My Amazon rainforest angel: Claudia Andujar’s best photograph

When I first visited the Yanomami tribe, they were completely isolated - they hadn't seen a camera and didn't know what photography was'

It was 1971 when I photographed the Yanomami tribe of Brazil for the first time. I knew that it would take time to build our relationship, but I wanted to see if we could become friends. For me, the best photographers are those who are truly interested in their subjects.

The Yanomami is a big population of indigenous people who live in the Amazon rainforest in northern Brazil and southern Venezuela; several thousand live in Brazil alone. A small village can be as few as 40 people, or a big one as many as 200. When I first went to the Yanomami villages, the tribe was completely isolated - some still are today. At that time, 50 years ago, they hadn't seen a camera and didn't even know what photography was.