Guy Needham's latest article about voluntourism in Ethiopia is the cover story of the New Zealand Herald's travel section. < Back Here to Help 19 Jan 2016 Guy Needham's latest article about voluntourism in Ethiopia is the cover story of the New Zealand Herald's travel section. Covering his adventures working with Big Beyond, an NGO working out of the Lower Valley of the Omo, the article follows his time with the Hamar tribe. < Previous Next >

La Mercè, an image taken for a New Zealand Herald article, has been selected for Praxis Gallery's International Juried Photography Exhibition. < Back La Mercè selected for US exhibition 13 Sept 2021 La Mercè, an image taken for a New Zealand Herald article, has been selected for Praxis Gallery's International Juried Photography Exhibition. Taken during Barcelona's Correfoc de la Mercè, the photo celebrates the heady mix of street theatre, dance and pyrotechnics on Via Laietana. La Mercè will be on display at the 'After Dark' exhibition from October 16 in the city of Minneapolis. < Previous Next >

The UK Portrait Salon has accepted ‘Goroka’ by Guy Needham, into the 2015 exhibition to be held in London in November. < Back Goroka selected for UK Portrait Salon 21 Oct 2015 The UK Portrait Salon has accepted ‘Goroka’ by Guy Needham, into the 2015 exhibition to be held in London in November. The photo of a young boy preparing for a traditional ceremony, taken in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, will join others on the wall of The Embassy Tea Gallery from November 19th as a part of a salon style exhibition. < Previous Next >

Fieldfare - a print journal celebrating our connection to place with a longer, slower read - recently published its favourite reader travel photos on Substack. Mine was one of them... < Back Thinking clouds 9 Jul 2025 Fieldfare - a print journal celebrating our connection to place with a longer, slower read - recently published its favourite reader travel photos on Substack. Mine was one of them... “Southwestern Angola, 2 weeks ago. I was staying in the small town of Oncocua and walking to a nearby village. I love the colour palette of the land, building and sky, with the dog just wandering past. The building looking like it has ‘thinking clouds’ appeals to my sense of humour”. You can see the whole gallery here . < Previous Next >

A pencil case, keeper of memories and three-way pens, lives in that no-mans-land of utilitarian nostalga and scholastic glory. In Lisbon, a city known for its leatherwork, a pencil case is much more than a convenient carrier; it’s a culmination of artisanal training, pre-cut patterns and naked flame. < Back The making of a pencil case Substack 11 Oct 2025 A pencil case, keeper of memories and three-way pens, lives in that no-mans-land of utilitarian nostalga and scholastic glory. In Lisbon, a city known for its leatherwork, a pencil case is much more than a convenient carrier; it’s a culmination of artisanal training, pre-cut patterns and naked flame. Half-way up the cobblestoned Rua Arco de Graca, behind the fresh façade of Di Zocco sits Leonardo di Croce, bent over his vintage Pfaff sewing machine, heel-toe technique on full display as the needle pumps furiously. An Argentine native who began leathercrafting with his brother in Buenos Aires, di Croce loosely follows in the footsteps of his cobbler grandfather and leathersmith uncle. Now plying his trade in Portugal, his unfussy shop-cum-studio welcomes visitors with purposely placed samples lining wooden shelves. Out the back, an old fan unevenly oscillates, wafting the soft, homely aroma emanating from a mélange of offcuts. Choosing a piece of leather, di Croce tugs at it tenderly to check for blemishes. Taking a blade to the Portuguese cow hide he traces around a well-worn pattern, carefully pushing against the metal workbench. The outline for the pencil case is deceptively simple – two shapes – versus the more complex ‘Jimmy’ messenger or ‘Sam’ backpack (each bag is named after its first customer). He precisely threads the leather through a thinning skiver, pushing out a smooth bevelled edge on the other side. Transferring glue from large jar to small, he fastidously wipes his hands on his denim apron, before patting down the adhesive using a fine brush. There are no plastic caps or excessive cloth inserts here; Di Croce follows a maxim passed on by another old hand, ‘If it is leather, show the leather.’ Concentration on his face, tongue between his lips, he expertly guides the Gutermann polyester thread along the zip line. Cigarette lighter and micro scissors in hand, di Croce snips and sears off the final loose threads before turning it all inside out. A smooth, rich dark brown, hand-crafted pencil case is revealed, ready to sit on the shelf and be named after the next customer. < Previous Next >

