False Portfolio 24 Travel Namibia The Himba people in North Namibia are among the most photogenic tribes on the planet. In this stunning series of images, photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher record the anticipation and joy surrounding a wedding in Kaokoland. Beckwith and Fisher have dedicated their lives to recording the traditional cultures of Africa and have been given the United Nations Award of Excellence for their vision and understanding of the role of cultural traditions in the pursuit of peace in the world. The Wall Street Journal wrote: “ These two western women have gone further and deeper into tribal Africa than any photographers have before.” Himba wedding

False Travel Namibia 25 ALL PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGESn1 In the tranquil darkness of her family hut, a young Himba bride is lovingly prepared by her mother for marriage. Her skin and hair are smeared with a mixture of ochre, aromatic herbs and butterfat, and she is adorned with an array of jewellery made from beaten iron beads. Her mother gives her a ceremonial headdress called ekori. With the front coil of her ekori rolled forward as she leaves her parental home, the bride can only see straight ahead, and is thus protected from the emotions of leaving her family. Made from the finest hide and passed down from generation to generation, the ekori is traditionally worn by brides on their journeys to their new homes, and kept on for the first month of married life.