From the shimmering autumn colors around northern lakes to the dramatic cliffs of the Gobi Desert and the timeless traditions of eagle hunters, Melanie’s lens captures a unique fusion of culture and natural beauty. Through her photos and personal experiences with nomadic families, she reveals how simplicity, resilience, and freedom shape life across Mongolia’s vast, open spaces and how it impacts her photography.
Autumn in Mongolia is a photographer’s dream. The temperatures are ideal, the crowds thin, and the landscapes transform into warm, earthy hues that seem to glow under the soft autumn light.
One of the sceneries I loved the most was all the trees around the northern lakes shimmering in warm orange. The cliffs in Tsagaan Suvarga in the Gobi Desert are also impressive, and of course, seeing the eagle hunters in the Altai Mountains has been an amazing experience. I loved capturing every single moment during this trip.
The landscapes of Mongolia have shaped my photographic approach in a way that goes beyond simply capturing scenery; it’s about conveying the profound connection between people and nature, a relationship that holds great significance in this country. Whether it’s the camel herder in the endless desert, a nomadic family attending to their simple daily tasks in their ger, or the eagle hunters training in the mountains, people here are intrinsically part of the vast landscapes and live a unique lifestyle. Depicting this bond in my photography has become my primary focus, aiming to capture the essence of Mongolia where humans and nature exist as one.
I learned that the best way to capture its essence – the culture and nomadic life – is to spend as much time as possible with the locals to learn about their daily routines and tasks. I spent one night with a nomadic family, two nights with a camel herder, and two nights with an eagle hunter family. I focused on candid moments highlighting the interplay between the people and their surroundings. Whether it’s a child playing near their ger, a herder guiding their flock across the steppe, or a woman cooking in the ger, these spontaneous interactions convey the simplicity and beauty of nomadic life. I also pay attention to the details like traditional clothing, handmade tools, and the intricate designs of their ger. All of that tells a story about their culture and heritage.
In all the images, the vastness and isolation of the Mongolian steppes affected the mood, whatever subject it was. The environment brings a unique, almost haunting quality to the images. The immense open spaces create a feeling of solitude and freedom that’s hard to capture elsewhere. With endless horizons and very few signs of human life, my photographs reflect the quiet, timeless nature of Mongolia, where the land seems to stretch infinitely. This isolation amplifies the emotional impact of the images, emphasizing the resilience of the people and animals who call these remote spaces home. The result is a mood that feels both tranquil and powerful, inviting viewers to experience the stillness and scale of Mongolia’s wild beauty.
The vast, open landscapes also allow for an incredible quality of light, especially during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset. The sun’s low angle casts long shadows and creates a warm, golden hue that enhances the natural beauty of the terrain.
In addition, the clear, unpolluted skies often result in vibrant colors and dramatic cloud formations, adding depth and mood to the images. The intensity of the light can change rapidly, particularly in the steppe and desert areas, which creates opportunities for capturing dynamic, ever-shifting scenes.
While Mongolia’s lighting conditions are unique and positively influence the images, there is also a big challenge: the weather. Sandstorms can arise, unexpected snow may fall, or you might come across rivers that aren’t marked on the map. This can easily change your plans for the day, but you have to stay open and learn to adapt. I remember one day we had to cross a mountain pass. At the top, there was so much snow that we all got stuck. It took us four hours to fight our way through.
The different weather conditions and landscapes make that you can take a diversity of photos with different colors dominating the scenes and therefore images. Although Mongolia’s landscapes are predominantly defined by warm earth tones, beautifully complemented by dramatic blue skies (especially in the vast desert regions), in the Altai Mountains and central Mongolia, you’ll also find lush green grasses that add a vibrant touch to the scenery or snow-covered mountain peaks.
1) The Altai Mountains and Central Mongolia: This rugged and remote region offers stunning landscapes of snow-capped peaks, expansive valleys, and nomadic herders with their eagle companions.
2) Northern Lakes: A haven for tranquility and reflection, the northern lakes of Mongolia, such as Khovsgol Lake, are surrounded by dense forests and rolling hills.
3) The Cliffs at Tsagaan Suvarga in the Gobi Desert: Also known as the “White Stupa,” these dramatic cliffs showcase layers of orange, red, and white sediment. The stunning play of light and shadow at sunrise or sunset creates otherworldly visuals, making it a must-visit spot for capturing the beauty of the Gobi Desert.
