African Portraits

Soon I will leave on a 10-day trip to Gabon. We are involved there in a regional development project in the Gamba complex. The aim is to develop a masterplan, supported by all key stakeholders, for a region that wants to diversify away from its sole dependence on oil exploration activities.

I have travelled numerous times to Central-Africa over the last years, always in the framework of professional assignments. I never fail to take my trusted Rolleiflex with me. In addition to documenting our work, I am building up a series of "African Portraits". The picture here shows the mayor of the city of Abidjan in Ivory Coast (taken on Efke 100 with the Rollei 3.5F). He was one of 30 participants in a mediation effort we facilitated six months ago. I made a portrait of all people involved in that process. Two years ago I was lucky enough to be able to photograph a series of 20 Burundese women, all working at a community centre in the country's capital Bujumbura.

I hope that our upcoming trip to Gabon will offer fresh opportunities to take beautiful portraits of local people.