In Photos – A Portrait of The Gambia
Written by Jaillan Yehia
This Islamic school was very happy to see some Western visitors
Of all the places in which I’ve travelled no destination has made me wish harder for the invention of the eyeball-implanted camera as The Gambia. Nearly every street scene, vendor, vehicle, market stall and school child has you reaching excitedly for your lens. Here are a selection of my favourite portraits of the Gambian people I encountered on my travels…
Patouray came up to me at a petrol station and asked for his photo to be taken. He was infectiously cheerful and didn’t speak much English but told our guide that his daughter was married to an Englishman and he was delighted that she had a good life in the UK.
These boys were on their way into the ‘Playstation’ shop to sit indoors playing video games in the dark on a sweltering day. Some human behaviour really is universal!
Officials at Banjul stadium’s Labour Day sporting parade
This is Sophie, she sought me out and asked me to take her picture. She was very quiet but was rocking a truly amazing jumper.
This stall holder shows us the loom on which he hand makes table runners and bags to sell to tourists.
Sitting in The Gods at Banjul stadium under a portrait of the President Yahya Jammeh.
Cookery teacher Ida Cham Njai buys vegetables for today’s dish
Another lovely Gambian lady who beckoned me over to take her portrait. I love how she knows to look off away from the camera, it makes the photo.
Our guide at Kachikally crocodile pond shows us croc teeth necklaces
May Day parade spectators
Just one of the pictures of the excitable class of 3-6 years olds from the Lutheran Church School we visited.
A typical reaction to touting a camera about in The Gambia
Not everyone in The Gambia wants to have their photograph taken however. It’s important to point out that I’ve never been to a place where more people are hostile to photography and cover their faces when they see a camera, so you have to be sensitive to this issue and very aware of where you’re pointing your lens.
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I travelled to The Gambia with specialist tour operator The Gambia Experience, photographing the Banjul, Fajara and Makasutu areas of the country, including the towns of Galloya, Kabuneh and Bafaloto plus Brikama market, and Tanji fish market, staying at Nagala Lodge and Mandina Lodges.
Tags: Africa, Gambia, The Gambia, West Africa
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Sulayman Sanyang Abdul Musawir
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Beautiful..
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Deborah Jones
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I fell in love with The Gambia and the wonderful people. We were made to feel so welcome .
We spent time with a family in their home and I spent some time in a school. I would like to go back to teach there at some point. Your pictures capture the beauty of the country.
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Jaillan Yehia
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Thanks so much for your comment Deborah – the time I spent in the schools and with the kids was really the highlight of my trip, I hope you manage to get back there to teach, I imagine it would be a wonderful and rewarding experience.
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Kathryn Burrington
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Such lovely photographs capturing so many aspects of Gambian life. It all seems a long time ago now!
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BeyondBlighty
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African kids are so photogenic and so eager to have their photos taken. They’re a travel photographer’s dream! I loved sharing my photos with all the locals when I was in Tanzania because they got so excited to see themselves. Great images!
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Roxanne
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Lots of smiles and lots of colour – beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
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Mary E. Trimble
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Great photos! My husband and I lived in The Gambia two years (1979-1981) when we served with the Peace Corps. I’ve written a book about our experiences and I start each chapter with a photo. In the printed book they are in black and white, but the ebook features the pictures in color. My husband made a nice YouTube, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO2qFXiPyTQ&feature=youtu.be http://www.MaryTrimbleBooks.com
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Peter Parkorr
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Some great pictures, and a new look to the site? Fancy, very nice. 🙂
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Hisham Yehia
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Fab photos and as previously mentioned, very colourful.
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Elle Croft
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Amazing photos; they are brimming with colour and life! The Gambia isn’t a destination I’d ever considered…until now!
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Jaillan Yehia
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Brimming with colour is just the right description Elle – there was a riot of colour absolutely everywhere making it a photographer’s dream!
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