asia - indonesia - west papua - asmat region (water warriors) DSC09651

I wonder, where  you where  when you shoot  those  images? In a boat,  a head of  them? And  where  this event  was?  Some of  the Polynesian Island  or?  They are  very colorful  and interesting images.

-BLM.

I was in a motorized zodiac rubber raft about 20 meters in front of them. This was taken in a tidal basin in West Papua, Indonesia which is home to the Asmat culture. I was on a small cruise ship (100 passengers) that was going through eastern and southern Indonesia. I am almost certain that the cruise ship paid the village to put on this show. Or, maybe they put on the show for free to get the cruise ship to stop there. After the show, we went into their stilted village and many of the passengers bought expensive wood carvings. As I now live in a small apartment with no room for more trinkets, I did photography while everyone else shopped!