Ben Koissaba

Today's top 30 image was taken by John Vicory. When asked how he shot it, John says:

"I was asked to shoot this photo for a university in Seattle. Later, World Vision International asked me if they could use my photos in their North American publication and online. I chose dramatic lighting to draw the reader in and give a weight to the image/story. While Ben doesn't normally dress in traditional Maasai attire, he wore some for the shoot (as he does in selected special occasions.)

Ben Koissaba came to the United States as a political refugee from Kenya. As a child, he was a sponsored boy with World Vision. As an adult, he was outspoken against the government concerning the land rights of the Maasai and was threatened with his life. Some of his friends and colleagues were murdered in an attempt to get their group to stop their efforts. After he fled to the US, he enrolled in a university in Seattle and now is a Ph.D. candidate at Clemson hoping to take his knowledge back to Kenya to serve his people. The story can be read here: http://www.worldvisionmagazine.org/story/maasai-warrior."