The Mursi of Ethiopia is a fascinating tribe. They live in the beautiful Omo Valley, in one of the most isolated regions of Ethiopia. Their habitat is an extremely hard-to-reach area between the rivers of Mago and Omo. The main occupation of Mursi is cattle-keeping although they have now started on crop farming. The tribe still sticks to their traditional and unique culture by donning traditional dress and accessories. They have also stuck to conducting barter trade. They are known to wear skins, put on wild headgear and paint their faces. One thing that stands out in this community is how the Mursi women wear clay or wooden plates in their lower lips or earlobes. They start wearing the lip-plates when they are around 15 to 16 years since it is also an expression that a woman has reached child-bearing age. ©Ingetje Tadros

The Hamar or Hamer tribe are agro pastoralists, this means that they grow crops and keep livestock, but they place particularly high value on cattle. They are an extraordinary people with a unique expression and culture. Hamer society consists of a complex system of age groups. Moving from one age group to another involves complicated rituals. They are a tribe with unique rituals such as a cattle-leaping ceremony that men go through in order to reach adulthood, whereupon young Hamar women get whipped to prove their love for their kinsmen. ©Ingetje Tadros

The Bodi are pastoralists living close the Omo River in south- western Ethiopia. Although they do cultivate sorghum along the banks of the Omo River, their culture is very much cattle centered. Similar to the Mursi, livestock plays an important role in marriage, divination, and name-giving rituals. The Bodi classification of cattle is complex, with over eight words to denote different colors and patterns. Bodi dress is simple. The women wear goatskins tied at the waist and shoulder, while men fasten a strip of cotton or bark-cloth around their waist. ©Ingetje Tadros

The Karo, which number only about 3,000 people, mainly live on the practice of flood retreat cultivation the banks of the Omo River in southwestern Ethiopia. The Karo excel in face and body painting, practiced in preparation of their dances and ceremonies, they decorate their bodies, often imitating the spotted plumage of a guinea fowl. Feather plumes are inserted in their clay hair buns to complete the look. The clay hair bun can take up to three days to construct and is usually re-made every three to six months. Their painted face-masks are spectacular. Karo women scarify their chests to beautify themselves. Scars are cut with a knife and ash is rubbed to produce a raised welt. Being the smallest tribe in the area, this group obviously struggles which direct threats from nearby tribes that have more gun power, greater numbers, and likely coalitions with one another. ©Ingetje Tadros

This is a very exotic and a small tribe living in the Weyto Valley Desert living in a very harsh physical enviroment. The Arbore women generally wear a large black cloth to cover their heads. They perform many ritual-like dances while singing. They believe that dancing and singing with eliminate negative energies and give positive energy that will bring good-luck. The Arbore measure their wealth by the number of cattle they own. ©Ingetje Tadros

The Nyangatom live south of Omo National park and occasionally migrate in to the lower regions of the park when water or grazing is scarce. Numbering around 6,000-7,000 in population, the Nyangatom are agro pastoralists, relying on cattle herding and floor- retreat agriculture (consisting mainly of sorghum harvesting on the Omo and kibish Rivers). The Nyangatom tend to indulge in honey and frequently smoke out beehives in the park to get the honey inside the nests. The Nyangatom are known to be great warriors and quite frequently, active warmongers, they are often at war with the neighboring tribes including the Hamer, the Karo and the Surma. Small group of Nyangatom along the Omo are specialised crocodile hunters using harpoons from a dugout canoe. The elders of both sexes wear a lower lip plug, the men’s being made from ivory and women’s made from copper filigree. ©Ingetje Tadros

Herds belonging to the Bana consist mainly of cattle, although there are some sheep and goats. Camels are used for riding and as pack animals. Most Bana plant fields of sorghum at the beginning of the rainy season before leaving on their annual nomadic journey. Some households also plant sesame and beans. Because the crops are usually left unattended, the yields are low. Few households grow enough grain to last through the year. Men may marry as many women as they like, but only within their own tribe. A "bride price" of cattle and other goods is provided by the prospective husband and his near relatives. A typical household consists of a woman, her children, and a male protector. A man may be the protector of more than one household, depending on the number of wives he has. Also, men are sometimes assigned the responsibility of protecting a divorced woman, a widow, or the wife of an absent husband (usually his brother). Marriage celebrations include feasting and dancing. Young girls as well as boys are circumcised. ©Ingetje Tadros

The Ari inhabits the northern border of Mago National park in southwestern Ethiopia. Ari villages have neat compounds in fertile and scenic land with Coffee plantations. They have large livestock herds and produce large quantities of honey. The women wear skirts from the banana like tree, called Enset. ©Ingetje Tadros

Traditional drinking house in the centre of Dimeka, Omo Valley. ©Ingetje Tadros

Timkat (Amharic "baptism") (also spelled Timket, or Timqat) is the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany. It is celebrated on January 19 (or 20 on Leap Year), corresponding to the 10th day of Terr following the Ethiopian calendar. Timket celebrates the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. This festival is best known for its ritual reenactment of baptism. ©Ingetje Tadros