Tamibé Bourdanné captures a road trip from Niger to Benin

At the time of Bourdanné’s road trip in January 2026, the border between Niger and Benin had been shut since 2023 following the military coup in Niger that year. The closure has stifled trade and complicated movement between the neighboring countries, but a crossing over the natural border of the Niger River (where Bourdanné crossed by boat) remained active in spite of it. Presenting both sides of the border—Niger’s cattle traders and Benin’s cotton merchants—together in one body of work shows that life as viewed from the road keeps moving forward regardless. “Two countries, two rhythms, one unbroken pulse of humanity,” he says. “It was a crossing into something truer, a reminder that the world, when seen slowly and openly, is endlessly alive.” 

Years of shooting street scenes have sharpened Bourdanné’s senses, so much that he feels he can predict when something is about to happen. “You pick up a lot of things by just being on the street and observing,” he says. “You start reading people, their body language. There have been so many situations where I’m like, ‘I know something’s going to happen. Let me just wait and see,’ and then it does.” He takes his shot, and keeps moving. Of course, shooting from the backseat at the mercy of the driver’s speed means there’s no opportunity for a retake: “You miss some shots, and you win some shots,” as he says.