Turning the Wheel – India

A potter turns the wheel in his village outside Varanasi.

A Fine Balance - Inle Lake, Burma

A boy simultaneously rows and fishes on Inle lake. This peculiar rowing style is unique to Inle Lake’s Intha people. Standing one-legged at the stern of a flat-bottomed wooden boat, the other leg wrapped around the oar, the rower propels the boat forward, his hands free to fish. The combination of balance, focus, strength, and flexibility is hatha yoga in action!

Filling the Water Pots - Annapurna Region, Nepal

A gurung woman from the lower Annapurna region fills her water containers at the village tap. Lighter plastic water jugs, often an empty pesticide or kerosene container, have replaced the heavier traditional ones. In a country abundantly endowed with rushing rivers, water remains a precious commodity as many live far from its source.

Waiting for Work - Kolkata, India

Runner-pulled rickshaw workers rest on their wares, waiting for work. Although human-pulled rickshaws have been replaced with bicycle and auto rickshaws, Kolkata remains one of the few places in India where human beasts of burden still eke out a living running barefoot through congested city streets hauling their passengers.

Rickshaw Wallah - Kolkata, India

Sporting a pink turban and eyeing the camera intently, this rickshaw wallah stands astride his licensed hand-pulled rickshaw. Despite the government’s motion to end this inhumane form of work, it has yet to provide rehabilitation and an alternative living for thousands of men.

Oh My Darjeeling! - Darjeeling, India

A tea leaf picker shades herself from intense afternoon sun in the Darjeeling region, West Bengal, India.

Assam Tea Garden - Assam, India

A tea worker plucks leaves, tossing them into her conical bamboo basket at a tea garden in Assam. ‘Assam tea’, named after the region, is black strong-bodied breakfast tea. The gardens are a peaceful refuge from the congested, noisy streets, but for millions of workers a place of laborious toil.

Tending a Young Seedling – China

Chinese parents labor in the rice fields around Dalian, Liaoning Province, while grandfather tends a precious young seedling.

Brick by Brick- Tamil Nadu, India

A woman stacking bricks on her head labors at a residential apartment building site.

Stacking Teacups - India

A woman stacks teacups at a pottery village to sell in Varanasi. Indian tea, called chai, is traditionally served in earthen cups. Cups are smashed after drinking generating constant demand for teacups!