A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Nepal regions last April and another one last May, both caused a devastating aftermath, greatly affecting the tourism of the country; their number one source of income. In Nepal, you will find Mt. Everest - the world's highest mountain. In this photo set, our artist Julian aims to capture the beautiful faces of elderly Tibetans who have seen so much in one lifetime. He wanted to show the world that the people of Nepal are still there recovering, surviving amidst the recent calamities. And that Nepal is still a safe place to visit.

Located East of the center of Kathmandu, the area of Boudhanath Stupa plays home to much of the Tibetan community of Kathmandu, Nepal. Refugees from their homelands of Tibet, Boudhanath plays an important role in keeping Tibetan beliefs and ways of life alive. Many elderly Tibetans gather together on the steps of the Buddhist temple within the grounds opposite the Stupa, often getting up throughout the day to walk around the Stupa in a traditional clockwise direction.

- Julian Bound

 

My reason for taking the portraits of the elderly Tibetans was to document the faces that have seen so much in one lifetime. Weathered and lined from high altitude sunlight where the air is much thinner, each wrinkle portrays a story lived. I also wanted to capture this community because such features may not be around in years to come. Approaching them with a smile I soon received smiles back from each and the permission to take their photo. It took half an hour to take the photographs.

- Julian Bound

I also wanted to show the world how Kathmandu and the rest of Nepal is recovering from the recent earthquakes of April and May this year, and that it is safe to return here. With tourism being one of Nepal's main incomes, I want to encourage tourists from around the world to visit the country. So they too may experience the magnificent Himalayan scenery, the ancient Buddhist culture that runs through the streets of Kathmandu, and most of all the kindness, generosity and endless welcoming smiles of the people of Nepal.

- Julian Bound

I used Canon 7D with a Tamron AF 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 lens. All photos are post-processed in LightRoom.

- Julian Bound

ABOUT JULIAN BOUND

Julian Bound is a photojournalist from the UK. He is currently living in Kathmandu, Nepal, having been stationed there for the last five months as an emergency deployment photographer for a UK based NGO. He has been covering the two earthquakes of April and May this year. His previous works has covered the child soldiers of Burma, the slums of Mumbai India, the riots of Bangkok, Thailand and Tibetan refugees now living in Pokhara, Nepal. He was also in Cairo, Egypt for the start of the Arab Spring. His photojournalism works has been published in the international press - BBC News, National Geographic, and various travel and in-flight airline magazines.

See more of his travels and amazing artworks in Behance and his website.