On RNZ National Guy Needham joins Colin Peacock to discuss his work and the intimate portraits he created of the Samburu tribe in northern Kenya. < Back The Samburu on RNZ National 3 Oct 2020 On RNZ National Guy Needham joins Colin Peacock to discuss his work and the intimate portraits he created of the Samburu tribe in northern Kenya. The interview covers off everything from photographing indigenous peoples to some of the unique rituals he has observed to the planning that goes into getting to extremely hard-to-reach peoples. The Samburu of Kenya exhibition is part of Auckland Artwork 2020 and the interview can be heard here . < Previous Next >

The Hamar of Ethiopia opened last night in Auckland with Guy Needham sharing stories about Ethiopia and talking about the concept behind the exhibition. < Back The Hamar opens in Auckland 5 Aug 2016 The Hamar of Ethiopia opened last night in Auckland with Guy Needham sharing stories about Ethiopia and talking about the concept behind the exhibition. The opening was also covered by D-Photo magazine who reviewed it online < Previous Next >

“38!!” laughed Alison, when I asked her the population of Ngawi, the small fishing village we’d just set out from. We were aboard the fishing vessel Elan skippered by her husband Andrew, who had generously agreed to take me for ‘a spin around the point’. < Back Palliser and Pinnacles New Zealand Herald 22 Mar 2022 “38!!” laughed Alison, when I asked her the population of Ngawi, the small fishing village we’d just set out from. We were aboard the fishing vessel Elan skippered by her husband Andrew, who had generously agreed to take me for ‘a spin around the point’. ‘The point’ was Cape Palliser, the southernmost tip of the North Island, which at 41°37’ South is further down the map than Blenheim and Nelson. Just an hour and a half from Wellington, I’d decided to make the most of a weekend of cancelled concerts (thanks Covid) and explore Southern Wairarapa. Ngawi, the nearest township to Cape Palliser, is known for two things: crayfish and bulldozers. Not natural bedfellows you may think, but the steep incline down to the ocean has led to innovation. Bulldozers line up on the shingle beach with custom-built trailers carrying their boats which are then reversed into the sea. Andrew is one of Ngawi’s eight commercial fisherman, catching crays for live export while keeping the fishery sustainable. As the boat rounded the cape and we watched Fluttering Shearwaters feeding on a school of kahawai, Andrew turned and pointed, “There!” A pod of playful dolphins cut across our bow on their own little mission to the bay. Beyond their splashes lay the misty headlands, sea spray drizzling the glistening hills under the morning Sun. The Caterpillar high track was waiting for us when we came in. It took skill to steer a fishing vessel straight into the middle of a semi-submerged trailer, but Andrew did it without a second glance. After saying our farewells we wandered off; New Zealand’s only red and white striped lighthouse beckoned us. Ngawi, the nearest township to Cape Palliser, is known for two things: crayfish and bulldozers. First lit in 1897 the Cape Palliser Lighthouse today is unmanned and automated, standing sentry over a foreshore that has claimed scores of ships and dozens of lives. “Right, let’s do this”, said my partner as I eyed up the Led Zeppelin-esque stairway. 7 minutes and 250-odd steps later we were next to the giant cast iron lamp. Its double white flash started beaming not long before we were treated to an ethereal light show as the most fiery of sunsets painted the Kaikouras pink. The following day we were off to visit another landmark, the Putangirua Pinnacles. Thousands of years old, Lord of the Rings fans will recognise them as the backdrop for the Dimholt Road. While they’re not ‘You Shall Not Pass’ territory, you will need a decent pair of shoes to do the 1½ hour walk across an irregularly marked trail of loose rocks, shingle, riverbed and scrub. Standing in the gorge of these badlands (an actual geological name) it’s hard not to be mesmerised by the light clay hoodoos (another actual geological name) throwing long shadows down the valley. The Pinnacles are popular with day trippers and campers alike; in fact, the whole of Palliser Bay is dotted with campervans, converted buses, house trailers and tents. ‘Those who know’ make the most of the freedom camping, surf casting and left hand point break. The ability to just pitch up is ideal for an overnight stay, especially since it’s not easy to find accommodation for a single night as most places require a two night minimum. Many of those campers had followed the same journey we had: leaving Wellington on State Highway 2, crossing the Remutaka Range, before sliding into Featherston. Often ignored on the way to bigger towns, it’s worth stopping in Featherston for C’est Cheese alone - an award-winning cheesemonger (with their own brewery!) who have such treats as Blue Monkey and Chilli Cheddar. Through the window you can see cheeses being made, and samples are there for the tasting. For me though the highlight was the shop next door, a collection of “oddities & delights, art & bibelots” housed in the quirky Mr Feather’s Den. Featuring everything from local crafts to mid-century furniture to taxidermy, it was the surprise find of the weekend. Onward to Pirinoa (and the last petrol pumps before Cape Palliser), we came across an Aladdin’s Cave in the form of The Land Girl which opens up to be a fully-fledged clothing, upholstery and gift store. To find that they do good coffees in this former blacksmith’s shop was a godsend. Don’t tell anyone, but the freshly toasted pulled beef sandwich is by far the best I have tasted in a long time. Once you hit the rugged coastline the scenery is so spectacular that it’s hard to keep your eyes on the road – but believe me, you need to. Beyond the curved one-land bridges, river fords, cliff hugging lanes and road cones separating you from the sea, lies a ‘sealed’ road of a different kind. Cape Palliser is home to New Zealand’s largest fur seal colony and they’re not afraid to wander into your path. The best place to see them in their natural habitat is Matakitaki-a-kupe Reserve, sharing the Māori name for Cape Palliser meaning “The gazing place of Kupe”. Now it was shiny, wet, googly eyes that were gazing – seal pups only a few months old taking a break from a wave swept rock pond. Now it was shiny, wet, googly eyes that were gazing – seal pups only a few months old Conscious of not wanting to get between the sucklings and their protective mothers we didn’t venture too close, but sure enough, the inquisitive ones bounced and flipped towards us. Too cute to look away from, we spent a good couple of hours watching the seals roll, flop, hide and bark, honk and grunt the afternoon away. It was getting late and time to head back to Ngawi where we had a hankering for some of the local cuisine. It was hard to go past Captain’s Table, Ngawi’s original food caravan. “What’s good” I asked the kid serving, whose head barely reached over the top of the counter. “Fish ‘n’ Chips!” came a slightly familiar voice. Alison beamed out from behind the fryer – it was only fitting that we ended the day with one of the 38 locals. Details Getting there: Self-drive from Wellington 1.5 hour See: Cape Palliser lighthouse, fur seal colony, Ngawi, Putangirua Pinnacles Eat: Captain’s Table, The Land Girl Stay: Freedom camping, local Air B’n’B, Lake Ferry Hotel Original publication: New Zealand Herald < Previous Next >

