“Silent Devotion” - Bagan - Myanmar
Her calm, focused expression reflects deep spiritual devotion as she seeks peace and enlightenment. The sacred atmosphere, combined with the presence of the Buddha, creates a sense of tranquility and reverence, highlighting the timeless connection between faith and tradition. © Xavier Ayme

“The Mountain Men” - USA
In the summer of 2015, I came across an article on the National Geographic website. The article was about a group of men, who looked like they were from another century. Rugged-looking men wearing incredible outfits, living in the great outdoors. Who are these men? And what makes them go out into the mountains with no modern equipment, and survive only on what nature has to offer? These men belong to a group called The American Mountain Men—reenactors of the fur trade that flourished in North America from roughly 1800 to 1840. I feel privileged to have spent time with these men at the most beautiful locations, but also in some of the harshest conditions I’ve ever been in. From -25°C in the north of America, close to the Canadian border, to +40°C in the dry wastelands in central USA. © Jeroen Nieuwhuis

“The Call of Curiosity” - Inle Lake, Myanmar
Captured at the break of dawn on Inle Lake in Myanmar, this photograph depicts a group of boat traders gathered early morning to prepare for their day’s market. © Chan Kim

“Mãhina” - Vava’u, Tonga 2024
Meet Mãhina. Captured in the tropical waters of Vava’u Tonga in 2024, this incredibly rare calf is the first pure white humpback whale observed in Tonga in recorded history. Mãhina, meaning moon in Tongan, was the name given to her due to her luminescent appearance underwater which is as rare as it is breathtaking, as wherever she moves she illuminates the water into a bright electric blue. Looking down in the water at Mãhina and her mother resting below, my heart pumping so hard I could feel and hear it in my chest. The excitement in the atmosphere was electric and we were ecstatic with anticipation. My hands shook and my breathing was shallow, as adrenaline surged through my body. It was an indescribable rush, but it was also the very thing inhibiting us from being able to fully experience this once-in-a-lifetime moment with Mãhina. Realizing this, I dropped my camera, calmed my nerves, and came back to my senses. I began to gently engage with Mãhina as I have with many other beautiful curious yet cautious humpback whale calves I have met. I slowly began to roll and spin just beneath the surface, engaging with her in the classic humpback calf version of playfulness. After a few minutes of the gentle rolling and pausing, this is what greeted us. Words truly fail to express. © Jono Allen

“Dice And Feathers” - Amman, Jordan, October 2024
In the heart of Amman, two old friends gather for their daily ritual—a heated game of backgammon, played with the passion and familiarity of decades-long companionship. The man on the left, a retired shopkeeper, always brings his colorful companion, a lively parrot who perches on his shoulder, observing the game as if judging every move. The room, with its peeling walls and faded decor, tells its own story of time passed, while the men’s animated conversation and laughter breathe life into the scene. “Dice and Feathers” captures the warmth of friendship, the charm of tradition, and the unexpected joy of shared moments. © Laurin Strele

“Rubber is not that elastic” - Havana, Cuba, 2024
In November 2024, I went to Cuba. Here in old Havana, a thread between two worlds. A circus school. Sports are very important in Havana for young and old alike, a way out of the situation in Cuba. It is a place of resilience. ‘I’ve been lucky enough simply by opening doors to share moments with Cubans young and old; I didn’t forget to bring medicines and rare foodstuffs’. I spent days photographing these children, schoolchildren at the circus school, happy to give demonstrations under the stern eye of their trainer. © Myriam Aadli

“MahaKumbh - World’s Largest Gathering - Prayagra, India, 2025
A once-in-144 years phenomenon. Ash-smeared Hindu holy men (Naga Sadhus) charged into India’s most sacred river Ganges at dawn on the first most significant bathing day of the Kumbh Mela festival. Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest peaceful gathering, draws millions of pilgrims who bathe in sacred rivers seeking to purify themselves from sins and attain spiritual liberation. The Maha Kumbh Mela is deeply embedded in Hindu mythology and represents one of the most significant gatherings of faith in the world. The Mahakumbh Mela 2025 concluded on February 26th, 2025, marking the end of a 45-day event that drew over 600 million visitors, making it the world’s largest human gathering. © Savadmon Avalachamveettil

“Chinland” - Chin State, Myanmar
March 31, 2023, Chin State, Myanmar. A young Chin resistant, a Christian ethnic group fighting the junta in the west of Myanmar, hides in the bushes as a Burmese military convoy passes nearby. The guerrilla tactics are proving effective in the mountains of Chin State -also called Chinland by the local population. Since the coup on February 1, 2021, which saw the military junta overthrow the government of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has been plunged into chaos. A civil war is raging across almost the entire country, pitting the junta against a myriad of armed groups created or strengthened in response to the coup. In Chinland, Chin State, isolated in the mountains in the west of the country, near India, is a symbol of this resistance. It was one of the first regions to rise up. The ethnic group living in this land, the Chin, are mostly Protestant Christians and have been persecuted by successive military governments. The current junta has made no exception. Massacres, war crimes, destruction of villages and churches: in Chinland, the land of the Chin, the Buddhist junta has shown the extent of its cruelty in this war that has left thousands of civilian casualties across the country. These unpunished atrocities have, for more than three years, pushed the Chin youth to join one of the many fighting organizations formed in the state, including the Chin National Army (CNA), which now includes nearly 3,000 fighters. In Camp Victoria, their original stronghold, hundreds of young soldiers, some as young as fifteen, gather to learn how to handle weapons and participate in the revolution. Here, they fight for the return of democracy, and the establishment of a federal state – which means autonomy for their ethnic group – but also for their future. Today, the various Chin groups control nearly all the rural areas of the State— around 80% of the territory — with the support of the local population. © Robin Tutenges

“Painting Made by Dusk and Lanterns” - Inle Lake, Myanmar 2025
Fishermen on Inle Lake are trading the fish they caught today as the sun sets. It is a scene that shows the joy of a large harvest, the joy at the end of a long day, and the price they pay for their tiring lives. The lights and lanterns make them the main characters of life, and their laughter gives this scene a happy ending. © Woo Jung Choi

“Guardians of the Sky: The Last Eagle Hunters of Kyrgyzstan”
Among the snow-covered mountains of Kyrgyzstan, eagle hunting is a tradition at risk of disappearing. For centuries, hunters have raised and trained these majestic birds of prey, forging a bond built on trust and respect. These images capture the intensity of that connection: the eagle diving onto its prey, the hunter welcoming it back, and the rugged landscape that serves as the backdrop to this ancient practice. The traditional clothing, the cold biting at the skin, the focused gaze of the falconer, and the raw power of the bird all evoke a story of resilience and heritage. In a rapidly changing world, these last eagle hunters fight to keep their legacy alive, passing it down to new generations before it fades into history. January 2025 © Eleonora Costi