Ben Wilhelmi

B/W portraits on films, in the bush, Tanzania

 

Sieving some analog black and white through my archives...before digital times. it had its perks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B/W film photography, Masai people.

 

 

One of my little privileges of living in Africa is having the time...well I am obviously still a bit obnoxious about it but I have some free time nevertheless and opportunities, like bringing vintage cameras to remote areas, here around lake Natron with a magnificent 1961 Rolleiflex allowing 12 shots per medium format film roll, very old fashioned.

Why...? Because l can? Because l couldn't afford such an expensive camera 20 or more years ago. And well it is just about driving a venerable car or listening to a LP...

 

Aerials over lake Natron, Tanzania, analog pictures

 

 

Lake Natron is a magnificent salt lake in the Rift valley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shot on a vintage camera, a 1961 medium format Rolleiflex camera and chrome films.

Scenes in the bush, northern Tanzania

 

 

When there are no official public transport...

 

Hard work for this woman.

 

Notice how nobody stepped out to lighten the car...

 

 

This Masai lady uses an umbrella obviously not from the rain nowhere to be seen but from the scorching sun. Temperatures can come close to 50C at the bottom of the Rift valley.

 

A dust storm or dust devil passing by. Pretty harmless except for a slow and low flying plane. Very common near the equator.

 

 

Kids are the same everywhere!

 

Kids are the happiest in the rain season which only lasts a couple of months.

Aerial photography, Tanzania

This big country is a marvel for a pastime like aerial aerography...

 

Delta on the northern part of lake Natron, where salts mix with fresh water from a river coming from Kenya, Southern Ewaso Ng'iro, Rift valley.

 

Low pass to greet a Maasai walker.

Minimal art?

 

One of those airstrips in Tanzania, along lake Natron, not too far from the volcano Lengai.

A non-perennial lake at the foot of mount Kitumbeine received unusual visitors.

I enjoy looking for various subjects of total different composure,colors and style like this psychedelic spiral of salt in lake Natron...

Versus this same lake natron, another day and welcoming flamingoes slightly disturbed by my approach to land nearby

Masai portraits in the Tanzanian outback

A selection of masai people in various stage of their lives...

 

The married man.

 

Young woman.

 

Young boy freshly circumsized and in the impure healing period. It shows by his black cloak, his feathers at an early stage around his head, and the white make up.

 

same period for these 2 teens but they belong to another clan and are more sober in display.

 

And for girls, the fashion also shows their new status, here are 2 girls from 2 different clans . The black cloaks and the white beads are the main markers.

 

 

Another married man. Where did he pick his vintage 70's hat?

 

A young girl who has not been through the ear extension process.

 

A married woman in full traditional gear, included the extended ears.

 

 

Bush portraits in Tanzania

One of my jobs in northern Tanzania allowed me to meddle in the very remote areas where foreign visitors or workers were rare, like these pictures around lake Natron or Sonjo valley many eyars ago. I gave my models, usually Maasai but along Sonjo a lesser know tribe, proper prints never money. I didn't want to spoil the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerials of lake Natron, Tanzania

A stunnig salt lake in the Rift valley, northern Tanzania. It used to be said most inhospitable yet it is opening to tourism. Let's not open the debate but I feel privileged I usd to visit and overfly this place for many years when visitors were rare.

 

Because the lake is shallow, a little or big rain and a variable wind will give a new coat on a regular basis. This explains why in the 6 years l flew there a coupla times a month l never got bored!

 

 

This red pattern tends to be the most common one.

 

Ph is over 10, wildlife in the lake is limited to flamingoes but on the outskirt there is a bit of normal life, including fish and some mammals.

 

 

 

This zebra and birds are keeping their feet safe on a river delta.

 

Some days, it looks like the lake is mourning...

 

Caught in the dust.

 

 

Aerial photography, Tanzania

Tanzania is such a big country gifted with many beautiful landscapes. Not only that, those landscapes vary tremendously come the rain seasons.

 

Salt lakes are perfect examples of ever changing colors and patterns. Here is a detail of lake Eyasi.

I guess pelicans visiting Tanzania.

 

The Ruaha river after the rain season.

 

The famous wildebeest migration near the Mara river, here on the Serengeti side.

 

Lake Natron, another salt lake.

 

The Rufiji river in the Selous reserve.

 

Lake Natron again.

 

A typical homestead like millions in the country.

 

Tarangire national park. Quite famous for its elephants.

 

Lake balangida, a lesser known salt lake. Those white dots are salt extraction activities. I would guess operated by local people only.

Some portraits in the bush, Tanzania

 

Rift valley, northern Tanzania. The area stays remote, for now, and a lot of photographic opportunities present themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old pictures with Flying Medical Service

I'm faffing around through my old pictures from 1999, the year I arrived in Africa, here in Tanzania.

 

One of my first proud Masai warriors posing for me. Impressive guys for a newbie. Greater Serengeti.

 

A village in western Tanzania, Kasulu.

My colleague Steve on take off, Olpirikata, Sanjan plains.

The stunning lake Natron, I couldn't Believe such a marvelous and stunning place could exist. Rift Valley.

Teenagers are the same everywhere.

A Flying Medical Service Cessna 206 on landing.

Me on my first time in the bush, Olaika, Greater Serengeti.

FMS has a knack for the craziest and or most beautiful places to land and operate. Olorbelin, lake Natron, Kenyan border.

My second emergency! This man had been dragged into a brawl with cow thieves. An Arrow landed through his forehead to his lower jaws. He sufefred a momentary speech impediment but sadly lost one eye. I had been in Tanzania for 2 weeks ...