If you want to know about drinking goat's blood and tracking lions, pick up a copy of today's New Zealand Herald. < Back Pride of Kenya 11 Dec 2018 If you want to know about drinking goat's blood and tracking lions, pick up a copy of today's New Zealand Herald. The cover article of Travel is my first hand account of journeying into lion country to meet the fearsome Samburu warriors - who are forced to leave home when 12 to fend for themselves. You can read the full article here . < Previous Next >

Guy Needham's People of The Balkans exhibition is having its second showing, this time at the Dalmatian Cultural Society's Open Day in September 2014. < Back Dalmatian Cultural Society's Open Day 1 Jul 2014 Guy Needham's People of The Balkans exhibition is having its second showing, this time at the Dalmatian Cultural Society's Open Day in September 2014. The collection documents a two month journey and the resulting portraits are of a proud people who have gone through much in the last 20 years. < Previous Next >

Hadzabe Girl has taken away 1st Place in the People & Portraits category at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. < Back First Place win in Florida 28 Sept 2019 Hadzabe Girl has taken away 1st Place in the People & Portraits category at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. The image, taken under a rock ledge in Northern Tanzania, shows a young girl, her face covered in dirt except for the clean areas around her mouth. She is one of only 1,500 Hadzabe left in the world, who to this day still speak in clicks. < Previous Next >