4) Buuntsaagan Lake: A vast lake where you can witness countless birds and experience breathtaking sunsets.
5) Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park: The landscape reminded me a little of Canada. Especially in autumn, the pine trees turned a vivid orange, creating a stunning contrast against the blue lakes. We also saw many wild horses there. The scenery is a dream, bathed in warm orange hues.
6) Khongoryn Els Sand Dune: Here, you have the opportunity to meet camel herders, ride a camel yourself, and climb the immense sand dune, which offers a phenomenal view over the Gobi Desert.
7) Elsen Tasarkhai Sand Dune: A dune that feels like a lost desert oasis this far north, surrounded by small lakes and covered with trees and shrubs. It was one of the most beautiful camping spots we enjoyed, offering the clearest night sky imaginable.
When photographing Mongolia’s diverse environments, I highly recommend bringing a telephoto lens. The vast, expansive landscapes offer numerous opportunities to bring distant features closer and highlight their details. A telephoto lens allows you to capture the unique textures and colors of the scenery, whether it’s the rolling hills of the steppes, the rugged peaks of the Altai Mountains, or the intricate patterns of the desert.
In desert images where the entire photograph falls within a single color family, it’s particularly important to reduce the luminance of the colors. This approach ensures that the landscape doesn’t appear too harsh or overwhelming but instead conveys a calm and harmonious atmosphere. When the sky is adorned with dramatic blue clouds, it creates an excellent opportunity to play with the contrast between the warm earth tones and the cool colors of the clouds, adding depth and interest to the composition.
When editing my images, it is important to avoid over-editing. The natural beauty of the landscape is already so impressive that my focus is on bringing out the authentic colors rather than altering them dramatically. I often enhance the contrast between light and shadow, which adds depth and dimension to the images. By slightly underexposing some photos, I create a more atmospheric feel that invites viewers to immerse themselves in the scene. This technique helps to highlight the textures and shapes of the landscape while maintaining the integrity of the original colors.
One of my favorite photographs from Mongolia is not from a landscape, actually, but captures a spontaneous moment of a nomadic woman cooking in her ger. I remember joining her early in the morning, while she was already heating milk for breakfast. The mornings in Mongolia are always the most beautiful; everything is so quiet, and the fresh air combined with the soft morning colors in the sky creates a special way to start the day.
Then, someone opened the door, and the morning light flooded in, transforming the entire scene. Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted, casting a warm, soothing glow over the simple, everyday life of this nomadic woman. It was a moment that beautifully encapsulated the essence of her lifestyle and the tranquility of the Mongolian mornings. The photograph not only captures the scene but also evokes the feelings of serenity and warmth that I experienced in that fleeting moment.
Bathed in soft, golden light, the woman tends to her cooking with focus and care, surrounded by swirling steam that fills the air with a sense of life and energy. The scene is intimate, evoking the quiet routines of daily life in a remote setting. The open door, with bright sunlight streaming in, contrasts the coziness of the interior with the vastness of the world outside. It speaks of a connection to both home and nature, portraying a balance of simplicity and depth that is rooted in cultural heritage.
The breathtaking landscapes, combined with rich cultural experiences, opened my eyes to the beauty of simplicity and the connection between people and nature, which plays an incredibly important role in Mongolia. I believe it was the perfect place for me, as this connection resonates deeply with what I feel when I’m out in nature. It has driven my photography over the past few years and embodies the essence of my work. In a land that reflects this bond so vividly and where the feeling of freedom is paramount, I found the ideal environment to explore this essence further and create images to which I have a strong personal attachment. I realized that the simplest interactions often tell the most powerful stories and I now strive to create images that invite viewers to feel a deeper connection to the world around them.
As an “outsider”, experiencing this profound sense of freedom through following their lifestyle and connection to nature, and through my interactions with them, has been eye-opening. The people I met may not have much materialistically speaking, but through the connection to nature and the lifestyle, they find a sense of freedom that brings them happiness. It taught me a different perspective on life and happiness, again, just like other trips have done.
Professionally, I learned to let go more, to fully immerse myself in an adventure, capturing moving stories through my camera. This is surely something I will take with me to my next trips and photoshoots. What moves or inspires me, I believe, will inspire others too.
From the shimmering autumn colors around northern lakes to the dramatic cliffs of the Gobi Desert and the timeless traditions of eagle hunters, Melanie’s lens captures a unique fusion of culture and natural beauty.
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