2005 Banff Mountain Photography Competition
Best Photo — Mountain Culture
Bobby Model: “Balti Girl”
“This photograph of a young girl is part of a documentary project that celebrates a unique mountain culture in remote Baltistan. Located in the heart of the Karakoram, this area is arguably the world’s most extreme and isolated region. The Kashmir dispute has had a significant impact on Baltistan, and as a result the Balti people face numerous social, economic and political obstacles, which have fuelled a growing cultural-identity movement. However, the recent development in peace negotiations between Pakistan and India has resulted in the reopening of the disputed border on a limited basis. The cross-border movement could bring dramatic and positive change to the region. Baltistan may thus be on the verge of a new era.”
Bobby Model grew up on a ranch near Cody, Wyoming. His childhood experiences in the Absaroka high country instilled an early appreciation for remote places. In college he began to develop his visual sense with adventure photography, which was enhanced by his ability to negotiate mountainous terrain. After finishing college with a degree in environmental economics, Model worked in a publishing firm in Colorado. He then covered significant mountaineering expeditions on five continents for clients involved in the outdoor industry. Gradually, his interests have evolved to include photographic reportage that addresses news as well as geopolitical and social issues. Model is a contributing photographer at National Geographic Adventure magazine and is based in Nairobi, Kenya.