Verge Magazine
Travel With Purpose Photo Contest
Shortlist, 2011
Verge Magazine, the Go Global Expo and Travel CUTS are proud to present an exhibition of outstanding travel photography from around the world. The images selected for this exhibition have been chosen by a panel of professional photographers and Verge editorial staff, and represent the very best of more than 1,500 entries submitted by Verge readers as part of our fifth annual Travel With Purpose Photo Contest.
Verge would like to acknowledge everyone who submitted photographs this year and thank them for sharing the memorable moments that have made their travels meaningful.
Produced with the support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency.
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PROJECTS & ISSUESBOUDAUD L 3 2 BOUDAUD L 3 2
1. Doctors Who Don't Give Up
Sabalebougou District, Bamako, Mali
Despite insufficient funds, women's health in the communities served by CSCOMs (Centres de Santé Communautaire au Mali) continues to improve thanks to determined doctors like the one pictured here.
Laëtitia Boudaud -
PROJECTS & ISSUESMCKAY SE 3 4 MCKAY SE 3 4
2. Stare
San Blas Islands, Kuna Yala, Panama
A Kuna woman selling molas (blouses) to tourists on the San Blas Islands. Tourism brings a few new problems to the self-governed indigenous community of 45 000, including an influx of garbage and a strain on the natural resources and environment.
Steve Mckay -
PROJECTS & ISSUESZONJIC M 3 4 ZONJIC M 3 4
3. Barracuda
Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras
With increasing tourism, the Utilian waters are being over-fished to satisfy the demand for seafood in restaurants. When the coral reef is being over-fished, it begins to die. This reef is currently the top attraction for tourists coming to the island, as well as the industry that provides most of the local employment. Laws defining catching seasons and bans have been difficult to implemenet and enforce, often inhabiting a grey area with the fishing communities.
Maja Zonjic -
PROJECTS & ISSUESYU J 3 1 YU J 3 1
4. Children of the Holy City
Varanasi, India
The Learn for Life charity, an NGO working to provide education and medical assistance to those who can't afford it, sits in the middle of the city of Varanasi, one of India's oldest and holiest cities. During a snack break in one of the classrooms, two boys look out from the small enclosed room. These kids are like students in any school, hopeful that one day they can achieve their childhood dreams - though they may face more obstacles than others.
Jessica Yu -
PROJECTS & ISSUESZONJIC M 3 3 ZONJIC M 3 3
5. A Murky Foundation
Camponado, Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras
The island of Utila is a diving hotspot for tourists, though you would never guess it if you stepped into Camponado, its poorest neighbourhood. To build houses for Spanish immigrants after the tourist boom, mangrove trees were cut down and houses were built over swampland filled with rocks and, eventually, garbage and sewage that has nowhere else to go. The area has become an ideal breeding ground for numerous diseases, and some researchers anticipate devasting consequences to the area within the next 10 years.
Maja Zonjic -
PROJECTS & ISSUESREID ALLIN LL 3 4 REID ALLIN LL 3 4
6. Nohayquiensepa ("Nobody Knows")
Aluna Theatre, Toronto, Canada
This multimedia production is inspired by documented ignominious activities of Canadian mining conglomerates in Central and South America. It depicts the fragility of life in places like the Columbian town of Puerto Berrio where human rights are eclipsed by corporate fiscal objectives. Initiatives by foreign investors have spurred conflict between rural (often indigenous) landowners, the government and the paramilitary, while also generating adverse socio-economic changes and contaminating the natural resources of many rural communities. Pictured: Victoria Mata, dancer and choreographer.
Lola Reid Allin -
PROJECTS & ISSUESPEDROSA MA 3 1 PEDROSA MA 3 1
7. Recycling Run
Jaipur, India
A boy on a bike saddled with bottles for recycling navigates the chaotic traffic in Jaipur. With limited recycling infrastructure, Jaipur relies largely on young boys who sift through garbage on the streets to take care of recycling. The boys return the plastic to a plant for a small refund.
Mark Pedrosa -
PROJECTS & ISSUESPALAVEETTIL S 3 1 PALAVEETTIL S 3 1
8. The Displaced People
Darjeeling, India
An elderly woman in a Tibetan refugee camp in Darjeeling knits lamb wool caps to be sold in a Tibetan store. My visit to the camp had a profound impact on me, particularly because of the older individuals. They smiled at me and greeted me with "tashi deleh", but there was an underlying sadness in their faces. Memories of fleeing from their home to this northeastern Indian state were still fresh - a feeling later confirmed when one of them said, "Tibet will be always in my heart, 'til I die."
