“The Shepherd” by Photographer Maurizio Rampa

A meditation on the life of the shepherd by Italian photographer Maurizio Rampa. Rampa travels the world, attempting to capture the experience of living life at another pace and rhythm. “The Shepherd” is just one section from a larger project called Postcards from Nowhere—a travel journal in which Rampa poses himself questions and contemplates anything new or unpredictable that life on the road has thrown at him. In this case, Rampa encountered the shepherd while living in Armenia. Traveling in the region of Alagyaz, Rampa found himself drawn to their ritualistic and nomadic lifestyle, as well as their bond with nature and the animals they tend to. A reminder of what life was like before the advent of our modern world.

“I watch the shepherd marching on, leaving the settlements far behind. I watch the herd merge with the landscape. I tell myself that it takes courage to live such a life. The shepherd leads and the sheep follow, they trust only him. As I watch them I wonder who leads the shepherd: in whom does he place his trust?”