Black and white portraits of Africa's nomadic outsiders

At the edges of power — Photographer Winfried Bullinger travelled across the continent for 10 years, capturing the cattle herders and hunters who have been forgotten by society.

In Winfried Bullinger’s new book, At The Edges Of Power, viewers are taken on a journey through Africa’s remote rural regions. Armed with an analogue camera, the photographer shoots the nomads of the continent; capturing cattle herders and hunters who have been marginalised and forgotten by their societies.

The photographs were taken over a 10 year period in Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Central African Republic. Bullinger built up relationships with each of his subjects during this time, returning to shoot their situational changes. His photographs show a side of Africa that is rarely seen by Western society – one that is fraught with tension, armed conflicts, and a rapidly changing climate.

“For my portrait pictures I use daylight, no flash,” Bullinger explains. “The longer exposure time needed for daylight corresponds to my notion of making an image. It influences the picture’s impact.”

“Shadows, even in the faces that are turned toward me, give people their own idiosyncrasies and a sense of mystery. I avoid showing them in any way that is not in accordance with their everyday lives. Especially the dark sections, such as the shaded gazes, have a contextual meaning for me in the portraits. They say something about the daylight, the time of year, and the place where we met. Natural light on the face of a person in a portrait is never the same.”