Welcome to Nepal this week. We're starting off in Kathmandu and the joy of walking around some marvellous temples with a camera. So much to work with. So much inspiration.
Spent a lot of time today talking to monks, and locals making merit at the temples. One of the things that makes Nepal such a great destination for photographers is that people will stop you and ask to have their photo taken.
Gotta be ready!
Bhaktapur just always throws a party when we hit town! Processions of drums and dancing moving through the streets today, right as we arrived at the palace square.
Such joyful folks. Newari is the main ethnic group in this part of Kathmandu Valley.
The late afternoon light was in a race with the thunder storms. It was beautiful to watch.
Rice harvest in Bhaktapur. The city streets are filled with the harvest, and drying the grain.
Last week I posted an article about Negative Space and how positive it can be for your compositions. And sometimes I write articles that mostly exist to cement the idea inside my own head :)
Pretty darned good day today. Sky high in the Himalayas, enjoying apple pancakes and soaking in the sunshine at 2600m.
Tourism is critical to the economy in Nepal. Increasingly so for monasteries as well. Many small gompas are appealing to the kindness of travellers to help fund basic resourcing for their young students (Novice Monks). Local communities struggle to provide enough for every temple.
Clothing. Books. Food. Bedding. A little bit of kindness goes a long way. This gompa is mostly for orphans.
Little things make all the difference. We spent nearly two hours today just dottering about a patch of marigolds at a temple. Didn't walk far at all, just waited for butterflies to drop by and offer a shot.
Photography is a marvellous way to avoid exercise :)
The existence of butterflies is such a beautiful treasure of evolution.
Little flappy creatures, with giant wings and tiny brains, decorated in scales and sipping nectar through a rolled up tube-tongue. And they have hairs coming out of their eyeballs.
We share this world with such remarkable creatures. So different to our comprehension of life.
@ewen I share your fascination with butterflies and would add dragonflies to the same evolutionary wonder-list. They're a constant source of joy for me.
How do they even make them wings work? I saw a cool video once with a science grad who was dragonfly obsessed, I must look for that again.
UPDATE: found it :)
@ewen Thanks Ewen, I'll check that out later