Matthieu Paley Photography
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Website from National Geographic photographer Matthieu Paley, based in Turkey, updating you on his whereabouts, new stories, upcoming exhibitions etc...
19/02/2026
In 1998 I set out across Mongolia on foot with (my life’s beam!) and 60 rolls of film in my backpack and a small camera.
Last week, I came a loooong way as I closed the National Geographic yearly Seminar in Los Angeles, with a 35 mn presentation of my life’s path, my work, my family - basically the general juggling act. That little dance was certainly a highlight of my career! I shared these places that have attracted me, these days spent in the threshold, these in-between worlds. I went a bit deep, and light… Life is too short, chop chop, let’s cook something delicious.
The overwhelming response of strangers, friends and colleagues reaching out to congratulate me… this really touched me. In times of doubt, of which there will be plenty (thank god!) I will go back to these moments of glow, of feeling the love. I can’t begin to thank all the people that helped me along the way - they speak a million languages.
My life has bounced right, it has bounced left but I guess it pushed forward towards a light. To find the heart path, that is the difficult part... But if you get a hold of it, and if you pay attention to the work, it should inevitably bring people and minds together in an embrace… I felt that deep embrace... So here is a million thank you in all the languages of the universe, Matthieu - On the Nat Geo Society and magazine side , thanks to all the stellar beings, there are many more than I can mention here , , , , etc! And to the magnificent MC whose intro made me blush 🙏🏻🥰
Day 10 on the trek across Afghanistan’s Pamir. So one topic that I brought back again and again was the topic of “fear”… talking about fear with some of the shepherds i met… here listen to Bibi Gul and me flexing my Wakhi language skills in the back. The Vagd and Almasti? They are quite common mythical figures especially in the Persian/Turkic world. The male, the Almasti is a frenzied wild dude… Almas in Mongolian means wild man. They were known to live in remote mountains before too many of us humans moved in - they might be beyond glaciers now… hidden in obscure valleys of the mind. Vagd, the female version, is more supernatural, less corporeal yet long nails, no surprise here, how wonderful is that?
Me having a stroke at the end… and also a river of sheep and goats followed by a garden of Fairies and a poem by Nasir Khusraw… This is second part of day 5! Enjoy and thanks for the support, Matthieu 💚🌺
Day 5 trekking in Afghanistan is too long so its been sliced in 2. “Soy” means walking stick in Wakhi and i love how language creates surreal bridges in the mind. The sap of a flower cures stomach ache so we can now move to a new chapter, paced by yak, where a wide variety of creative sounds, passed through generations of shepherds, can make most animals stop and go…
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