India and Nepal are home to world famous monuments and scenic landscapes, worthy subjects of many photographers, but it is the people that this photographer is drawn to and which are reflected in this collection of 46 large format (16” x 20”) digital portraits. Selected from over 2,200 photographs, the portraits in this exhibit were edited for diversity: young and old, men and women, children and adults, rural and urban, rich and poor, although admittedly my fondness for children and holy men colored my choices.

photo is a fleeting encounter with the subject; a brief moment of interaction. This momentary connection inspired the exhibit's title. The Hindi word "Namaste" (na-Mass-tey) is a common hand clasped greeting, but on a deeper level, also a recognition of one soul acknowledging another....the divinity in me welcoming the divinity in you.

India and Nepal are sensory overloads, with sights, sounds and smells that ferociously assault the senses. Home to ancient cultures, both countries are very "other" places for the first time Western visitor, difficult to fathom let alone understand. However, the sheer density and diversity of subject choices among its friendly and curious people provided a true feast for street portraiture.