Home-grown travel photographer Rochelle Hansen will be trekking Nepal for a charitable project and she’s inviting company.
The award-winning shutterbug has just partnered with not-for-profit charity The Small World to lead a photography tour in February.
Rochelle is inspired to show like-minded people remote regions of the country that captured her heart when she was on assignment there last year.
“I have never met such warm, welcoming, happy people. They are willing to give what little they have to strangers,” Rochelle said.
“This tour will give people the opportunity to learn more about the beautiful culture and landscape and the wonderful work that is being done by The Small World.”
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The charity supports locally driven sustainable community development projects with a focus on breaking the cycle of poverty and with an emphasis on education and empowerment for women, children, and young girls who are at risk for exploitation.
Rochelle travelled to the Solukhumbu region of Nepal to photograph The Small World’s projects in remote villages last year. She trekked for 10 days, visiting the schools and homes that have been rebuilt since an earthquake shook the region three years ago.
She said this experience, and similar opportunity in India the previous year, allowed her to immerse herself in the different cultures and develop a real understanding of how the locals live.
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Rochelle said creating the ‘perfect photo’ comes down to a mixture of lighting and luck, however, forming bonds and a deeper understanding of her subjects enables her to capture them in their element.
“It’s very important to me that I develop a relationship with my subjects before photographing them, particularly in these environments,” she said.
Rochelle has received various awards for her work and was recently selected as one of 10 international artists to visit Iceland for a two-month art residency.
To learn more about Rochelle and her photography tour, visit thesmallworld.org/photography-tours
