Monks hide their faces in laughter at a monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Boys play a game in a village high in the Himalayas.
Small boys play in sand at a construction site in Panauti, an historic city southeast of Kathmandu.
As always, click photos to enlarge.
No ping-pong table? Improvise.
In Bungamati, Nepal, a little boy plays with a red plastic string.
This little girl refuses to move so I can photograph detail of the bell at the Rato Machhendranath Temple.
The village itself is Newari, dating from the 16th-century. No cars are allowed in the narrow streets, hence the popularity of motorcycles.
Also in Bungamati, this little boy apparently is imitating his favourite movie super-hero.
Unbidden, he makes a series of poses for the camera.
His beaming mother laughs at his antics and tells him to hold the puppy.
Doesn't his mother have a beautiful smile?
At first, the boy hides his face behind the dog, continuing his tough-guy stance.
Then he softens and kisses the dog.
Bungamati residents are very open and friendly. Despite our inability to communicate via language, I was made to feel very welcome. I visited the village twice in November 2010 and hope to return. Meanwhile, I'm bundling the pictures of Bungamati residents and mailing them to a local woodcarver with a postal address. He has promised to hand-deliver copies to each person photographed.
Hope your weekend is filled with fun and games!
these are just so beautiful! i love that you are sending these photos, back to the village.
XO
Posted by: christina | 19 July 2011 at 15:52
Thanks, Jo. It depends on the situation. I always ask permission before taking someone's picture. These people didn't ask for anything in return. But I am sending copies of the photos to their village, as they were all so lovely. In contrast, the sadhu or holy men at a temple in Nepal did expect around 100 rupees per photo. Some photographers carry portable printers and give a picture to each photo subject. But that's too much weight for me to carry around...
Posted by: Tara Bradford | 17 July 2011 at 12:15
Love the photos. Did you have to give some money to the people that you took photos of? I always ask before I take a photo for their permission and then I am usually told OK but you must pay me. I wonder how you handle this?
Posted by: Jo | 17 July 2011 at 08:28
Love the faces and the mothers smile is extra special. What a treat to be able to travel there. They will love receiving the pictures you are bundling in the mail.
Posted by: Marilyn | 16 July 2011 at 01:32
Beautiful Tara! I miss you, lovely.
:)
Posted by: amber | 15 July 2011 at 19:50
I biked to the supermarket after viewing these, and found myself carrying the memory of the laughter you captured. It was lovely.
xx
Posted by: Di | 15 July 2011 at 18:50
Tara these are just wonderful. I love how the kids have an improvised pool table and our kids have to have IPods, X games etc
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Do come and enter my new Giveaway, a very special painting!
Posted by: Karena | 15 July 2011 at 16:32
I so enjoy the glimpses of everyday life in other parts of the world. My first thought when seeing the first picture was, however, good grief, they've even got the monks in Nepal wearing Crocs!
Posted by: Mary H. | 15 July 2011 at 16:16