Robin Yong: Flowers of Ethiopia | MONOVISIONS - Black & White Photography Magazine

MonoVisions Black & White Photo Contest 2025

The Surma tribe of the Omo Valley, Ethiopia…a place where mankind probably began. The children and teens appear innocent and beautiful, with their ornate body paint work and exotic head decorations made of flowers. The place appears peaceful and untouched, but in reality, life here is harsh with the tribespeople at frequent wars with neighbouring tribes over cattle grazing rights. The line between peace and war is very fine and very blurred. They can be so near to each other, yet at times appear so far from each other.

Robin Yong is a doctor specialising in Travel Medicine. He offers proper travel advice and vaccinations for travellers. During his free time, he travels overseas widely on an average of 18 trips a year. In the past 12 months alone, he has travelled to Austria, Belgium, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canary Islands, Cuba, France, Gibraltar, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Monaco, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Thailand. Still an amateur photographer, he started taking photography more seriously after meeting up with his teacher Jim Zuckerman at a photography workshop in Venice 3 years ago. His forte is talking to the locals and photographing them. He is especially delighted if they are dressed in their national costumes. His favourite subjects include the Venetian Masked models and the tribespeople of the Omo Valley. Recently, he has been inspired by the works of Hollywood photographer, Greg Norman.

‘Flowers of Ethiopia’ was the Black & White Travel Series of the Year 2nd place Winner in the MonoVisions Photography Awards 2017