Sunitha Palaveettil -
PROJECTS & ISSUESLymburner EA 3 2 Lymburner EA 3 2
9. Waiting
Chabin, Haiti
At this mobile health clinic, the waiting room is often flooded with children from neighbouring villages who are unable to attend school due to financial difficulties. Many families choose to send just one child to school for their family, typically the oldest male. At this mobile clinic, the waiting room was often flooded with children from neighbouring villages who, like Nixon, are unable to attend school.
Elisabeth Lymburner -
PROJECTS & ISSUESLENSINK N 3 2 LENSINK N 3 2
10. City Slicker
Afar, Ethiopia
A researcher (far left) with a large east-African health NGO, AMREF, tries to come up with socio-economic categories for a survey he is planning. Statistics are hard to create when income is measured in goats, cows and camels. These local men also didn’t want to discuss individual property or wealth.
Neil Lensink -
PROJECTS & ISSUESHarris BC 3 3 Harris BC 3 3
11. It's All Right in the End
Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, India
A doctor inoculates a village child at Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya (SNC), a 350-bed charity eye hospital and medical institution serving a population of approximately 25 million. In 2005, when this image was taken, the hospital increased its numbers of sight-restoring eye surgeries from 23, 000 to 45, 000 cases. This photograph shows one of hundreds of visits by medical teams to the villages around the hospital's location in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. Seva Canada, an international eyecare charity founded in 1982 and based in Vancouver, BC, supports the ophthalmological programmes at SNC.
Brian Harris -
PROJECTS & ISSUESGagnon A 3 1 Gagnon A 3 1
12. Elephant Greetings
Elephant Nature Park, Thailand
A rescued elephant meets its new family for the first time. The introduction can last for hours and is filled with noise and trumpeting from the elephants as they "feel" each other's trunks and facial features to get to know one another.
Allison Gagnon -
PROJECTS & ISSUESFOKKENS JF 3 4 FOKKENS JF 3 4
13. Lending a Hand
Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal
A volunteer helps to bathe an elderly Nepali man in this ashram in Pashupatinath. He lives here with 20 other individuals because their families have abandoned them, being unable to support them financially or because they are a burden/disgrace to the family. Local and international volunteers come to help with the daily chores and other tasks involved in caring for this group of people.
Jeremy Fokkens -
PROJECTS & ISSUESFOKKENS JF 3 2 FOKKENS JF 3 2
14. Work
Surkhet, Nepal
An 11-year-old Nepali girl works in the brickyards of Surkhet, Nepal. Her day starts at 6 a.m. alongside many children her own age, in conditions where the heat often exceeds 40 degrees Celcius. She works 14-hour days, six to seven days a week.
Jeremy Fokkens -
PROJECTS & ISSUESDUBROY RH 3 3 DUBROY RH 3 3
15. Digging for Water
Ireli, Dogon Country, Mali
In a hand-dug well along the Bandiagara Escarpment, where water is scarce, a young excavator waits for his teammates to carry soil and rock to the surface. Once they break through the water table to reach the groundwater below, the villagers will have a water source closer to their homes, though they will still have to hand-bail the water.
Robert Du Broy -
PEOPLEPERRON S 1 1 PERRON S 1 1
16. The Llama's Execution
Altiplano, Bolivia
In the Altiplano of Bolivia, llamas' executions are practiced in the local native culture to thank Pachamama, or Mother Earth.
Stéphanie Perron -
PEOPLEPAUL A 1 4 PAUL A 1 4
17. The Blind Beggar
Kolkata, India
A blind woman with her child begs on the street following prayers for Eid-ul-Adha, a Muslim holiday.
Angshuman Paul -
PEOPLEMCKAY SE 1 4 MCKAY SE 1 4
18. Fortune Teller
Hue, Vietnam
This 75-year-old lady sits on the Japanese bridge outside of Hue and tells tourists their fortunes for a small fee.
Steve Mckay -
PEOPLELabikova B 1 5 Labikova B 1 5
19. A Morning Flame
Varanasi, India
Two Indian men in the River Ganges going through their morning routine.
Beata Labikova -
PEOPLEkundu s 1 1 kundu s 1 1
20. Holi Bath
Gangasagar, India
A woman bathes in Gangasagar along the Bay of Bengal after celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colours.
