Portrait of Nepal

I found many individuals to photograph during a 9-day trip to Nepal. Due to the outreach nature of our trip, I had the privilege to see some very remote places, not tourist attractions. Basic facilities. Long, bumpy jeep rides. Strenuous treks up mountains. Sleeping outside on a mat. We brought developing world friendly sanitary pads to women. We shared the Good News of Christ.

This montage explores the people, rather than the landscape, historical site, and icons. The woman was a very chatty lady. She laughed a lot during our Pad Project presentation. She was a friend of the couple we were staying with up in the mountain villages of Gandaki. I brought the saturation of the woman low. Her expression speaks for itself.

I want the colorful clothing of the people to stand out. The children walked long distances to school, across long, narrow bridges over rivers; up mountains and across fields. Laborers carried huge packs on their backs, supporting the weight on their foreheads. Men and women sat alongside the road waiting for buses. Women sold fruit from their baskets to passer-byers. People works in the rice fields with baskets on their backs. Trucks were decorated with all colors all over.

In retrospect, I wonder if I ought to have compensated this woman for her portrait. The Sadhus (holy men) I took photos of in Kathmandu required a donation. Then they posed to my heart's delight, and I took many photos of them. I thought the Sadhus had given up material pleasures to follow God. Perhaps these weren't fully authentic Sadhus, and were there for the tourists.

This Digital Photo Montage print is now available for purchase via Imagekind.com