Here Are The Best 30 Pics Of 2024, As Shared By Siena International Photo Awards

Bored Panda reached out to Andrew Newey, the photographer behind the winning image depicting Gurung tribesmen of Nepal harvesting wild honey in the Himalayas. His photo, titled 'Honey Hunter 3,' was awarded 1st prize in this year’s SIPA Journey & Adventure category. We wanted to learn more about this captivating photograph, so we asked Newey what initially inspired him to document the honey hunters of Nepal and how he first connected with the Gurung tribesmen. The photographer shared with us: “I was drawn to photograph the honey hunters of Nepal after discovering a National Geographic documentary about them from the late '70s. Intrigued to find out if they were still practicing this ancient tradition, I headed to Nepal to where I spent several weeks trying to track them down, and two weeks with them before, during, and after the hunt in the foothills of the Himalayas.”

Andrew shared that he wasn’t aiming for any particular shot or perspective while capturing the honey harvest. Instead, his goal was to document "as much of the tradition as possible before it dies out."

'Honey Hunter 3' showcases a high-risk activity, with a man being lowered down the mountain to collect honey. Meanwhile, the photographer also had to endure extreme conditions to reach the location and capture the perfect shot. We were curious to know what Andrew considered the most difficult part of documenting such a daring tradition. He told us: “The most challenging part of the shoot was focusing the camera lens because the bees, the largest in the world, played havoc on the auto focus function. Manual focus was also made more difficult because of the sheer number of bees, most of them intent on unleashing their painful sting!”

Finally, Newey shared with us the most unforgettable moment he experienced while watching the honey hunters at work: “The most memorable moment whilst observing the honey hunters at work was when one of the ladder rungs the honey hunter was standing on broke near the top of the cliff; with no safety ropes whatsoever, a fall from this height would have resulted in his death. However, being so experienced he calmly clung on and proceeded to climb up to the next rung.