Nepal: Evil eye

A protective mother in Nepal would never think of letting her child go out in public without black kohl makeup around their eyes. It is believed the kohl will shield the child from the dangers of the evil eye. The kohl can have a powerful effect, but not in the way the parent intended. Unfortunately, the kohl paint often includes lead that is toxic and quite dangerous to the wearer.

It has always amazed me how much the eyes tell about a person. A subject's gaze will often reveal so much about them without a word being spoken.

If you would like to see a short Quicktime movie of portraits, please go to Look into Their Eyes

(70-200mm lens at 135mm, 1/500 sec, f2.8, ISO400)
(24-70mm lens at 24mm, 1/125 sec, f2.8, ISO400)