Levison Wood - Encounters: A Photographic Journey

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I have spent the majority of the last ten years in the wild and on the road, travelling in more than a hundred countries. Whether filming a documentary, writing a newspaper article or researching a book, I have always been accompanied by my camera. It has been a time of great and rapid global change, and I have been lucky enough to witness many of these changes at first hand and document them in images that preserve these moments in time. In truth, the photographs in this book represent just a fraction of the thousands of people I have met all over the world. For me, every single picture conjures a memory of an individual, a family or a whole community, and the stories that they shared with me. I hope this collection of images can go some way towards distilling the diversity and wealth of human experience that I have been fortunate enough to encounter on my journeys.

In 2009, when I was in my final year of service in the Parachute Regiment in the British Army, I decided to buy my first proper camera, a Nikon DSLR with a few good lenses. My intention was to learn the intricacies of the art form. I never had any formal photography training though, and most of what I learned came from books, imitation and lots of trial and error.

When I left the army in the spring of 2010, I decided to go and spend a few months living in Mexico, a colourful country teeming with photographic opportunities. It was a good idea in theory, and I was very excited to turn what had been just a hobby into a vocation. However, my plans were scuppered when my camera and all my photography gear were stolen in the first week of my trip. It was ruinous financially (I couldnt afford the insurance) and the loss threatened to end my dream of becoming a travel photographer. But, like many disasters, it came with a silver lining and a fortuitous opportunity. As a result of the theft, I was introduced to a Mexican studio photographer called Alberto Caceres. He encouraged me to continue pursuing my dream and not only loaned me his own camera, but also took me under his wing, ultimately becoming both my photography mentor and a lifelong friend.

Between 2010 and 2013, I undertook a number of expeditions and assignments around the world. I drove 10,000 miles through 27 countries, from England to Malawi, photographing people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. I rode on horseback across Northern Afghanistan and climbed mountains in Iraq. I walked across Madagascar, trekked in the Arctic and scaled volcanoes in Patagonia, always learning new skills with my camera.

I took my inspiration from all around: not just the places I was visiting but also people who I looked up to. When I was back home in the UK, I trawled through art galleries, devoured exhibitions and stared at the pages of an enormous stack of coffee-table books that I had collected. I was mesmerized by the work of the great photographers of our time, heroes like Don McCullin, Steve McCurry and Sebastio Salgado, and dreamed of following, however modestly, in their footsteps.

I started to publish some of my images in magazines and guidebooks, and on the side, to make ends meet, I photographed weddings and even took a few family portraits. The hard work paid off, and in the winter of 2013, I was commissioned by Channel 4 to set off on a tremendous adventure: to walk the length of the River Nile. It was the big break Id desperately wanted, and knew I needed, to commit fully to the lifestyle I so craved. So, I spent my savings on a brand-new Leica M240 camera with a single 35mm lens, and, almost a year later, came back with several thousand images from that grand continent. I hosted a well-received exhibition called Visions of Africain a prominent Pall Mall gallery in London. As a result, Leica my dream camera brand invited me to become an ambassador. Of course, I was very happy to accept.

Since 2015, I have embarked on many more long walking journeys, covering the length of the Himalayas, all of Central America, the Caucasus Mountains and most of the Middle East. Ive undertaken dozens of photography assignments for several broadsheets and other prominent publications, and to be honest, I still have to pinch myself at how lucky I have been.

When I was first asked to compile this book, I was faced with the rather daunting task of navigating my way through dozens of hard disks, computer files and broken old laptops, and sifting through something like 50,000 images.