LAUREL ALEXANDRA PHOTOGRAPHY: February 2012

Nepal 2012
I love Nepal. This was the second time I've been. Helping out at the Childrens Welfare Centre, Leading a tour group to raise funds and generally having a wonderful time. I love cultural photography and find the Nepali people so endearing and photogenic. As always I took hundreds of images, so to choose only a few to share is so difficult. I've broken them up into groups, I'm not sure if this is the best way to view them or not... but if I can share just a glimpse of beauty of Nepal with you I have succeeded. I am thinking of getting some like minded photographers together for another trip in the future. If you interested let me know, and I'll keep you in touch as developments unfold.

Boudhanath - The Buddhist stupa of Nepal. 7km East of Kathmandu

She was such a beauty, and so gentle and shy.

Out about ...

Its a hard life working the fields, but a smile is never far from their lips

Chitwan National Park - A place to rest and recuperate. Elephant back safari's looking for white rhino, and the infamous Bengal Tiger, deer and much much more. Canoe rides down the crocodile river, Bathing with the elephants in the morning, meeting their babies. Its all about the elephant....

I love these photo's. This lovely lady was with a tribe of Tibetan people who were having a full on party to celebrate 300? years of being in Nepal. Most of them had been drinking all day and were very merry by the time I arrived and joined in - as I do....lol. This lady however was sitting very quietly at the side. I love here solitude. I love her ear lobes all torn. I love her wrinkles and the nose piercing hanging out. I love the cataract rings in her eyes. I love the way you can look into her soul - but can you? she has a little guard up. She couldn't understand what I was saying and had never seen a camera judging by her actions - she liked her photo, but receded swiftly back into her world. This was a moment of 'by chance'. I love these photos and what they represent to me.

Close and personal in down town Patan.

This wonderful old lady is 100 years old... 100... wow that's amazing. She is the the grand-mother of a friend. She used to tell fortunes in her old village and went on to tell mine by reading my palms, which was probably fairly difficult with her tired eyes. We had a close comfortable relationship, whereby we would sit together on the doorstep taking in the sun whenever I was over. We couldn't understand a word each other said unless someone was with us who could translate; but we had this quiet acceptance of each other and many times I would find her hand on my lap, and we would laugh and cuddle. Just sitting with her was totally spiritual. It was truly a memorable and amazing time.

Digging on road works in Nepal is an extremely hard and dirty job, and seems to be undertaken by a large amount of far too young boys, desperate to bring money home for their poverty stricken family's. All the digging is done by hand and overseen by the motionless supervisor. Who seemed to get a little agitated at me taking photos.

Sad eyes.