Images From Nepal

Especially people-pictures. I find people-watching fascinating, no matter where I am, but the people of Nepal were especially interesting to me. As time went on, I became more comfortable with photographing them with my little point-and-shoot Canon Powershot SD1400 IS and a bit better at capturing more of the personality of the country.

My purpose in traveling to Nepal for three months was to do research for a book project (ongoing), but photography became an unexpected "hobby" while I was there. I've been turning some of those photos into things like postcards and notecards and prints, like those you'll see here, all of which and others are available on Zazzle.

I was at Boudha Stupa -- a stupa is a Buddhist shrine -- in Kathmandu, Nepal, where I spent much of my time while in the city, walking and watching the people practice their religion in various ways, wandering and browsing among the shops surrounding the stupa, dining in the rooftop cafes (still watching people), and observing all the other activities that went on in this popular, busy place, the site of frequent festivals, a number of temples, and tourism.

While walking on one of the upper levels of the huge, round stupa, I spotted these two girls, talking, giggling and nudging one another. I watched them for several minutes, wishing I could have been privy to their private stories and jokes.

See this image on Zazzle

On a terraced hillside overlooking Phewa Lake in Pokhara, Nepal, I came across this smiling young man and his friends, plowing and planting rice. The plantings are staggered, so there's always a new supply. Some of the paddies were vibrant green, in all stages of growth, while others, like this one, were empty and being readied for a new crop.

Those are water buffalo pulling the plow. When not being put to work or on a plate, the mild-mannered water buffalo generally just wander -- in the fields and the streets -- or soak themselves in water holes and oversized puddles.

See this image on Zazzle

Although you won't see photos of them in my Zazzle store, I spent much of my three months in Nepal with their Search and Rescue team, which is what the book I'm working on will be about -- who they are and their 21-year history, including some of their amazing searches and disaster relief missions in the Himalayas and jungles of Nepal, the special school started by the team's founder, and the challenges and losses the struggling team faced during and after the 10-year Maoist war. Formerly the Himalaya Rescue Dog Squad and now called SAR Dogs Nepal (because they often work with their trained K9 companions), you can learn more about them on their SAR Dogs Nepal website.

*The photo above includes members of the SAR Dogs Nepal Junior Squad and their team leader (far right), along with five of their K9s, some from the United States and some donated from Germany.

The Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS Digital ELPH has a large 2.7-inch LCD screen with excellent  color, resolution and contrast even when viewed at an angle. The screen is very durable with a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coating. It also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light. With 22 shooting modes, the camera has an Optical Image Stabilizer, which automatically detects and corrects camera shake, one of the leading causes of fuzzy or blurred shots. Even when zoomed in, you can get the steady, crisp images.

You can also record video in 720p high definition (1280 x 720 pixels). The camera makes it easy to enjoy HD movies and still photos on an HDTV with a mini-HDMI connector for direct connection to a high definition TV monitor.

You can't beat the quality for the price with this camera.