TITLE: Mongolia

These photos were taken in 2005 in Mongolia.
These 5 pictures represent part of the journey we took with my partner on an old Russian sidecar from Ulaanbaatar to the western border of Kazakhstan.
The goal is to meet families who still own eagles for hunting, near the mountains of Altai.

Mongolia is a fascinating country where the vastness of the landscapes is equaled only by the beauty of the soul of the Mongols.
Despite everything, the various guides browsed before departure do not say much about how to "create contact" with residents.
Some recommend bringing pencils, notebooks and other items to give to children... Why not.

I decided to travel with me my Hasselblad camera, 3 lenses and 3 backs including a polaroid.
At no time we would have imagined that this single polaroid back was going to become the source of moments of sharing and joy with people.
At the bottom of the Mongolian steppes and in many other regions of the globe, being able to photograph and have the opportunity to offer a
memory of this meeting, remains a moment of emotion and unparalleled joy that the digital age no longer allows.

If I had to go back to Mongolia tomorrow, my first luggage would be a polaroid camera...!!!

AUTHOR: Jean-michel Vergès (France)

Architect by profession, I have been practicing photography as an amateur for almost 35 years.
Self-taught, I was interested in photography but also in B&W print.
Also a jazz lover, I naturally started with portraits of jazzmen at a time when it was still possible to enter concert halls freely with a camera.
Then my devices followed me in different trips and it is only recently that I turned to digital technology.