the surface it's surprisingly healed from the atrocities it's been through. And you really wish them luck as a nation. As a land, it's beautifully fertile and lush. The thing about Africa is that every country is so unique and different. Rwanda is amazingly diverse in its landscapes.

Q: What was the mood of the country given the horrific genocide that took place almost 14 years ago?

A: Resilient and hopeful.

Q: How difficult was it to find the gorillas considering the high altitudes and dense jungle they inhabit?

A: We hired local trackers who know the gorillas' habitat very well. They would go out pre-dawn ahead of us, and once they'd found the group we were to photograph, they would follow them and radio their location to our guides. It took approximately 4 hours of trekking through jungle to reach them as they kept moving. Existing trails ran out very soon and our guides macheted their way through. We had an armed military escort with us, primarily there to ward off poachers.

Q: How close were you able to get to the gorillas when photographing them and did they appear comfortable with that?

A: Incredibly close. We were asked not to come closer than 5 metres to them, but, being their habitat, if the gorillas decided to move around us we just sat still. The young babies are obviously inquisitive and had no qualms about brushing right past us. The particular group we photographed, Group 13, which had been habituated for a long time, were quite nonplussed with our presence to the point of not being interested.

Q: Who do you feel a trip to Rwanda would appeal to?

A: Anyone interested in wildlife, especially primates. Other aspects of tourism are slowly developing. There are some beautiful lodges to stay in and it's a quiet, timeless destination where you are unlikely to come across any form of mass tourism, thus being a refreshing change from some of its neighbouring countries.

Q: So, where to next?

A: Interestingly enough, maybe Uganda next door! To photograph Batwa pygmies.

We will keep you posted!

The full article on Rwanda can be seen with Philip’s pictures in January’s issue of the UK edition of Tatler magazine.