Photography By David Price

Subject: Boy with spade<p/>Comment: I produced these images at the River Seti over five days spending up to eight hours per visit. Considering how hard these people work this was a very happy place. I saw this boy staring out over the river holding this huge spade!<p/>Subject: Woman carrying a Dhoko<p/>Comment: Men and women carry sand and stone in their Dhoko (basket). Each load, weighing up to 50 to 65ks 2500ks per person is carried out over the twelve hour day, between 200 and 1000 meters depending on where on site it is quarried. Their reward per trip eight Rupees around seven pence sterling.<p/>Subject: Razkumar twelve years old<p/>Comment: Always smiling, Razkumar worked with his mother. The wire mesh in this timber frame is used to grade the sand and stone.<p/>Subject: Razkumar<p/>Comment: At only twelve years old this boy was at the river Seti at every visit; he never stops smiling. He sorted the sand from the stones but did not do any of the heavy lifting or carrying!<p/>Subject: Two brothers<p/>Comment: these two boys were removing the larger stones which were a waste product.<p/>Subject: Old lady<p/>Comment: Sorting the larger stones, this old lady sat here for hours. As she threw the stones she turned away from the sun so I asked my guide if she would look the other way. A well lit face was the result!<p/>Subject: Cheeky boy<p/>Comment: One of my favorite portraits this cheeky boy dressed in girls t shirt made it clear what he thought of me.<p/>Subject: Lady filling a Dhoko<p/>Comment: Many of the ladies wore these brightly coloured clothes. They were in great contrast to the grey sand and stone of the river.<p/>Subject: Lady carrying<p/>Comment: With around 50 kgs of sand on her back this woman climbs the last 30 meters out from the river to where the sand is sold for use in the construction industry.<p/>Subject: Lady sorting stones<p/>Comment: the larger stones were discarded as waste, this ladies work is made easy as her place of work was right on the Seti so the stone was simply tossed into the river. I love the reflection in this shot!<p/>Subject: River crossing<p/>Comment: A set of stepping stones were used where a small stream crossed the path to the waiting trucks. On one visit I lifted a fully laden Dhoko! It's hard to believe these men and women move around 2000kgs of sand a day by this method.<p/>Subject: stepping stones<p/>Comment: For the children who went to school, the quarry was a great place to play after they finished for the day. My guide and I talked with these children's father. He was very proud to be working at the quarry; this meant he could pay for their education. He did not seem to mind the hard work.<p/>Subject: River Seti Quarry<p/>Comment: shot from the access road which is used by trucks for loading. This view gives some idea of the size of the Seti.<p/>Subject: deep in thought<p/>Comment: This boy was just sat looking deep in thought. There is a pool of water behind him in which the reflection of a huge boulder can be seen.<p/>Subject: These young monks appeared from nowhere, they were on the way to the river to wash.<p/>Subject: Old man Dhoko<p/>Comment: carrying his Dhoko I watched this old man work on several occasions. My guess is he is sixty years old.<p/>Subject: Hindus cremate their dead on the Seti it's a holy river. Work just carries on as bodies are carried to the waiting pyre. Its just an everyday occurrence that goes little noticed.<p/>Subject: Mourning couple<p/>Comment: A man with his head in his hands sits and mourns his dead. To the left of this group a body is being cremated. The man to the far left seems to be laughing. Shot at 400mm I did feel capturing this moment was an invasion of their privacy.<p/>Subject: Men loading a Dhoko<p/>Comment: If you look hard you can see the flames in the background where a body is being cremated. I love the spillage of sand captured in this shot and the fact these men seem oblivious to the funeral party behind them.<p/>Comment: Old lady working<p/>Comment: Captured late afternoon, the Himalayas clearly visible in the background. They are a truly spectacular backdrop to this place of work!<p/>Subject: Old lady<p/>Comment: This image sums up women working in Nepal. Towards the end of a day this lady would have moved and sorted around 2000kgs of sand and stone. She looks weary stood with spade in hand.<p/>Subject: Two young girls<p/>Comment: A playground for children these two girls could be heard constantly laughing and giggling, it was quite infectious. The stones in the foreground are a waste product.<p/>Subject: Man and tools<p/>Comment: I thought this man was particularly photogenic! Pictured with his collection of tools and a towel on his head<p/>Subject: Hard man<p/>Comment: This guy was so pleasant he always had time for me. It would be unusual for me to shoot a portrait like this in landscape but I wanted to capture the rip in his shirt.<p/>Subject: Trucks loading<p/>Comment: Young boys often loaded these trucks using no more than a spade. It was strange watching them work as adults looked on. The yellow sand filled sacks split up family's sand which was sold and used in Pokhara city in the construction industry.<p/>Subject: My guide Enoch and I arrived one day to find work had stopped due to the river rising. This lone boy is pictured knee deep in water playing next to a deserted pile of sand<p/>Subject: Bandana boy<p/>Comment: This image does little to document the work on the river; I just think it's a great portrait.<p/>Subject: Boy digging<p/>Comment: Not once did I see a child carrying but often children would grade the sand and stones then load the Dhokos for the men and women to carry out!<p/>Subject: Man washing clothes<p/>Comment: The river was used to bathe and wash clothes.<p/>Subject: Man with whiskers<p/>Comment: Just a lovely portrait, the side light provided by a home made reflector<p/>Subject: Men with Dhokos<p/>Comment: These baskets or Dhokos look small in this image but they weigh 50 to 65kgs laden with sand. One day I picked one up! I can tell you it took quite an effort.<p/>Subject: Old lady sitting;<p/>Comment: I had packed my kit away due to the low light when I spotted this old lady. Such was the quality of the subject I grabbed my camera and captured this image. Pictured outside her house these block buildings were of one room only ten feet square.<p/>Subject: Boy holding a shovel<p/>Comment: my last shot of my final day on the Seti. I met this fifteen year old boy several times. He is pictured here stood on the back of a truck holding his shovel aloft.<p/>
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Subject: Boy with spade

Comment: I produced these images at the River Seti over five days spending up to eight hours per visit. Considering how hard these people work this was a very happy place. I saw this boy staring out over the river holding this huge spade!

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Boy With Spade
© copyright 2007 David Price