Shibaji Kundu -
PEOPLEKIRCHNER D 1 2 KIRCHNER D 1 2
21. Charmed
Vinyaka, India
This married woman was watching me taking photos of children in her village. I motioned to take an image of her and she began to smile but modestly pulled her headcover to hide her face. I just managed to capture the sparkle and smile in her eye.
Dan Kirchner -
PEOPLEKarmakar S 1 4 Karmakar S 1 4
22. Inhale
Kolkata, India
A Sikh priest smokes charas (a hand-made, hashish form of cannibis) through a chillum, a traditional pipe usually made of clay.
Sourav Karmakar -
PEOPLEKarmakar S 1 1 Karmakar S 1 1
23. Let's Play Holi
Kolkata, India
A family welcomes spring during Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, celebrated by lighting bonfires and covering each other in coloured powder and water.
Sourav Karmakar -
PEOPLEISLAM FI 1 5 CMYK ISLAM FI 1 5 CMYK
24. Worshipper
Kolkata, India
A worshipper during the Hindu folk festival of Charak Puja. The celebrations are held after a month of fasting to satisfy Lord Shiva and involve being made up to represent Hindu dieties and other rituals.
Fakrul Islam -
PEOPLEISLAM FI 1 3.JPG ISLAM FI 1 3.JPG
25. Silent Worker
Sylhet, Bangladesh
This woman works in one of Bangladesh's largest stoneyards. In order to support her family, she spends every day moving stones and bricks from the yard into cargo holds alongside men who have traditionally done this kind of hard labour.
Fakrul Islam -
PEOPLEISLAM FI 1 1.JPG ISLAM FI 1 1.JPG
26. Daily Life
Assam, India
A young girl brings water for her family through the hills in India's Assam province.
Fakrul Islam -
PEOPLEHARYONO YT 1 1 HARYONO YT 1 1
27. Old Bicycle
Serdang Bedagai, Indonesia
A plantation worker collects oil palm fruits using his bike in the Serdang Bedagai district of northern Sumatra.
Y.T. Haryono -
PEOPLEGOEMANS JA 1 3 GOEMANS JA 1 3
28. The Village Poet
Gorkha, Nepal
This man greeted us at one of the local meeting spots in the village of Ludidamgade, where he mentioned his profession as the local poet. We were there as part of Uniterra's International Seminar programme, a joint project between World University Service of Canada and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation, researching Community Based Forest Enterprises (CBFEs) like the production of biodegradable plates made from leaves.
Jennifer Goemans -
PEOPLEFOKKENS JF 1 5 FOKKENS JF 1 5
29. Left Behind
Kathmandu, Nepal
An elderly Nepali man is bathed by a volunteer at an ashram along the Bagmati River in Pashupatinath. Families bring their elderly relatives here when they can no longer care for them because of their age or disabilities.
Jeremy Fokkens -
PEOPLEeternal 1 2 eternal 1 2
30. Pilgrim
Kolkata, India
A pilgrim on the banks of the Ganges River, celebrating the dark night of Ambasaya (the new moon) leading up to the Hindu festival, Durga Puja. The festival is devoted to the Mother Durga and is celebrated throughout India in the autumn with 10 days of festivities.
Ashis Banerjee -
DEWATWAL M 1 1 DEWATWAL M 1 1
PEOPLE
31. Tea Maker
Dewas, India
A Rajasthani tea maker ladles some chai.
Mukesh Dewatwal -
PEOPLEDE VERA A 1 1 DE VERA A 1 1
32. After a Hard Day's Work
Marikina,Philippines
Farmers bathe their carabaos (domesticated water buffalos) in the river after a hard day's work in the fields.
Arturo De Vera Jr. -
PLACESTUPPER JM 2 1 TUPPER JM 2 1
33. Good Luck
Huashan, Shaanxi, China
Padlocks are permanently fastened to a chain-link fence at one of the highest peaks of Huashan. These padlocks are sold to hikers who wish to fasten them at the top of the mountain to give good luck to their ancestors, bringing the good luck as close to heaven as possible.
Justin Tupper -
PLACESSNELL GJ 2 3 SNELL GJ 2 3
34. Run, Llama, Run
Altiplano, Bolivia
Early in the morning on a fall day, a llama runs by Laguna Colorado ("Red Lagoon"), a shallow sea salt lake frequented by flamingoes in the southern Bolivian desert.
