Focus on Bedouins

PHOTOGRAPHER Loredana Mantello has been so enthralled by the Bedouin way of life that she hopes to someday transform her photographic documentation of the desert-dwellers into a book.

She has a growing portfolio of black and white images capturing their traditional way of life with a modern twist.

She has befriended families, is now a welcome guest and has been invited to expand on her photographic journey. Loredana, from Saar, has already documented the fascinating lives of the young and elderly from across Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman.

She said: "My relationship with the Omani Bedouin, for example, continues to grow. I have been to visit one family twice and during my second trip I was able to show them some of my earlier pictures.

"They were so pleased that they introduced me to another family who was equally as enthusiastic to have their pictures taken. I aim to keep our relationships alive. Also, because I am a female photographer, I have also been able to capture the Bedouin women."

Loredana has been living in the region for 10 years - in Bahrain for the past seven - with her husband Jiovvani Salerno, an engineer working in the oil industry, and daughter Vicky, who is now at university in Italy.

She started to focus her photographic work on the subject following a visit to a Bedouin tent while living in Saudi Arabia more than seven years ago. She said: "My work focuses on the impact of modernity into a nomadic way of life. I have been fascinated by the contrast between the traditional and modern aspects.

"They still live in their tents and yet have moved with the times and many nowadays possess mobile phones and pick-ups.

"One of the most interesting examples was when I spotted a young Bedouin in Oman, standing in front of his tent in the middle of nowhere and whose smile showed off a modern pair of braces after a recent visit to the dentist."

She also explained that, thanks to her travels, she has observed that Bedouin life differs from place to place. Her work 'Family setting' was recently showcased at a typology exhibition entitled 'Same, Same but Different' at the Al Riwaq Art Space in Adliya.

Loredana, originally from Italy, has been an avid photographer for 15 years and has pursued it as a profession for 10. She has held several exhibitions in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain as well as in Italy and has also participated in various competitions.

She currently works as a freelance photographer and does corporate, editorial, wedding, fine art and portraiture work.