SAMELAND – In Lapland with the Sami People by Photographer Nao Tsuda

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When photographing I often find myself limiting the human presence in my images. If a person comes in to shot whilst I’m composing a subject I shift to an area where there isn’t any. Maybe there’s something deep inside me that wishes these beautiful environments wouldn’t be disturbed by humanity, even so I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s had thoughts like this. One who I think has, and is exploring the concept quite well, is Japanese photographer Nao Tsuda.

Nao is an avid traveller who has documented his trips to lots of remote locations around the world. They’re far from any urban environment that are more common today, a juxtaposition to the big city architecture and bustling capital cities of our time. Often the people who live in these remote locations have to live in harmony with the environment and communicate with their surroundings. This theme is explored in one of his latest series titled SAMELAND, which is also another name for Lapland, where many Sami people live.

Not only is this series full of beautiful landscapes, he’s also captured quite wonderfully the element of human intervention. Often Nao leaves out humans or only shows the houses in which they live, it reminds me of how they’re not really leaving much of a footprint on the landscape or using it in a respectful way. So really there’s a combination of inspiration here, the beautiful landscapes, the way the sami people live, and the way that Nao has been able to compose these using bright colours and vivid tones. For more like this I urge you to his portfolio website linked below where he has a fantastic range of photography, from exploring the practice of Buddhism to other photography taken in the valleys.

tsudanao.com

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