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A collection of images from across the world, spanning many countries and continents, bringing the stories of people and cultures to you.

Marios Forsos • Award Winning Travel and Assignment Photography

Marios Forsos Photography

Marios Forsos Portfolio

Travel

Benin

Benin is the birthplace of African voodoo (also known as vodun) and where the Egungun, Gaglie, Agbossou, Zangbeto and many more sects still help, support and protect the local people and provide them with a centre to their daily lives, hopes and fears.

Marios Forsos Photography • Award winning travel and assignment photography

Benin Travel Photography

Ecuador

Marios Forsos Photography Ecuador gallery • The Huaorani (Waorani), Shuar and Cofan tribes of central and northern Ecuador

Marios Forsos Photography • Award-winning travel and assignment photography

Marios Forsos Photography Ecuador gallery

Ecuador Travel Photography

Ethiopia

Few countries are as culturally and religiously diverse as Ethiopia.  From the countless tribes of the Omo Valley in the south to the salt miners of the north and the potential source of all christianity in the middle, Ethiopia has everything for everyone.

Marios Forsos Photography Ethiopia gallery

Ethiopia Travel Photography

Kenya

Marios Forsos Photography Kenya gallery

Mali

A Mali visual travelogue, from the sand-divers of Bamako and the Niger to the tribes of the north and their amazing masks, the driftwood gatherers of the flowing Niger and the quranic schools and mosques of Djenne and the artisans filling this amazing country.

Marios Forsos Photography Mali gallery

Mali Travel Photography

Mongolia

Mongolia is a massively diverse and stunningly beautiful country.  I was fortunate enough to spend a few days with the incredible Kazakh eagle hunters as they prepared for winter.  In their portraits you can see pride, tradition, fierceness and a powerful bond between the hunters and their eagles

Mongolia Travel Photography

Japan

Photos from the land of the rising sun - of incredible tradition, of the samurai, the geisha and of awe inspiring sights at every corner.  It's hard to talk about Japan and not feel, well, less.

Japan Travel Photography

India

It's hard to contain India in a few words.  How do you contain the sadhus of Varanasi or the camel herders of Pushkar, the people of Ladakh and the headhunters of Nagaland and the beauty and resilience of the residents of Dharavi in a few words?  Maybe images can come close?

India Travel Gallery

India Travel Photography

Tanzania

The land of the Maasai, but also home to the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers and the Datoga herders to name but a few.  These images hope to celebrate these amazing peoples, their cultures, customs and traditions.

Tanzania Travel Gallery

Tanzania Travel Photography

Vietnam

From the jungles of the Mekong delta in the south to the incense flowers of the north and, well, the stunning rainbow of colours that is every single place between in this beautiful country with its painful and very interesting history.

Vietnam Travel Gallery

Vietnam Travel Photography

Ivory Coast

The colours, dances, customs and traditions of the Fulani, the Yacouba stilt-walkers, the jongleur girls, the Baoule dancers and the Senufo panther acrobats are only counterbalanced by the Komiane fetish priestesses.  A thousand masks and even more decorations make for an amazing visual mosaic.

Ivory Coast Travel Gallery

Ivory Coast Travel Photography

Egypt

Is Egypt all about its history?  Is it about the pyramids, of Luxor and of 4,000yr old monuments?  Or is it about its people?  I believe it is so I have tried to capture the stories of its people and how they shape the Egypt of today.

Egypt Travel Gallery

Egypt Travel Photography

Russia

Obviously there's no way to truly document such a massive and diverse country and doing that will take decades.  I was however fortunate enough to travel to Siberia and spend a few days with the Nenets.

Russia Travel Gallery

Russia Travel Photography

Myanmar

Few countries have Myanmar's painful - and recently so - history and even fewer which are still writing their still painful one.  And yet it is a really peaceful country populated with kind, gentle people who win your heart the moment you step off the plane.

Myanmar (Burma) Travel Gallery

Myanmar (Burma) Travel Photography

Bangladesh

Bangladesh seems to be everywhere in the photography world these days - and rightly: easily accessible, visually stunning, incredibly varied and overall, very, very beautiful.  It's also one of the few countries where photography is, still, an absolute pleasure.

Bangladesh Travel Gallery

Bangladesh Travel Photography

Sri Lanka

I have always loved Sri Lanka - the weather, the people, the food - an almost perfect place to relax and still have things to see.  I was lucky enough to spend a few days with the last remaining stilt fishermen of the south and the tea pickers of the north and guess what? I can't wait to return.