Greg John Snell -
PLACESSHIMONOV M 2 2 SHIMONOV M 2 2
35. Surfing the Outback
Hyden, Australia
Wave Rock is a natural rock formation that is shaped like a tall, breaking ocean wave - hence its name.
Mirelle Shimonov -
PLACESRASOAMIARAMANANA F 2 1 RASOAMIARAMANANA F 2 1
36. The Rusty Rock
Ampefy, Madagascar
Situated in a volcanic area, the town of Ampefy is known for its geysers. The rusty orange colour comes from iron that has been oxidized, in part, by thermophiles (microorganisms that thrive in extremely hot environments).
Fabrice Rasoamiaramanana -
PLACESPATEL A 2 4 PATEL A 2 4
37. Walk and Talk
Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A man multitasks along the road into Pushkar, a small town 13 kilometres outside the noisy city of Ajmer situated where five rivers meet among the foothills.
Amish Patel -
PLACESONURLU FS 2 4 ONURLU FS 2 4
38. The Royal Tomb
Adiyaman, Turkey
Light from the morning's sunrise falls over Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving a royal tomb flanked by statues of kings and gods.
Ferit Onurlu -
PLACESONURLU FS 2 1 ONURLU FS 2 1
39. Under the Wings
Istanbul, Turkey
Seagulls fly over Istanbul's cityscape. A ferry, the Hagia Sophia museum and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (or the "Blue Mosque" as it's popularly known) may be seen in the distance.
Ferit Onurlu -
PLACESMITCHELL ND 2 2 MITCHELL ND 2 2
40. Elephant Hills
Amboseli, Kenya
Elephants stir up a storm of dust as the sun sets in Amboseli National Park.
Nicholas Mitchell -
PLACESMCNEILL P 2 2 MCNEILL P 2 2
41. Sand "Waterfall"
Page, Arizona, United States
Sand cascades off the side of a rock ledge in Antelope Canyon. Lots of sand collects in this 400-metre-long slot canyon, famous with tourists and photographers alike.
Patrick McNeill -
PLACESMCKINNON KA 2 3 MCKINNON KA 2 3
42. Laundry Day
Jodhpur,India
There's never a shortage of colour of India. I spotted this pretty scene from a rooftop restaurant across the street.
Kris McKinnon -
PLACESMARTEL MM 2 3 MARTEL MM 2 3
43. Walking Toward the Void
Sapa, Vietnam
In the suburbs, outside the bustling, tourist centre of Sapa, a man walks off the beaten path and into the void.
Martin Martel -
PLACESKHAN AH 2 2 KHAN AH 2 2
44. Prayer
Kathmandu, Nepal
A Hindu worshipper prays to Lord Shiva at Pashupatinath Temple in the Himalayas, where the deity is believed by many to reside.
Adnan Hossain Khan -
PLACESKarmakar S 2 3 Karmakar S 2 3
45. Walking Among the Gods
Kolkata, India
A Sikh priest walks by some graffiti painted on corrugated sheet metal with images from the local culture, including Hindu deities.
Sourav Karmakar -
PLACESFOKKENS JF 2 4 FOKKENS JF 2 4
46. Thamel Races By
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Riding in the back of a rickshaw through the area of Thamel in Kathmandu, an area known for its restaurants, bars, shops, nightlife and an abundance of backpackers.
Jeremy Fokkens -
PLACESDOMA S 2 1 DOMA S 2 1
47. Ice Castle
Lake Louise, Alberta
Misty sunlight on Lake Louise's ice castle, built on the frozen lake every year for the town's Ice Magic Festival.
Susanna Doma -
PLACESBUCHWALD JD 2 1 CMYK BUCHWALD JD 2 1 CMYK
48. Sunrise Stroll
Walakitang, Nicaragua
A young man walks across the pasture with a machete over his shoulder in the village of Walakitang along the Rio Coco. This shot was taken during one of the stops on our Kindess in Action dental brigade to the BOSAWAS biosphere in Nicaragua.
Julian D. Buchwald -
PLACESBRUNTON HJS 2 3 BRUNTON HJS 2 3
49. Above the Clouds
Schilthorn Mountain, Switzerland
One of the gondola points before the 2,970-metre summit of Schilthorn Mountain.
Heather Brunton -
PLACESBRUNTON HJS 2 1 BRUNTON HJS 2 1
50. Nightime in Bruges
Bruges, Belgium
The Belfry Tower lights up the cityscape of Bruges during a nightime walking tour of the city.
