A little photo love from my Tibetan project archives...

On my new journey here at Steemit, I decided to dust off some of my favorite images from my archives and post them here. This first little essay contains some of my favorite shots from a trip to document the Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharmsala India back in 2006 for some grant funded work.

The trip was amazing and terrifying all at once. It was my first international trip and I went alone. To India. Wow. But the struggles and missteps on that journey were completely worth it to share time with the amazing Tibetan community and document their struggles to preserve their culture while being stateless.

I even got to photograph the man himself, the Dalai Lama. Blessed and humbled all at the same time...and so nervous that the images were giant turds-- from a professional photographers perspective. Not portfolio material...but def lifetime highlights material.

Here's just a handful of shots...more to come.

This was actually in Nepal on the same trip, different project. I traveled to Nepal to document the security demographics a few months after the government collapsed and discovered this gorgeous stupa while wandering the streets of Kathmandu.

McLeod Ganj is a town of many contradictions. I loved the juxtaposition of this monk sitting on the rooftop watching the bustle of humanity on the streets below, surrounded by signs of modernity.

I was privileged to have special access to the Tibetan Government in Exile and their services while I was documenting in India. I spent several days at the Tibetan Children's Village documenting the children who are often orphaned while traveling into exile from China. Many families are unable to remain together, often sending their children over the Himalayas into Nepal and eventually India with extended family or friends. The government in exile provides for these children and the community raises them as their own.

I spent a fair amount of time at the Dalai Lama's temple during my trip, observing, people watching and absorbing all the amazing energy.

Some of my favorite afternoons were spent documenting the monks during their daily debates. If you've never seen it, I highly recommend making the journey to a temple to observe this (or hitting the YouTubes-- not the same-- but easier).

And this was just one of my favorite shots from visiting some of the locals living near McLeod Ganj. We visited a poor community living in a make-shift shanty town during monsoon. I was traveling with aid workers and their passion for this community was inspiring. And the joyful faces of the children, living in such intense poverty, was even more inspiring.

I'll wrap it up here. I'm new to Steemit and just figuring this out, so if you like my art, give a little love! ;)