The five places that made me: Palani Mohan

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This was published 7 years ago

The five places that made me: Palani Mohan

By Julietta Jameson
Palani Mohan.

Palani Mohan.

MACQUARIE ISLAND

I was in my early 20s when one day the Sydney Morning Herald news editor asked if I wanted to go on a "little boat ride". Macquarie Island, in the far, south-west Pacific Ocean, is one of the most remote places on Earth. It's a lush, green island covered in clouds where wandering albatross, sea lions and four million penguins rule. I'd never been anywhere so isolated, and it had an enormous impact on me, as I spent days talking with some of Australia's brightest scientific minds. It's the place where I fell in love with nature, and also where I first heard the term "global warming".

FAR WESTERN MONGOLIA

In 2012 I started to document the last remaining men in this region who hunt wolves and red fox using their golden eagles. It would consume almost four years of my life and also teach me the importance of keeping a tradition alive. Living with these men and their families I learned first-hand about the incredible bond they have with these birds, and with the mountains that surround them in this brutally cold and remote place.

SOMALIA

In 1991 I was sent to cover the civil war in Somalia. I was a young man and it was the first time I had witnessed death close up. It was violent and senseless.

I saw young children die in front of me, and their faces remain with me to this day. So too do the sights and smells of the streets where many others lay dead. At the same time, I saw amazing acts of kindness from Somalis who had also suffered enormously but selflessly went out to help their people, often putting themselves in danger. Somalia was a beautiful, harsh land and it taught me that we humans are capable of great evil, but also of equally great kindness.

INDIA

India is the place of my birth. I travel to India many times a year and each time I think I experience it differently. I'm not an overly religious person but in India, no matter where you are, it gives a greater sense of self, and makes me appreciate all the good I have in my life. It also provides me with a much-needed injection of spirituality, which keeps me grounded. It makes me think and question – two things I really want my young children to do as they navigate their path through life.

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HONG KONG

My first proper home. From the very first moment I set foot in this city in the late 1990s I felt its enormous energy. It's a place where ideas flow easily, and where it's very easy to burn the candle at both ends. It's also one of the most dramatically visual cities in the world, and that keeps me energised and inspired, and always looking to build the next project.

Indian born, Australian-raised photographer Palani Mohan's work has been widely published. He is the author of five books, the latest being Hunting with Eagles: In the realm of the Mongolian Kazakhs – a photographic book with an introductory essay. His work is part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London and has been shown internationally while receiving many awards. Mohan will lead Abercrombie & Kent's Hosted Small Group Journeys to Ladakh​ in June 2017 and Mongolia in October 2017. See abercrombiekent.com.au.

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