Heather Brunton
1. Doctors Who Don't Give Up
Sabalebougou District, Bamako, Mali
Despite insufficient funds, women's health in the communities served by CSCOMs (Centres de Santé Communautaire au Mali) continues to improve thanks to determined doctors like the one pictured here.
Laëtitia Boudaud
2. Stare
San Blas Islands, Kuna Yala, Panama
A Kuna woman selling molas (blouses) to tourists on the San Blas Islands. Tourism brings a few new problems to the self-governed indigenous community of 45 000, including an influx of garbage and a strain on the natural resources and environment.
Steve Mckay
3. Barracuda
Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras
With increasing tourism, the Utilian waters are being over-fished to satisfy the demand for seafood in restaurants. When the coral reef is being over-fished, it begins to die. This reef is currently the top attraction for tourists coming to the island, as well as the industry that provides most of the local employment. Laws defining catching seasons and bans have been difficult to implemenet and enforce, often inhabiting a grey area with the fishing communities.
Maja Zonjic
4. Children of the Holy City
Varanasi, India
The Learn for Life charity, an NGO working to provide education and medical assistance to those who can't afford it, sits in the middle of the city of Varanasi, one of India's oldest and holiest cities. During a snack break in one of the classrooms, two boys look out from the small enclosed room. These kids are like students in any school, hopeful that one day they can achieve their childhood dreams - though they may face more obstacles than others.
Jessica Yu
5. A Murky Foundation
Camponado, Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras
The island of Utila is a diving hotspot for tourists, though you would never guess it if you stepped into Camponado, its poorest neighbourhood. To build houses for Spanish immigrants after the tourist boom, mangrove trees were cut down and houses were built over swampland filled with rocks and, eventually, garbage and sewage that has nowhere else to go. The area has become an ideal breeding ground for numerous diseases, and some researchers anticipate devasting consequences to the area within the next 10 years.
Maja Zonjic
6. Nohayquiensepa ("Nobody Knows")
Aluna Theatre, Toronto, Canada
This multimedia production is inspired by documented ignominious activities of Canadian mining conglomerates in Central and South America. It depicts the fragility of life in places like the Columbian town of Puerto Berrio where human rights are eclipsed by corporate fiscal objectives. Initiatives by foreign investors have spurred conflict between rural (often indigenous) landowners, the government and the paramilitary, while also generating adverse socio-economic changes and contaminating the natural resources of many rural communities. Pictured: Victoria Mata, dancer and choreographer.
Lola Reid Allin
7. Recycling Run
Jaipur, India
A boy on a bike saddled with bottles for recycling navigates the chaotic traffic in Jaipur. With limited recycling infrastructure, Jaipur relies largely on young boys who sift through garbage on the streets to take care of recycling. The boys return the plastic to a plant for a small refund.
Mark Pedrosa
8. The Displaced People
Darjeeling, India
An elderly woman in a Tibetan refugee camp in Darjeeling knits lamb wool caps to be sold in a Tibetan store. My visit to the camp had a profound impact on me, particularly because of the older individuals. They smiled at me and greeted me with "tashi deleh", but there was an underlying sadness in their faces. Memories of fleeing from their home to this northeastern Indian state were still fresh - a feeling later confirmed when one of them said, "Tibet will be always in my heart, 'til I die."
Sunitha Palaveettil
9. Waiting
Chabin, Haiti
At this mobile health clinic, the waiting room is often flooded with children from neighbouring villages who are unable to attend school due to financial difficulties. Many families choose to send just one child to school for their family, typically the oldest male. At this mobile clinic, the waiting room was often flooded with children from neighbouring villages who, like Nixon, are unable to attend school.
Elisabeth Lymburner
10. City Slicker
Afar, Ethiopia
A researcher (far left) with a large east-African health NGO, AMREF, tries to come up with socio-economic categories for a survey he is planning. Statistics are hard to create when income is measured in goats, cows and camels. These local men also didn’t want to discuss individual property or wealth.
Neil Lensink
11. It's All Right in the End
Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, India
A doctor inoculates a village child at Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya (SNC), a 350-bed charity eye hospital and medical institution serving a population of approximately 25 million. In 2005, when this image was taken, the hospital increased its numbers of sight-restoring eye surgeries from 23, 000 to 45, 000 cases. This photograph shows one of hundreds of visits by medical teams to the villages around the hospital's location in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. Seva Canada, an international eyecare charity founded in 1982 and based in Vancouver, BC, supports the ophthalmological programmes at SNC.