 

Landing with a strong crosswind, Ngaresero, Bottom of the Rift Valley. The mountain is the active volcano Lengai. Another stunning place to operate into.

I was using a great SLR film camera, a Minolta X700 which I still use once in a while.

Aerials, Tanzanie

 

one of the wonders in Tanzanie, the active volcano Lengai. And in the foreground lies the crater Empakai.

 

Artistic sandbanks on the Luwegu river, Selous reserve.

 

Bush fires spread slowly and rarely kill trees. That black surface will turn green at the first drops of rain.

 

Housing on the Indian ocean beaches.

 

Drying lake in the Selous.

 

Off Mafia island during low tide, 2 different views.

 

Siwandu airstrip, Selous.

 

Low tide around Pemba island. Notice the under channel.

Scenes in the bush, Tanzania

 

 

Maasai girl plastering the hut with mud.

 

 

 

Laundry time, lake Natron, Rift valley.

 

Maasai warriors greeting 2 elders.

 

Maasai women gathering.

 

Fishermen spreading sardines to fry out in the sun, lake Tanganyika.

 

Lake Natron fly-over in 10 min

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Natron, Tanzania, aerials over the years

 

OK OK I’m just a little bit biased over that stunning salt lake located in the Rift valley.

 

 

The salts offer all the rainbow palette but green. About shapes, well there is quite some diversity as well.

 

 

Just to add a little touch and leave nothing to the other lakes, natron is surrounded by an extinct volcano, Shombole on the Kenyan border, and an active volcano, Lengai to the south.

 

 

Another big touch is the presence of flamingoes. Not an exception in the various lakes of the Rift valley but Natron is the only breeding place for them in Africa!

 

 

Lake Natron, Aerials

 

Enjoy the salt patterns and incredible colors of that natural masterpiece

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Eyasi, aerials

 

Lake Eyasi is a small salt lake south of Ngorongoro which has its moment of glory here and there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerials, lake Natron, Tanzania

 

 

Though the Natron is a salt lake, there is wildlife on its shores.

 

And a few villages too. I have no idea what those Maasai kids are doing on that boiling hot pan of salt.

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Natron, aerial photography, 10 min

 

Yes there are 10 min between the first and the last picture. This salt lake in the Rift Valley is a permanent surprise, ever changing.

 

 

 

 

 

lake Natron, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

B/W aerials, lake Natron

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Natron, Tanzania, aerials

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Natron, B/W aerial photography

 

 

Lake Natron is a little marvel that lies in the Rift valley in northern Tanzania. Those patterns are created by salts.

 

 

 

Aerial shots, lake Natron

 I miss Tanzania... in term of landscapes South Sudan has nothing to offer in comparison...

 

There is that stunning salt lake in the Rift valley, Tanzania. I can’t remember flying over once and thinking “not even worth one picture today”. There is always something to marvel at. The temperature is 40C in average, so to see kids running on the boiling crust was quite a surprise.

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures were shot the same day! It gives an idea of the diversity of that incredible lake. Unfortunately, this wonder is at risk: short sighted people have decided to build a soda factory there against a tremendous amount of negative reports…

lake Natron, aerial art photography

Lake Natron, aerials in B/W

 

This salt lake is located in Tanzania in the Rift. Here are some vertical shots of the salt patterns.

 

 

 

 

Lake Natron, B/W aerials

 

Rift valley, northern Tanzania.

 

 

 

Lake Natron, aerial shots

 

Located in the Rift valley, northern Tanzania.

 

 

 

 

 

aerial photography, lake Natron, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerials, lake Natron, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Natron, B/W photography

 

Natron is a salt lake which explains the LSD type patterns.

 

 

A delta on the northern side provides fresh water. But the salty environment will dilute that fresh water very quickly.

These 3 Maasai warriors know that feat and exactly where to cross. Somewhere else the skin would get burnt. The pH can reach 10.

 

lake Natron, aerial photography

 

a wonderful salt lake in the Rift Valley. One of many along the Rift.

 

 

 

 

 

 

volcano Lengai, photography

 

 

 

 

 

the whole area is peppered by craters of various sizes.

 

seen from lake Natron. The red foreground is lake Natron’s signature, salts, carbonates, alga …

 

lake Natron, aerial pictures

 

volcano Shombole, one of the few mountains around the shoreline.

 

a delta drying, salts are creeping up.

 

I should crop this one and call it Saturn rings. the receding waters clearly leave marks. it can be so hot that my feet through the soles have been nearly painful because of the boiling sands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

and flamingos…, this lake is the only breeding place in Africa. Kenya has plan for a dam on the only river feeding Natron, whereas the Tanzanian gvt, always on the prowl to wreck its treasures wants to reopen plans to build a soda factory on the lake. It happened in lake Magadi next door in Kenya. The flamingos haven’t bred there since 1962, and even so it was an emergency attempt that failed miserably...

aerials shots, lake Natron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

aerial photography, lake Natron, Rift Valley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lake Natron, some aerial pictures

 

zebras around a dead young one…

 

 

 

 

 

this pattern was really new and original to me…happy day!

 

 

 

aerial views on slide films, Rolleiflex, lake Natron

 

usually I use Fuji Velvia slide films. One of the best films available after the Kodachrome, the latter was killed by Kodak some years ago (those punks deserve their bankruptcy I’d like say if only the managers were affected...) and the Velvia is soon to be off the shelves, say the rumors… sad news.

 

 

 

 

lake Natron, aerial photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volcano Lengai, Tanzania

 

 

this active volcano lies in the Rift Valley, northern Tanzania. This picture was shot from the air overhead lake Natron.

 

 

 

seen from an airstrip on the other side of lake Natron, 70km away.

 

 

 

view of the bottom.