FEATURING OUR ADVENTURERS IN MONGOLIA 2026
“an uncluttered life”

This week, we return to Mongolia for the second part of our journey, flying west to Ölgii and travelling into the Altai Mountains, where we meet Kazakh nomadic families and discover the extraordinary relationship between eagle hunters and their golden eagles. Along the way, we share meals and traditional toasts, photograph the beautiful landscapes around Lake Dayan, and travel to ancient petroglyphs near the Chinese border, where people were making pictures thousands of years before the invention of photography.

You'll also visit the Sagsai Eagle Festival, experience remarkable horsemanship, enjoy traditional music, and take on a few personal challenges. With our fellow travellers and local guides, we explore the culture, traditions and hospitality of western Mongolia. Recorded on location, with the conversations, laughter and sounds of the journey, this is the concluding part of our Photowalk adventure in Mongolia.

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MORE ABOUT names, words, THE MUSIC and places FROM TODAY’S SHOW

A friendly reminder: The links on this page will take you to external websites and platforms, and while I only point you towards places I think are worth your time, I have no control over their content and can't be held responsible for whatever you find when you get there.

Join us in Venice for the Venice ‘26 retreat, photographing a city built on water, light, and ritual as winter settles across the lagoon. Together we’ll wander through early-morning markets, quiet canal edges, hidden monasteries, and the weathered backstreets of Castello and Cannaregio, with time to slow down, take photographs, and build creative confidence in a city that reveals itself gently when the crowds disappear. Places limited.

Paul mentions a famous Koudelka picture as we took a break during our drive in the mountains. See the photograph Paul was talking of in this newspaper article.

Astrophotography is the practice of photographing the night sky, from stars and planets to the Milky Way and distant galaxies. It can be done with an ordinary camera and tripod, although more advanced photography often involves telescopes and specialised equipment. Long exposures allow the camera to record light from objects that are difficult or impossible to see with the naked eye.

As mentioned by Tyler in the show today, Dark Sky Areas in the United States are places recognised for their exceptionally low levels of light pollution, making them particularly good for observing and photographing the night sky. Many are found within national parks and protected landscapes, where artificial lighting is carefully managed. On a clear, moonless night, visitors can see thousands of stars, the Milky Way and other astronomical features that are usually hidden by the lights of towns and cities.

The Sagsai Eagle Festival takes place in western Mongolia, near Ölgii, and celebrates the Kazakh tradition of hunting with trained golden eagles. Hunters gather with their horses and birds to demonstrate their skills, alongside competitions in horsemanship and traditional games. The festival is also an important gathering for local families and helps keep Kazakh customs alive.

The UAZ, a wonderfully uncompromising Russian vans that carried us across Mongolia's rough tracks. Built to cope with difficult terrain rather than pamper their passengers, the UAZ has become a familiar sight throughout the country. Here's the manufacturer's own history of these extraordinary machines.

MUSIC LINKS: Music on the show is sourced primarily from Artlist and also features in Michael Brennan’s Spotify playlist GoFoto. For Apple Music users, follow this playlist.

Kelvin Brown’s flickr Photowalk inspired group - join by invite by clicking on to THIS LINK.