Portraits of People:Nepal Himalayas Book

For 20 years, world-renowned photographer Éric Valli traveled through the Himalaya's treacherous terrain with his camera, tirelessly exploring the breathtaking landscape of dramatic peaks and valleys. He became captivated by the region's quiet and dignified inhabitants, learning their languages and forming personal bonds with them.

This stunning collection of Valli's most beautiful photographs from his time in the Himalaya presents the region's spectacular scenery: steep and narrow pathways, lonely high valleys, dramatic passes at 16,000 feet above sea level, and remote villages seemingly untouched by modernity. But the heart of the book is Valli's images of the Himalayan people, who have remained largely hidden from outsiders in their mountainous land. These intimate photographs capture their daily lives: men plowing through the snow with a caravan of yaks and women preparing meals over open fires, as they have done for centuries. Valli also records the predicaments they face in opening their culture to the modern world. Accompanied by an insightful text by cultural anthropologist Anne de Sales, Valli's images document an awe-inspiring human adventure halfway around the world. AUTHOR BIO: Éric Valli lived for many years in the Himalaya and is one of the region's best-known photographers. He is a regular contributor to Géo and National Geographic and the author of numerous books, including Abrams' Himalaya, about the making of his first feature-length film. He now lives in Paris. Anne de Sales is a cultural anthropologist for the CNRS, the national organization for scientific research, in Paris. She spent a decade in Nepal and has written several books on shamanism.