Matthieu Rivart Photography

Does anything embody the African bush experience more than a giraffe in the sunset light?
I don’t often post photos of giraffes, as I find it difficult to get a proper shot of them.
I guess their silhouette and their unusual shape are difficult to fit in a frame.
So when I saw that giraffe wandering in the sunset light, among the beautiful vegetation, I knew I finally had an opportunity to capture their beauty in their environment.
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May the next generation be able to witness those natural wonders 🦏🦏🦏🌅
Did you ever have the privilege to see rhinos in the wild?
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“If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa”
Hemingway
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A male Lion posing in the sunrise light.
Can it get any better?
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If something can ever give you goosebumps, it is a Lion walking straight towards you.
At that moment, nothing else exists in your mind but keeping your eyes into the lion’s eyes

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Another magical moment spent by Lion cubs.

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Trying to catch the smell of the pride in the morning breeze.

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I’m sure we all missed a few lions lately 😉🦁
So it is time to share the latest sightings I’ve had over those last weeks.
I’ve really been spoiled with magical moments spent by Lion cubs.

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Portrait of a sadhu. Varanasi.
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Young girl from the Himba culture, north-west Namibia.
I’ve spent weeks in multiple Himba village, in the remote region of Kaokoland in Namibia.
However it is the only time I saw such an unique hairdress.
Jewels worn by the Himbas are always amazing to see.

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Akha woman, from north Laos
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Young Karo woman from the Omo valley, in South-West Ethiopia.
Karo people are famous for their face paintings, which make them one of the most iconic indigenous cultures.
Would you spend several weeks in the remote region they live in?

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South-East Ethiopia: Mursi woman wearing an impressive lip plate.
When they are young, women get their lip pierced and as they grow old they wear bigger and bigger plates.
Mursi people believe that the bigger the plate the more beautiful the woman is.

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Kaputt
Summer 2012, north 🇻🇳
I was walking with a friend in the region of Dien Bien Phu, where a famous battle took place between Vietnamese and French armies in 1954.
We were crossing remote areas and villages.
In one of them, we came across an old man, still wearing the wounds of a soldier life.
I got closer and he nodded I could make a portrait. When he heard we were speaking French, he started crying. He told us it was the first time he could hear French language since he fought at the battle.
Since then, he was wearing everyday his uniform.
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The little girl of Ilha de Mocambique.
She was so happy to see her portrait.
I was so close one can actually see my reflection in her eyes!

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Jewels and hairdress play an important role in Himba culture (north Namibia), as they reflect the status of the person who wears them.
I remember being impressed by this young girl, in a remote village I spent the night in the middle of the desert.
Her hair braids and skin are covered with Otjize (traditional red cosmetics mixture). Like other Himba women, she uses extensions made of goat hair that she sews to her natural hair when she renews the Otjize.
This hair style is showing that she reached puberty and is now a woman. She will keep that hair style throughout her adult life.

Her jewels are made of a mix of plastic bracelets bought at the closest market, of electric wires, and of the traditional seashell.

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One of my favorite photos taken during my trip to the Kayan people, in central Myanmar.
It shows everything that makes their traditional outfit recognizable at first sight: the famous brass ring around the neck, the white shirt and the cloth on the head.
The old gun, still used to hunt, was in my mind the symbol of their fight to preserve their culture despite persecution.
Many Kayan people have fled their country because of violence, most of them heading to Thailand. They are often exploited and abused there to generate profit from tourism.
It was a great pride to meet with some of the few who decided to stay on their lands and to keep their culture alive.
I knew exactly what I wanted to represent when I shot that photo: the tradition through the brass, the fight through the gun, and dusk and vanishing through the dying light.
A great people 🙏🏼

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One of my most unbelievable travel stories and encounters, and I’ve had quite a few…!
When I was younger, I used to spend most of the year abroad, traveling.
Wherever I went, I would always find some time to isolate myself, reflect on the journey, and I would systemically end that time playing “Hotel California” on my phone.
I must have listened to that song in more than 40 countries.
During one my my trips around the Middle-East, I wanted to follow the steps of one of my favorite historic characters: Lawrence of Arabia.
So I headed towards Jordan, hoping to travel from Wadi Rum to Aqaba on a camel, just like Lawrence did with his army a century before.
I met with a local guide who was ready to show me the way through the desert.
We went on that trip together. On our last day in the desert, I climbed a sand dune to enjoy the sunset.
Coming out nowhere, a Bedouin approached me, sat next to me and started smoking his cigarette.
He spoke to me in Arabic but I could not understand a single word.
After a few minutes, he took a small music player out of his desert outfit, and he started playing his little cassette.
I could not believe my ears when “Hot California” started echoing in the desert.
Coincidence? Sign of destiny?
I still wonder today
And every time I hear that song, I can’t help thinking of that encounter in the desert

