Mongolian Eagle Hunter — Berkutchi Ceremony
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A Kazakh eagle hunter in the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia in full ceremonial dress — his trained golden eagle on a leather gauntlet, the bird’s 2.2-metre wingspan partially extended in the mountain wind.
Description
The Kazakh berkutchi tradition of eagle hunting in western Mongolia is practiced by fewer than 400 families and constitutes one of the most photogenic human-animal partnerships documented in contemporary ethnographic photography. This image was made during the Golden Eagle Festival at Ölgii — the annual gathering where eagle hunters bring their birds for competition and ceremony — capturing a senior berkutchi in full traditional dress: the fox-fur trimmed hat, the embroidered chapan coat, the thick leather gauntlet. His female golden eagle — females are preferred for their greater size and hunting power — is at partial wing extension in the mountain wind, her amber eyes and 2.2-metre wingspan filling the upper frame. The snow-dusted Altai peaks provide the context behind both figures. Shot on a 85mm prime at f/2 for subject separation from the background.
