On May 8, On Empathy invited freelance photographer Paul Gains to share with us his backpacking trip in the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia in late 2017, where he captured moments of encounter with the people, landscapes and wildlife.
On Empathy is in favour of the self-aware architect who looks closely at the ways in which we inhabit our cities and towns. Creators who consciously negotiate the tensions between the external conditions with which they work and their own internal processes. We are interested in the intentional balance of ethics, accountability, and behaviour. And we believe, by gathering, listening, being mindful, and seeking to understand others’ lived experiences, we can model that balance in our own shared community.
A typical scene in Addis Ababa’s Merkato, the largest outdoor market in Africa.
Two farmers harvesting their crop on the road near Gondar, Ethiopia.
Three happy Ethiopian women weaving. The one in the middle joked ‘I think I have found a husband’ when asked to have their picture taken.
Eshete, the armed scout who accompanied him on his four day hike in the Simien Mountains.
Yonas, his experienced Simien Mountains guide.
A pair of adult Gelada Baboons watching backpackers pass by in the Simien Mountains.
A mother Gelada Baboon with her youngster somewhere along the Simien Mountains.
A Gelada Baboon troop heading over the cliffs to spend the night in safety.
A young Walia Ibex (an endangered species) which has been separated from her mother. Without protection there was fear she might not last the night.
A young wail ibex on the cliffs near Chennek in the Simien Mountains.
Two Klipspringers feeding on the cliffs below my vantage point near Chennek.
A nervous adult female Ethiopian Wolf approaching a water hole in the Bale Mountains. The sight of Paul and his guides agitated her. It was only when the others got back in the van that she came down for a drink.
Finally comfortable enough to take a drink.
An adult female Ethiopian Wolf digging for Giant Mole Headed Rats on the Sanetti Plateau in Bale Mountain National Park, southern Ethiopia.
A hippo playing hide and seek with me on Lake Hawassa. Hippos are deadly and this photo was taken from a boat which was constantly revving the driver wary of an attack.
A Lammergeier or Bearded vulture soaring above the Simien Mountains.
Vultures descending upon the carcass of a dead donkey near the Bale Mountains in Southern Ethiopia.
Paul Gains has been an internationally published freelance journalist for more than 25 years. In his work, Paul combined his love for travelling and wildlife photography.
Jonas Chin is a M.Arch candidate at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. He is currently the director of Bridge. His research is directed toward how architecture can facilitate a change in the way we dine
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