I think I'm a nun-magnet. Not in a creepy sort of way, but this isn't the first time a sister has made a beeline for me. "I'm a photographer too," said Josette, seeing my cameras, before going on to share that both Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II had visited here. < Back Sieges, Saints, and Salt Pans Sunday Star-Times 20 Sept 2026 I think I'm a nun-magnet. Not in a creepy sort of way, but this isn't the first time a sister has made a beeline for me. "I'm a photographer too," said Josette, seeing my cameras, before going on to share that both Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II had visited here. ‘Here’ was the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu, an impressive basilica rising from the open countryside, and the most important shrine in Gozo. Gozo, located halfway between North Africa and Europe, is one of three islands that make up Malta – along with the island of Malta (confusingly) and tiny Comino. Smaller and greener than its sister island, Gozo moves at a far more laid-back pace. "Have you visited the Ċitadella yet?" asked Josette, playing both spiritual and physical tour guide. As it happened, I had, walking its honey-coloured ramparts that morning for a sweeping view over Gozo's rolling fields. The Citadel, in the heart of the capital Victoria (known as Ir-Rabat in Maltese) can be seen from nearly everywhere on the island, and I'd been driven there by the man now waiting outside for me: Ian, of 'Gozo Taxi by Ian'. A proud Gozitan, Ian had spent the morning giving me a humourous and insightful tour of the island. Picking me up from The Duke Boutique Hotel, our first stop had been the island's most impressive viewpoint, Xlendi (pron. 'Shlen-dee'). With a 17 th century tower standing sentry over an imposing coastline, the view of the limestone cliffs carved by wind was nothing short of awe-inspiring. When I said to Ian that Xlendi would be hard to beat, he just smiled. Driving to the north of the island, he parked us beside 350-year-old salt pans stretching out next to the sea. Climbing the dozen or so steps to the 'salt store', I was lucky enough to meet a fifth-generation salt harvester, who sold me a bag of crystals her family had scraped up over the summer months. With the salt safely stashed in my bag, we headed back across the island to Dwejra's Inland Sea. Connected to the Mediterranean through a tunnel in the cliffs, you can take a 15-minute boat ride into the open sea for some of the best diving around Gozo. Worth knowing: if you're by yourself, you either have to wait for others to arrive or hire an entire boat yourself (and that wait can be a long one). From there, it was on to our final destination of the day: Gozo's – and perhaps Malta's – finest beach, the crescent-shaped Ramla il-Ħamra. Literally meaning 'red-sanded beach’, Ramla is refreshingly free of crowds, and families were making the most of the gentle, warm waters as kids ran around on the rusty red sands. It was a fitting farewell to Gozo. The next morning, I took the 45-minute highspeed ferry to Malta. If Gozo's charm lay in its natural beauty, Malta's lay in something far more dramatic: a history of sieges, knights, and empires. Unfortunately for Malta, geography made it a target. For thousands of years, control of the island meant control of the Mediterranean's sea routes – a prize fought over and claimed by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, Sicilians, French, and British. But it's the Knights of the Order of St John whose presence still defines the island today. Refugees from the Crusades, the knights had been chased from Jerusalem to Rhodes before finally settling in Malta. It was here, in 1565, that they won their greatest victory: 500 knights and 8,000 Maltese held out against 30,000 Ottomans in the Great Siege of Malta. Leading the defence was 70-year-old Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette, after whom the capital, Valletta, is named. As an avid history buff, there was one place in Valletta on my ‘must see’ list: the Grand Master's Palace. Once the official residence of the Knights' Grand Masters, it now houses the Office of the President of Malta, along with an impressive medieval armoury. Walking between rows and rows of elaborate armour, mounted swords, and flintlock muskets, I doubt I closed my mouth once – five centuries of warfare lined the walls on either side. Keen to learn about one more siege I headed to The Malta Experience, an audio-visual history of the country. During World War II, Malta endured more bombing than London did in the Blitz, as Germany and Italy tried to force it into submission. Under siege for two and a half years, the island held out until convoys broke through with vital supplies – earning it the George Cross, Britain's highest civilian honour for bravery, which still flies in the corner of the flag today. Walking the streets back to my hotel, I looked up at the colourful gallariji, the enclosed wooden balconies that I'd first noticed on Gozo. I raised my camera to take a photo, then paused, thinking of Josette – wondering what the nun would be photographing next. Originally published in the Suday Star-Times and The Post < Previous Next >