• PhotoBlog
    • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
    • Rights/Usage
Menu

Jim Nutty

Travel, Architectural & Landscape Imagery
  • PhotoBlog
  • About/Contact
    • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
    • Rights/Usage
The Caretaker

The Caretaker

October 17, 2016

This image is from our past trip to Bhutan…another portrait of one of the people that I found so inspiring. We found the people of Bhutan to be welcoming and warm everywhere that we went. It seems to just be their nature, part of their culture.

We met this gentle soul while hiking up to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal, an important and beautiful temple that overlooks the Punakha Valley. Looking ahead as we walked through the rice fields, we could see him spinning a prayer wheel that marks the start of the ascent up to the temple. When we arrived he greeted us with a smile and welcomed us to this sacred place…his sacred place. We discovered, with the help of our guide, that he is the head monk and the caretaker of the temple. 

After offering us a blessing, he encouraged us to continue our hike up to the main temple. He seemed genuinely happy that we were there to visit and we, in turn, felt fortunate that our timing allowed us this chance encounter.

I don’t often take portraits of people, but this was an experience I wanted to capture. Before leaving, I mustered up the courage to ask the monk if I could take his photograph and he happily agreed. With the light now above the mountains to the east and illuminating one side of him, I took this one image.

When I look at the image, I since the serenity and kindness that he possesses. Perhaps this is simply because of our personal encounter, but I hope that you can also see this in his eyes and expression. I also hope that if you visit Bhutan, you get a chance to meet him as well. 

In Photography, Travel Tags Asia, Bhutan, Portrait, Travel, Monk
← Prepare the Engines for Warp DriveFang of the Underground →

Latest Posts

Featured
Tidal Wave
Feb 12, 2019
Tidal Wave
Feb 12, 2019
Feb 12, 2019
Red, White & Blur
Feb 4, 2019
Red, White & Blur
Feb 4, 2019
Feb 4, 2019
Neist Point Sunset
Jan 30, 2019
Neist Point Sunset
Jan 30, 2019
Jan 30, 2019
Eye of the Strom
Jan 21, 2019
Eye of the Strom
Jan 21, 2019
Jan 21, 2019
Mesa Arch Sunrise
Jan 14, 2019
Mesa Arch Sunrise
Jan 14, 2019
Jan 14, 2019
Turbine
Dec 3, 2018
Turbine
Dec 3, 2018
Dec 3, 2018
Nov 12, 2018
Ripcurl
Nov 12, 2018
Nov 12, 2018
Helix
Nov 5, 2018
Helix
Nov 5, 2018
Nov 5, 2018
The Milky Way & The Matterhorn
Oct 30, 2018
The Milky Way & The Matterhorn
Oct 30, 2018
Oct 30, 2018
Entering Warp Drive
Oct 23, 2018
Entering Warp Drive
Oct 23, 2018
Oct 23, 2018