The collection of photographs described in the pages that follow is the result of happenstance: the co-coordinator of the UNU mountain project happened to be an enthusiastic amateur photographer who had become addicted to Victor Hasselblad's 500C medium format camera.  Given the task of undertaking fieldwork, or field inspection, in most of the mountain regions mentioned, it was my personal reaction to attempt a photographic record of both mountains and mountain people. Many of the images exhibited here have been used previously in the series of UNU mountain calendars, 1995-2002.  This is the first time, however, that it has been possible to assemble a small selection of enlargements for international exhibition.  All are square (40 by 40 cm) either because the Hasselblad is a square-format camera or because, as many colleagues have pointed out, the photographer has developed square eyes.

Descriptive captions are correlated with the display by a consecutive numbering system.  There has been no real attempt at a "representative" selection from several thousand images;  those included are simply the ones the photographer found personally most pleasing.  It is hoped they reflect, not just a commitment to the mountains and their people, but a deep sense of awe in the magnificent landscapes and an acknowledgement of the privilege of being welcomed by remarkable human beings. These people include some of the poorest in the world, yet they are rich in the sense of joy, curiosity, and their extensive local environmental knowledge. 

Many of the portraits have been reproduced without copyright release by the subjects, primarily on account of language barriers and difficulty with mailing addresses in remote areas. Nevertheless, their willingness to allow the photographic invasion of their privacy is much appreciated. A small proportion of the total are not related to UNU activities directly; they have been added to achieve somewhat wider global coverage.