Nick Yates Photos

Street kid called Amadoo in Niger's capital Niamey. We managed to source him some new crutches after his friend approached us asking if we could help. His friend had one leg. We were relieved to see that one week on Amadoo was still in possession of his crutches and that nobody had taken them from him. I often wonder where he is now. 

Nerves play a part in this maths lesson in a rural Mauritanian village. A class of about twenty kids were housed in this classic mudhut school.

Peruvian Cowboy takes a break in the Hayhuash region. Along with other skilled cowboys he had just brought a herd of horses down from a high pasture. Watching them herd the horses into large corrals was impressive. 

Enthusiasm abounds from this young girl in a rural Mauritanian mud hut school. She exuded confidence and was showing great willing to learn. One of my favourite shots.

Market trader battles traffic in Hotan Xinjiang China. There seems to be no limit when it comes to loading their motor tricyles. Interesting to watch as they navigate the chaotic traffic.

Young girl hitches a ride on the back of a motorbike in Niamey Niger. Lots of time must be invested in this hairstyle.

Two local fixers on the balloon trip share a laugh. They were great fun. Two weeks later turmoil erupted in Libya and has reigned ever since. I wonder how they are now.

Contemplation or just waiting for the bus in a Haurez market.

Load carrying local style in Malawi. I was struck by this ladies engaging smile and demeanour.

Local kids in Pemba village southern Tanzania pose for the camera. They all want in on the action. They followed us continually throughout the day and showed a great interest in whatever we were doing.

Masai group head for a hilltop to perform a ceremony to encourage rain. As I recall this was not good news for a goat as a sacrifice was required. This particular  Masai village is located high in the hills close to the Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania.

Wise face from a Kashgar market goer in Xinjiang China. Within a month there was to be huge unrest between the Uyghur and Han Chinese groups.

Crowded river taxi in Cambodia. The only mode of transport available to these people living in their floating houses. Seeing a whole house being dragged behind a boat brought a whole new definition to 'moving house'.

Young girl enjoying traditional dress in Ghadames Libya. She was both proud and shy at the same time with this smile being encouraged by her father.

Lunch break in the jungle of the Mbarika mountains Tanzania. This ten day trek was a huge undertaking. Difficult going led to frequent breaks. 

Local kids join us in a dance in southern Niger. They genuinely seemed to have fun during the little time we spent with them. 

Coming home from school chalkboard in hand Agadez Niger. These kids loved the camera and with today's ability to play back images to them it is often the cause of much hilarity. I wonder how long until they will trade up to iPads.

Shop owner in evening light in Hotan, Xinjiang, China. I would imagine we were eager to strike a deal on some negotiation with a moments reflection needed on his part. I cannot remember who got the deal but I would be surprised if it was us.

All smiles as ladies take a break in southern Niger. Intrigued as to where these white faces have come from. We really were off the beaten track here. In fact we were very close to being completely lost.

Young Tanzanian girl very chuffed after catching a runaway goat that none of the boys could get close to. She seemed very capable and kindly invited us to her home where we were treated to a big bowl of soup. Very decent.

Villagers take a tentative look over their wall at strange passers by in Niger. I am not sure what was said to evoke this response.

Peruvian lady decides on which chicken in a Haurez market. At this stage I don't think the chickens are too concerned.

Kids enjoy transferring rice by bike to a new location for replanting in Cambodia. The bicycle panniers were loaded up as the rice headed off to a new field. They seemed to be managing a fair bit of play time during this task.

Uyghur men share a coffee and a chat in a Kashgar market in Xinjiang China. I bet they have a few stories to tell.

Young boy with tribal facial scarring in northern Benin Africa. Stopping for a break in our truck it wasn't long before inquisitive faces appeared in the undergrowth. The braver of them came to take a closer look.

Fun all round as a baby gets a bath in northern Benin Africa. The water was hauled from a nearby well with the resultant freshly bathed infant taking only a matter of minutes.

All smiles in Haurez market Peru. Traditional hat shades this happy lady from the strong sun. These traditional markets are always interesting places that help give an insight into the towns in which they are situated.

Classic well dressed African lady in Niger. Very calm demeanour as she posed for my camera.

Kids play with the camera in Pemba village Tanzania. Once again kids can't get enough of it. Started to sympathise with the Pied Piper.

Trying to strike a deal in a Hotan Market in Xinjiang China. I think this may be his reaction to our often stupidly low opening gambit.

Fun and smiles on a southern Tanzanian beach. The friendliness of children in this part of the world is a trait that I will never tire of.

Donkeys pull water from a well in Niger. The donkey driver basically leads his animals away from the well until the large water containers attached to his rope arrive at the top of the well. They are decanted and the process is repeated.

This face could tell many stories in Tanzania. There were rumours surrounding this man that I won't go into now.

Kids in Pemba village enjoy dunking their faces in the sand after a dip in the ocean. Great fun. They seem well practiced judging by how little sand ends up in their eyes. This would seem to be their impersonation of the white man.

Village girls find shade on a hot Tanzanian day. Shade is a very precious commodity as the sun approaches its zenith.

Tuareg guide in evening sunlight southern Algeria. The Tuareg are a semi-nomadic people who principally live in the Sahara desert.

Kids playing as they gather shellfish on Mafia Island Tanzania. They appeared to have a decent haul but I would imagine they would be back again soon out of necessity.

Coffee break with our guides in the Mbarika mountains Tanzania. They take shade under some rocks near the summit of a mountain on day four of a ten day trip. This was an ambitious project for the BBC's children's department.

Ladies catch up in a Haurez market Peru. Not too much gossip being spilled at this particular moment.

Uyghur worker in a wood yard in Hotan, Xinjiang, China. Trying to source wood for raft building involved negotiating with many different sellers in order to secure the best price. Primarily though we needed to find the best pieces of wood for our project.

Having a laugh with porters in the Mbarika mountains Tanzania. Penn from the former Rhodesia was one of the hunters tasked with our safety. Without Penn communication with our porters would also have been limited. I have very fond memories of my time spent with Penn even though the trip did not go to plan.

Thoughtful gaze from a Massai man. We met him at the side of the road as we headed towards the sacred volcano of Ol Doinyo Lengai. No doubt he was in the middle of a rather long walk as we appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. Business as usual for these guys.

Backbreaking work in a Cambodian rice paddy field. Various age groups toil away at this difficult but essential job.

Fisherman more than happy with his haul in Zanzibar. He is obviously not targeting one particular type of fish. Variety is the spice etc seems quite apt for a resident of Zanzibar.