Brian Harris
12. Elephant Greetings
Elephant Nature Park, Thailand
A rescued elephant meets its new family for the first time. The introduction can last for hours and is filled with noise and trumpeting from the elephants as they "feel" each other's trunks and facial features to get to know one another.
Allison Gagnon
13. Lending a Hand
Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal
A volunteer helps to bathe an elderly Nepali man in this ashram in Pashupatinath. He lives here with 20 other individuals because their families have abandoned them, being unable to support them financially or because they are a burden/disgrace to the family. Local and international volunteers come to help with the daily chores and other tasks involved in caring for this group of people.
Jeremy Fokkens
14. Work
Surkhet, Nepal
An 11-year-old Nepali girl works in the brickyards of Surkhet, Nepal. Her day starts at 6 a.m. alongside many children her own age, in conditions where the heat often exceeds 40 degrees Celcius. She works 14-hour days, six to seven days a week.
Jeremy Fokkens
15. Digging for Water
Ireli, Dogon Country, Mali
In a hand-dug well along the Bandiagara Escarpment, where water is scarce, a young excavator waits for his teammates to carry soil and rock to the surface. Once they break through the water table to reach the groundwater below, the villagers will have a water source closer to their homes, though they will still have to hand-bail the water.
Robert Du Broy
16. The Llama's Execution
Altiplano, Bolivia
In the Altiplano of Bolivia, llamas' executions are practiced in the local native culture to thank Pachamama, or Mother Earth.
Stéphanie Perron
17. The Blind Beggar
Kolkata, India
A blind woman with her child begs on the street following prayers for Eid-ul-Adha, a Muslim holiday.
Angshuman Paul
18. Fortune Teller
Hue, Vietnam
This 75-year-old lady sits on the Japanese bridge outside of Hue and tells tourists their fortunes for a small fee.
Steve Mckay
19. A Morning Flame
Varanasi, India
Two Indian men in the River Ganges going through their morning routine.
Beata Labikova
20. Holi Bath
Gangasagar, India
A woman bathes in Gangasagar along the Bay of Bengal after celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colours.
Shibaji Kundu
21. Charmed
Vinyaka, India
This married woman was watching me taking photos of children in her village. I motioned to take an image of her and she began to smile but modestly pulled her headcover to hide her face. I just managed to capture the sparkle and smile in her eye.
Dan Kirchner
22. Inhale
Kolkata, India
A Sikh priest smokes charas (a hand-made, hashish form of cannibis) through a chillum, a traditional pipe usually made of clay.
Sourav Karmakar
23. Let's Play Holi
Kolkata, India
A family welcomes spring during Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, celebrated by lighting bonfires and covering each other in coloured powder and water.
Sourav Karmakar
24. Worshipper
Kolkata, India
A worshipper during the Hindu folk festival of Charak Puja. The celebrations are held after a month of fasting to satisfy Lord Shiva and involve being made up to represent Hindu dieties and other rituals.
Fakrul Islam
25. Silent Worker
Sylhet, Bangladesh
This woman works in one of Bangladesh's largest stoneyards. In order to support her family, she spends every day moving stones and bricks from the yard into cargo holds alongside men who have traditionally done this kind of hard labour.
Fakrul Islam
26. Daily Life
Assam, India
A young girl brings water for her family through the hills in India's Assam province.
Fakrul Islam
27. Old Bicycle
Serdang Bedagai, Indonesia
A plantation worker collects oil palm fruits using his bike in the Serdang Bedagai district of northern Sumatra.
Y.T. Haryono
28. The Village Poet
Gorkha, Nepal
This man greeted us at one of the local meeting spots in the village of Ludidamgade, where he mentioned his profession as the local poet. We were there as part of Uniterra's International Seminar programme, a joint project between World University Service of Canada and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation, researching Community Based Forest Enterprises (CBFEs) like the production of biodegradable plates made from leaves.
Jennifer Goemans
29. Left Behind
Kathmandu, Nepal
An elderly Nepali man is bathed by a volunteer at an ashram along the Bagmati River in Pashupatinath. Families bring their elderly relatives here when they can no longer care for them because of their age or disabilities.
