Matthieu Paley Photography

Matthieu Paley Photography Website from National Geographic photographer Matthieu Paley, based in Turkey, updating you on his whereabouts, new stories, upcoming exhibitions etc...

01/04/2026

Back from faraway and I now find time to share some more Iranian slice of life… this is maybe poorly translated, but the intention is there… I have been trying to get in touch with Bahman .izadi.lut for 3 weeks, but nothing, no reply, as with many of my other iranian friends. It’s very frustrating not to know what is going on.
Iranians are a very poetic bunch and I especially loved spending time with Bahman - what kindness and energy! We met in the Lut Desert when I crossed it for in 2018 with many other academic professors from various iranian universities. It was an incredible experience, such unique opportunity. Now when I was back in Shiraz for , of course I met with Bahman, and he took me to the tomb of Hafeez, one of the greatest Sufi mystics and poets. People drop bombs… meanwhile for Hafeez, the path to the Divine was through the heart rather than rigid legalism. He often spoke of “The Beloved”(God), using the language of human longing and romance to describe the soul’s desire for union with the Creator.

07/03/2026

These people are getting bombed…
In my three journeys through Iran, I was « kidnapped » constantly… the happy victim to an overwhelming, radical hospitality, a gentle kindness, always so well-mannered.
In all my time there, every single day i would either be invited to someone’s home, given something to eat or drink or a piece of spoken poetry or a smile and often all of the above.

Is opening your home to total strangers a political act? I think hospitality can be a powerful form of resistance.

A small reel (from 2018) of such daily occurrence… We were crossing Iran by train for with .

My heart is with the people of Iran in these terrible times. I am also not blind to the complexity of this place.

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...
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 🙏🏻🥰

09/02/2026

On that Wakhan trip, I did a few interviews with the men and women I met, my heroes who go on foot. I will sprinkle a few here and there on my feed, between photos.
I liked to breach on the subject of “fear”, because I find it so revealing of a society/community. I aksed Bibi Gul what she was afraid of… we had a good laugh. She is a wakhi woman spending her summers at high altutude pastures. Wakhan corridor, Afghanistan. What are you afraid of?

Rian and Mina, in the smoke and delicious smell of fresh chapatis baked over the “dildung”. Early morning, we were off… ...
08/02/2026

Rian and Mina, in the smoke and delicious smell of fresh chapatis baked over the “dildung”.
Early morning, we were off… 4 of us and a yak, climbing higher. At night, a mutton stew over a dry dung fire before sneaking into the tent...

Making our way deeper into the Wakhan corridor, we get stuck in the sand as night fall, we have a little Corolla, it’s r...
24/01/2026

Making our way deeper into the Wakhan corridor, we get stuck in the sand as night fall, we have a little Corolla, it’s ridiculously low, we always get stuck here, infamous spot - a guy with a motorcycle mask come to help, he is the brother of our driver in Kabul, Wakhi man. There is barely any light except for the break light of the car, camera struggle. And on the next day, red cloth hanging in wheat field, always a sucker for red cloth.

17/11/2025

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?

13/11/2025

Thanks for all the messages telling me to finish my Reel homework! I was away in Turkmenistan (finally!!! been wanting to go for 20 years or so!) on assignment for the National Geographic Society to document the Persian leopard conservation work of the amazing - more on that later!
So here is day 9 (only 2 more to go!), from heaven over a 5000m pass back to the high pasture, with musing on acid track and tiger pants. Enjoy, Matthieu

22/10/2025

Day 7, part 1. I am a language fanatic… so a “Zakht Kal” yak in Wakhi means a “yellow bald” yak - bald because it is hornless. These kind of yaks are considered proper “palawan”, strong as wrestlers. They are like tractors, can go up and down super steep crumbly rock trails carrying over 100Kg on their backs. And you shall witness some encounters with Brown beers frozen in time and a rare high altitude poodle flying to magic carpet valley. Enjoy! Matthieu

19/10/2025

I find balance when I can feed both hearts… the nomadic and the sedentary hearts. The sedentary heart can get old quickly and needs to be shuffled by the nomadic dude in neon pink colours and the hairs of a yak or any otherworldly beasts that grinds their teeth at night, that is my point. Here, enjoy the second part of day 6, I am sorry I am delaying but I got busy as I am back home and trees are such glamorous attention seekers, with their delicate leaves and pretty looks. Not to worry, all the days will come in due time, as in life, much love, Matthieu

12/10/2025

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 💚🌺

09/10/2025

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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