Home. A place to feel safe. A place to feel loved. A place to be ourselves. Would you agree that such a home is something we are all entitled to? A basic human right.
While there might be a myriad of reasons why someone may not feel safe, loved or able to be themselves, the home in question can take many different shapes and sizes. Be it in a mud hut or a palace, a child growing up being abused will not feel safe, or a young man living in a society where he is forced to deny his homosexuality will not feel free to be himself.
And then there are those that are homeless, some by choice, such as the eternal traveller, but many by the circumstances they find themselves in.
Over the years I visited many different homes from the Palace of Thanjavur in India where I dined with the Raj to the simple mud-brick houses in the family compound of the girl I sponsor in West Africa.
Sometimes when I photograph a home it is the building itself that interests me but that is certainly not always the case. Looking back over my photographs of people’s homes in West Africa (Senegal and The Gambia) they are more about the people in the homes than the homes themselves. It is the people who make a place ‘home’.
Jeddah, Brikama, The Gambia
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Senegalese are so hospitable, there are regions like Kolda for exemple when you can enter practically any house and they will offer you what they have to eat and will do their best to please you. In Senegal we call it terranga. Thank you for the blog, the photos are marvelous.
Thanks for sharing these wonderful, real photos!
Thank you! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed them.
Beautiful, beautiful photos.
The black and white works perfectly.
Thank you so much! What a lovely comment 🙂
Great pics – the cliche home is where the heart is is one for a reason! Where were they taken? (just curious as I was in The Gambia and Senegal myself last year)
Thanks Lynda. Quite a few were taken in Jeddah in Brikama, The Gambia. A couple are from Sine Saloum Delta area in Senegal. The one of two brothers was in Makasutu Forest, The Gambia. The rest were in Kombo area of The Gambia. Where did you visit?
Terrific set of images Kat! I think no.1 and the mother and child are particularly stunning!
Thanks Madhu, glad you enjoyed them (my favourite changes daily! 🙂
These are gorgeous! I want to hop on a plane and go right now! Beautiful!
Thank you so much. I’m back out there next month – can’t wait! Your post on Japanese Street Food sounds interesting. I’ll take a peek when I get the chance!
What an absolutely splendid set of photos. I love the fact that they are in black and white.
Thank you! I usually work in colour but these really lent themselves to black and white.
Lessons in ice-carving!! I’d love a go at that!
Very much enjoyed your post, and couldn’t agree more.
Thanks Lily. Always appreciate people’s comments. Off to check out your blog now. Don’t think I’ve come across it before.
Gorgeous photos, Kat; the expressions on their faces say so much.
Thank you Julie!