Karen Utsi at the gas station

Kautokeino, Norway

The first trip to shoot pictures for the Rites of Life project took me to Kautokeino in northern Norway, where I was the guest of Karen Utsi, matriarch of a Saami reindeer-herding family. She was born in a ”lavvu”, a traditional Saami tent, and as a child moved with her family when they followed the reindeer in their search for pasture. Nowadays she lives in a permanent home outside of Kautokeino, and, as is common among her age-mates, she dresses in traditional Saami costume when she goes into town to do her shopping or to fill up the tank of her van.

Karen Utsi pumps gas

Beside the project work I also shot a story on the Easter celebrations in Kautokeino. It was published in National Geographic Nordic, and this particular images was chosen as the opening picture.

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