Sri Lanka Travel Gallery

Sri Lanka Travel Photography

Papua New Guinea

In a country of over 300 distinct dialects and an estimated 90 different tribes covering its incredibly diverse landscape, photography has to be about the people.  And boy do they make an impression.  Shot over the course of the five days of Mt Hagen show in August, these are just some of them.

Papua New Guinea Travel Gallery

Papua New Guinea Travel Photography

Zanzibar

Zanzibar is a true tropical paradise combined with rich history making it a veritable smorgasbord of images and experiences.  It's also a place of stories, both old and new and some of them are here.

Zanzibar Travel Gallery

Zanzibar Travel Photography

Morocco

As with most muslim countries, Morocco hides its complexity underneath layers of near-opaque history and with a veneer of culture and sights.  It's a beautiful country and I absolutely love it and yet it always leaves me wanting more, trying to peek inside...

Morocco Travel Gallery

Morocco Travel Photography

Cuba

For most people Cuba is Castro, Hemingway, rum, dancing and music.  Oh, and classic cars roaming the streets.  For me, it's none of those because, honestly, none of these are the real Cuba.  For me it's about a country - and its people - struggling under the yolk of communism failure

Cuba Travel Gallery

Cuba Travel Photography

Namibia

One of the world's most sparsely-populated countries, Namibia oscillates between deserts, ocean-battered beaches and wildlife.  Filled with incredibly serene vistas and unexpected life, Namibia is home to some of the most resilient people on earth - the Himba.

Namibia Travel Gallery

Namibia Travel Photography

Mexico

When visiting Mexico you have to start from Yucatan - the land of Aztec temples, of crystal clear cenotes and of tequila-makers.  And it is so all that and more.  Mexico is a modern country which lives and breathes its tradition by marrying it to modernity.

Mexico Travel Gallery

Mexico Travel Photography

China

From the mists of the Great Wall at dawn to the terracotta soldiers and the sweeping landscapes of the south, it would take a photographer a lifetime to tell the stories this country hides.  While these images are but a taster, there's a lot more to come very shortly.

China Travel Gallery

China Travel Photography

Nepal

At the Base of the roof of the world lies a small nation filled with warm, colourful, gentle people, fascinating temples and a complex, rich history.

Nepal Travel Gallery

Nepal Travel Photography

Jordan

One cannot but stand in awe in front of Petra - it's so much more than just a monument, it's a true wonder of the world.  And Jordan offers so much more.

Jordan Travel Gallery

Jordan Travel Photography

Indonesia

It's hard to describe a country made up of 100 other, smaller countries, each with its own customs, language and traditions, but that's exactly what Indonesia is and if you're lucky enough to venture beyond the beaches and temples, there's a lot of beauty, colour and passion to be discovered.

Indonesia Travel Gallery

Indonesia Travel Photography

Cambodia

A place ravaged by war, poverty and strife - it's hard to think of Cambodia without your heart constricting with the thought of all this history.

Cambodia Travel Gallery

Cambodia Travel Photography

Turkey

At the crossroads of Europe and Asia - these days Turkey and Istanbul (Constantinople) is still struggling to find its identity between antiquity, history and modernity - and it's proving a much harder task than most people would think.

Turkey Travel Gallery

Turkey Travel Photography

Israel

If there is one place in the world where almost all religions meet, that is Israel.  A really strange country, created out of nowhere but with its roots far into antiquity, it's truly faith's crossroads.  Troubled crossroads.

Israel Travel Gallery

Israel Travel Photography

Malawi

One of the poorest countries in the world, home of the spectacular Malawi lake, a place of curious people, of really weird markets, of power cuts but also of a lot of unique and challenging sights.

Malawi Travel Gallery

Malawi Travel Photography

Spain

Marios Forsos Photography Spain The best professional in photography

Spain Travel Gallery

Spain Travel Photography

Iceland

Often called the land of fire and ice, it is certainly that.  Just an hour away from Europe is an island (!!!) constantly changed by erupting volcanoes and shaped by hard and smiling people.

Iceland Travel Gallery

Iceland Travel Photography

Greece

Marios Forsos Photography Greece The best professional in photography

Greece Travel Gallery

Greece Travel Photography

France

Marios Forsos Photography France The best professional in photography

Marios Forsos Photography France page

Thailand

Marios Forsos Thailand The best professional in photography

Marios Forsos Thailand page

Italy

Marios Forsos Photography Italy The best professional in photography

Marios Forsos Photography Italy page

Marios Forsos Photography USA The best professional in photography

Marios Forsos Photography USA page

Marios Forsos Photography Dubai The best professional in photography

Marios Forsos Photography Dubai page

Zambia

Marios Forsos Zambia - Home of Thundering The best professional in photography

Marios Forsos Zambia - Home of Thundering page

A portal to the world through the images from some of the countries I've had the privilege of working in

Marios Forsos Photography • Award Winning Travel and Assignment

Marios Forsos Photography Travel Galleries

Travel Photography Galleries

Stories

Heart of Voodoo I

This is the first part of my story on voodoo today, a brief description of the voodoo ceremony, from consultation to sacrifice to possession and beyond.