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I enter the room.
Seated on the floor, the geisha is waiting for me.
After several weeks of correspondence, she finally let me access this mysterious universe, reserved to a circle of happy local few. I hardly dare to capture the moment, as I'm petrified by the unreal presence of this living legend.
I forget the girl with the white powder neck in a blue kimono.
In front of me stands the overwhelming statue of centuries of traditions that these very frail shoulders seem to struggle to wear.

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When traveling through Kashmir and Ladakh (northern India), I came across a little girl who was begging in the streets of a village.
I was captivated by her eyes. For days I would try to make a portrait, but she would always run away, hiding in a dark corner.
On the third day of our hide and seek, I waited for her to come out, which she eventually did. It allowed me to capture her beauty when her face came out in the sunny day. Understanding she lost our little game, she started laughing, and we shared some bread, sitting in the dust.

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What an encounter…!
Close eye contact

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The unique beauty of the African wilderness: you never know what’s around the corner…🦁
I could travel those paths again and again
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I don’t often post photos of giraffes, as I find it difficult to get a proper shot of them.
I guess their silhouette and their unusual shape are difficult to fit in a frame, especially when they stand next to each other.
But that day the angle and light were right, and I managed to take a shot of those 2 beautiful giraffes.
Cherry on the cake: did you notice the oxpecker taking advantage of a free ride and meal on the right giraffe’s head? 🦜

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Meeting the Karo, in south Ethiopia was an incredible experience. Their look is as impressive as scary sometimes.
At night I would spend time by the fire, and it would never take long before the kids come to join me.
Looking back at the picture, I still struggle to realise I was there.

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Since I was a child, I've always been fascinated by Zulu culture and history.
When I first moved to South Africa, I headed towards Isandlwana village, where the Zulus defeated an invading British army in 1879.
I regularly go back to this region, where I love capturing the beauty of the villages and of their inhabitants. Enjoying sunrise while walking through Isandlwana fields is one of my favorite experiences in Africa.

During my last stay in the region, I got invited to spend the evening with a group of Zulus who keep their traditions alive.
In the light of the fire, and surrounded by the descendants of the mighty warriors, I could feel the touch of the legend.

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I cannot help thinking of this last shot in a small Himba village, north of Namibia.
I spent the last night making photos of the village surrounded by the desert. Himba people were already sleeping, except a dozen of kids that were following me and were excited to see my photos of African night sky.
We were having great fun until I noticed a last fire still burning in the village. I decided to head towards it, followed by my noisy little troop.
When getting closer I recognised Makupuaere, a young girl, sitting by the fire in a resting position. I tried my best to explain to the kids to keep quiet, as I wanted to make a photo of the girl without her noticing we were there, otherwise she would move and leave her natural position.
Surprisingly they all understood, so we walked silently on our tiptoes.
When I was close enough, I took a photo of her. The sound of the shutter echoed in the silent night. But Makupuaere did not move. She was sleeping.

I was suddenly facing the true reality of Himba life.
Makupuaere spent the whole day dancing, laughing and teasing me. But the only thing I could now witness were the tough living conditions she was facing. Finding food and water was a daily concern.
The magic atmosphere of the day vanished, and I had the feeling that my little followers were sharing the same feeling. The babies started to cry. They were probably the only ones who would show their feelings.

That day Makupuaere was young.
She was so beautiful.
But at night her mind was wandering in the dark.

Under the African sky, our small group was witnessing it in silence.
It's always been very difficult for me to leave traditional villages, especially my beloved Himba ones.
But this last sighting in the silent night made it even harder.

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Another magic moment from the bush!
It’s always the same thrill
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Male cheetahs usually live and hunt in groups called coalitions.
They are quite difficult to spot as they are smaller than the other big cats (lions and leopards) and their population has declined drastically over the last decades.
Always a blessing to get close to cheetahs in the wild.
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I guess we all missed some nice sightings of our favorite African cats!
So happy to be back with some new surprises and stories!
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So glad to be back in the bush!
And to share those experiences again!
A lot to come 😉 Stay tuned
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