Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Eagle Hunters on Horseback Set to Inaugurate the Eagle Hunter Festival With a Majestic Gallop

Capturing the essence of Mongolia - My fourth journey photographing Eagle Hunters. I anticipated the ritual that the eagle hunters ride their horses, galloping in a unified circle to commence the festival. The scene unfolded with vividness: thundering hooves, fluttering flags, and the fierce determination of the hunters. It was a spectacle so cinematic, it seems lifted straight from a film.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Banyan Oligii, Mongolia
Camera: LEICA SL2
Copyright: © Diana Ishii