The Heart of Voodoo (part I)

Heart of Voodoo II

This is the second part of my story on voodoo today, a brief description of the voodoo ceremony, from consultation to sacrifice to possession and beyond.

The Heart of Voodoo (part II)

The Huaorani of Bameno

The Huaorani (or Waorani) of Bameno, of Amazonia in southern Ecuador have come up with a novel and interesting way of safeguarding their way of life: bring tourism in, on their terms, an show the world why their tribe and culture needs to survive!

On calligraphy ink

The passionate and consulate artisans and masters of Kobaien use techniques, methods and even equipment going back to 400 years to create the world's best sums ink sticks.  It was a rare privilege to be granted access to document this incredible process and share it with the world.

Sensei Okada-san

Meeting a samurai is a one in a lifetime occasion, especially one as old and steeped in tradition as Okada-san.  The chance to photograph Okada-san in full samurai armour inside a Kyoto temple is something most photographers can only dream of.

Sensei Okada-san (also known as Samurai Joe)

Photo Guide to the Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast is - and should be - on every photographer's bucket list.  The tribes and the visual smorgasbord available throughout the country transcends everything.  Yet at the same time, things are not as simple or easy as they sound.  Here are some tips & warnings for the prepared photographer

A photographer's guide to the Ivory Coast

Tribes of the Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast and its tribes are on everyones - photographer or not - bucket list and for a good reason: the incredible visual and experiential mosaic the tribes represent is a feast for the eyes.  However, to make the most of your visit, there are a few things you need to know.

On the Tribes of the Ivory Coast

Dancing in the Slum

The Kibera Ballet school is a truly inspiring place - amidst incredible poverty and truly challenging circumstances, Mike and his team encourage, drive, support and teach children of all ages and backgrounds how to dance ballet.  And seeing the results simply makes your jaw drop!

Shuar and Cofan

While Ecuador is famous for the Galapagos and the Huaorani, there are two tribes who actively shape Ecuador's present and future: the Shuar and the Cofan.  Interesting, visually impressive and steeped in history and tradition, these two tribes deserve our attention.

Ecuador's Shuar and Cofan

Aryans of Ladakh

Whether they are the descendants of Alexander the Great's soldiers or tenuously connected to European settlers, one cannot deny that crossing into the Aryan valley of northern India is like cross into another country.  One well worth visiting!

The Fez Tanneries

One cannot visit Morocco and Fez without stopping for an overlook of the famous Chouara tanneries.  But looking from above and walking among the vats, experiencing the smells and textures, avoiding the waters, is a truly unique, unparalleled experience.

The Chouara tanneries of Fez

Himba of Northern Namibia

In a mostly desert country, one of the most sparsely populated in the world, live the Himba, a tribe more used to living with next to nothing than almost any other.  Pushed to the extinction of their way of life, the Himba who still "wash" using smoke and no water, at struggling to survive.

The Himba of Northern Namibia

Zanzibar Seaweed Farmin

Seaweed farming in Zanzibar has long been one of the few income-generating methods local women have, beyond the restrictions of their muslim traditions.  It offers more than just independence - it offers a way to bond, to escape their daily routines and to ultimately be free.

Zanzibar's seaweed farmers

Bangladesh Brick Factories

There are few sights more impressive that seeing a Bangladesh brick factory from a distance: smoke billowing, yellow-red colours everywhere and countless dust-covered workers constantly moving like worker ants.  It's a feast for the eyes and something no photographer should miss.

Incense Making in Vietnam

Seeing the seas of multi-coloured wood-stick flowers drying in the sun is something almost everyone associates with Vietnam - the producer of more than 70% of the world's incense sticks.  But seeing how they're made is another story and one you need pointers to get right.

Incense-making in Vietnam

Tsukiji Tuna Auction

While it's now gone, replaced by a sleek, modern location, complete with luxury restaurants and comfortable viewing galleries, the 200-year old Tsukiji market was a place of authenticity and life lived at 100 miles an hour.  A tradition lost to progress and safety, it will be missed.