The plan (personally) was to shoot tons of images and use a selection in varying ways for my 'Solo Exhibition 2023'

A stunning place, steeped in history with a fusion of Mongol, Indian, Buddhist and Hindu influences amongst myriad others. To say that the Nepalese are a warm and welcoming people is like saying milk comes from cows. It's a truism and they all live long in the memory once you've returned home.
Then there's the geography of the place - we'd hardly set foot in Kathmandu before we were off at the crack of dawn the following day to fly alongside the Himalayas....actually seeing Everest, (known as Sagarmāthā by the Nepalese) was one of those spiritual moments that we all experience now and then. I became quite emotional witnessing these magnificent mountain ranges in the flesh for the first time. I knew I'd be getting 'up close and personal' (as per my exhibition title) with the Annapurna range during our visit - a circular 55km trek starting at Hile (1430m) to Nayapul (1010m). This sounds as though it's downhill all the way....you couldn't be more wrong. Our fitness, resilience and desire to 'reach the top' (in this case, Poon Hill @3210m) was severely tested...but like so many things regarded in hindsight, well worth the effort.

*Seven of the 'candid portraits' evolved into pastel drawings which you can see on the Exhibition 2023 pages.