I want to be famous!


Seeing a camera can be a big deal when you've never seen one before.

Many indigenous children know of cameras and video cameras, but they associate them with movies and magazines, fame and fortune. So, often, when a child from a very poor upbringing sees a foreigner with a camera they may think it's an opportunity to become famous; to appear in a film and be discovered.


So it's not unusual when, after seeing your big, chunky camera, dozens of super excited children flock before you, dancing and performing in any way known to them, trying to stand out.


Of course, there is the possibility that they just want the attention. No fame or fortune necessary.


[Below] Handstands and cartwheels... the globally accepted way to get your picture taken.

[Below] These photos were obviously taken at night, which explains why there were vampires out and about (i.e the girl on the left). Although one would expect vampires to have paler skin...


[Below] ...such as the girl on the far left. Vampireeeee!!!


Seriously though, these photos were taken on a small island of indigenous people on the passage from Colombia to Panama. A friend of mine had once described his encounters with albinos during the same journey so I was kind of expecting to see them. There is another albino below, and a couple of boys crashing the photo.



Often children are just bewildered by foreigners; by the colour of their skin, their body hair; the strange clothes they wear, etc. The kids on this island would have very rarely seen foreigners.



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