Three Wodaabe Girls This shot was taken in 1996 in Northern Niger. These girls were hanging out prior to the annual Wodaabe beauty pageant – the Gerewol festival, which I was fortunate to attend. We were camping with the Wodaabe for 4 or 5 days and so were able to be a part of the event preparation, as well as the event itself. As the Wodaabe are nomadic, the Gerewol takes place somewhere out in the desert, the location of which is disclosed immediately prior to the event. It’s the only beauty pageant in the world that I know of where the men are the contestants and the women are the final judges.

Three Wodaabe Girls This shot was taken in 1996 in Northern Niger. These girls were hanging out prior to the annual Wodaabe beauty pageant – the Gerewol festival, which I was fortunate to attend. We were camping with the Wodaabe for 4 or 5 days and so were able to be a part of the event preparation, as well as the event itself. As the Wodaabe are nomadic, the Gerewol takes place somewhere out in the desert, the location of which is disclosed immediately prior to the event. It’s the only beauty pageant in the world that I know of where the men are the contestants and the women are the final judges.