Holy Man – Kathmandu, Nepal, by Jennifer Varela.
Nikon D800; Lens: 24-70mm

Holy Man – Kathmandu, Nepal, by Jennifer Varela.
Nikon D800; Lens: 24-70mm
Whilst visiting Pashupatinath, the most famous Hindu temple in Nepal, I took a number of photos of the ‘holy men’ or ‘sadhus’ who were meditating on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. I liked this photo best, as the sadhu was sitting just inside an entrance way which allowed the natural light to fall softly on his face and body. I have converted the photo to black and white as I think it works best for this image.
Don’s response
Jennifer Varela’s decision to render this portrait in black and white was a good one. The sadhu’s expression may be neutral in an objective sense, but I think many viewers will agree that there is a quietly powerful intensity to his gaze that really holds our attention.
The lighting as Jennifer notes, was just about perfect. The very dark background and the subtle modelling of the Sadhu’s upper body by the diffuse light, give the picture a deep, meditative calm.
A timeless and beautiful piece of work.