Mialy

A young girl looks towards a field were her father and uncles continue to work as the sun sets on this rural farming village in Madagascar's central highlands.

Philipe's Hoody

With Jay-Z's trap music still hovering in his ears, Philipe imitates his hero-rapper. Most children in rural villages are content playing with simple games and wooden toys in fields under their parents' watch, or listening to a cassette player in the local dance hall.

Misah

This shy girl, decked out in a cotton shirt for Sunday mass, gave a quick smile for the camera against a bamboo fence, one that I thought made a pleasant backdrop for a child's portrait. Houses are usually made of wood or corrugated metal. Affluent families might afford a concrete or stone structure and bamboo is usually used for fencing.

Misah and Afuteh

One of Misah's cousins breaks away from his game of football to join  her for a family snap.

Time for Home

Afuteh takes his cousin by the hand to lead her home from Anja's playground. Much of a child's life is spent on the streets, playing games with friends, sharing a meal out of a large pot with neighbours and meeting family members on Sunday morning. 

Playground Pals

A group of children huddle together for a photo, the more boisterous and fearless at the front and the more cautious hanging behind - as is the natural arrangement for most children.

Jo

Enjoying the late morning sun and playing alone with a modest collection of glass marbles, Jo spends most of his day at the foot of the garage where his older brother works.

Work and Rest

Roughened hands soak up some sun after a busy morning shift in one of Madagascar's largest agricultural markets. Produce is often sold at the crossroads that link highland villages in this wide farming region.

Melon for Sale

A fruit vendor sells honey melons at one of the market stalls. It is perfectly acceptable for the sweet sticky juice to run down one's arms on such a bright sunny day.

Cattle Herder

A thick wooly cap keeps this herder warm in the foothills of Madagascar's great central mountains. The air here is thin, the mornings fresh and the evenings bitterly cold.

Meeting for Meat

Family members and old friends say good morning to one another at a street vendor selling smoked meats.

Village Boys

A group of boys clad in flat-brimmed caps meet in a shady spot. They prefer not to be disturbed.

Marie and Fentosa

Wide brimmed hats are an essential commodity under the blazing mid-morning sun. Many of the village's important buildings are lined with terracotta clay, and contrast nicely with villagers' colourful clothing.

Anton

A young rancher keeps watch over his cattle at a market in Anja. Zebu are Madagascar's main cattle breed. They have a very calm and docile nature.

Whitewashed Balcony

A girl looks out onto the busy market street below from a balcony that has been bleached by the sun's fierce rays.

Curious Looks

Whenever I knelt down to tie one of my shoelaces I would find three or four children jostling for a place to peek at my camera, beside themselves with curiosity.

The Brown Valley

A sign that the dry season is in full swing: swathes of rusty red and brown fields carpeting the landscape like a patchwork quilt.

Rude Lemur

A ring-tailed lemur licks the end of his nose with a bright pink tongue.