Jeremy Fokkens
30. Pilgrim
Kolkata, India
A pilgrim on the banks of the Ganges River, celebrating the dark night of Ambasaya (the new moon) leading up to the Hindu festival, Durga Puja. The festival is devoted to the Mother Durga and is celebrated throughout India in the autumn with 10 days of festivities.
Ashis Banerjee
PEOPLE
31. Tea Maker
Dewas, India
A Rajasthani tea maker ladles some chai.
Mukesh Dewatwal
32. After a Hard Day's Work
Marikina,Philippines
Farmers bathe their carabaos (domesticated water buffalos) in the river after a hard day's work in the fields.
Arturo De Vera Jr.
33. Good Luck
Huashan, Shaanxi, China
Padlocks are permanently fastened to a chain-link fence at one of the highest peaks of Huashan. These padlocks are sold to hikers who wish to fasten them at the top of the mountain to give good luck to their ancestors, bringing the good luck as close to heaven as possible.
Justin Tupper
34. Run, Llama, Run
Altiplano, Bolivia
Early in the morning on a fall day, a llama runs by Laguna Colorado ("Red Lagoon"), a shallow sea salt lake frequented by flamingoes in the southern Bolivian desert.
Greg John Snell
35. Surfing the Outback
Hyden, Australia
Wave Rock is a natural rock formation that is shaped like a tall, breaking ocean wave - hence its name.
Mirelle Shimonov
36. The Rusty Rock
Ampefy, Madagascar
Situated in a volcanic area, the town of Ampefy is known for its geysers. The rusty orange colour comes from iron that has been oxidized, in part, by thermophiles (microorganisms that thrive in extremely hot environments).
Fabrice Rasoamiaramanana
37. Walk and Talk
Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A man multitasks along the road into Pushkar, a small town 13 kilometres outside the noisy city of Ajmer situated where five rivers meet among the foothills.
Amish Patel
38. The Royal Tomb
Adiyaman, Turkey
Light from the morning's sunrise falls over Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving a royal tomb flanked by statues of kings and gods.
Ferit Onurlu
39. Under the Wings
Istanbul, Turkey
Seagulls fly over Istanbul's cityscape. A ferry, the Hagia Sophia museum and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (or the "Blue Mosque" as it's popularly known) may be seen in the distance.
Ferit Onurlu
40. Elephant Hills
Amboseli, Kenya
Elephants stir up a storm of dust as the sun sets in Amboseli National Park.
Nicholas Mitchell
41. Sand "Waterfall"
Page, Arizona, United States
Sand cascades off the side of a rock ledge in Antelope Canyon. Lots of sand collects in this 400-metre-long slot canyon, famous with tourists and photographers alike.
Patrick McNeill
42. Laundry Day
Jodhpur,India
There's never a shortage of colour of India. I spotted this pretty scene from a rooftop restaurant across the street.
Kris McKinnon
43. Walking Toward the Void
Sapa, Vietnam
In the suburbs, outside the bustling, tourist centre of Sapa, a man walks off the beaten path and into the void.
Martin Martel
44. Prayer
Kathmandu, Nepal
A Hindu worshipper prays to Lord Shiva at Pashupatinath Temple in the Himalayas, where the deity is believed by many to reside.
Adnan Hossain Khan
45. Walking Among the Gods
Kolkata, India
A Sikh priest walks by some graffiti painted on corrugated sheet metal with images from the local culture, including Hindu deities.
Sourav Karmakar
46. Thamel Races By
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Riding in the back of a rickshaw through the area of Thamel in Kathmandu, an area known for its restaurants, bars, shops, nightlife and an abundance of backpackers.
Jeremy Fokkens
47. Ice Castle
Lake Louise, Alberta
Misty sunlight on Lake Louise's ice castle, built on the frozen lake every year for the town's Ice Magic Festival.
Susanna Doma
48. Sunrise Stroll
Walakitang, Nicaragua
A young man walks across the pasture with a machete over his shoulder in the village of Walakitang along the Rio Coco. This shot was taken during one of the stops on our Kindess in Action dental brigade to the BOSAWAS biosphere in Nicaragua.
Julian D. Buchwald
49. Above the Clouds
Schilthorn Mountain, Switzerland
One of the gondola points before the 2,970-metre summit of Schilthorn Mountain.
Heather Brunton
50. Nightime in Bruges
Bruges, Belgium
The Belfry Tower lights up the cityscape of Bruges during a nightime walking tour of the city.
Heather Brunton