Photograph by Steve Bloom, from his book Living Africa (Thames & Hudson, 2008)

“The Bozo people are highly skilled fishermen. They stand on the end of long narrow pirogues to cast their nets onto the waters of the Niger River. I took this photograph for my book, Living Africa, which is an homage to the continent of my birth. I wanted to capture a variety of lifestyles, from the remote tribal to the urban, and fishermen had an important place in the book’s narrative. The river’s current was strong, so lining my boat up with the fisherman’s boat, as well as the rising sun; and then capturing the moment when he threw his net required considerable luck and timing. The fishermen spend many months away from their families, camping in straw huts, as they follow the fish that migrate along the river.” —Steve Bloom