(always) Learning to See ...

TIBET 31 I guess the mountain wanted the last word! I just saw a great image posted by Brian which made me go back and look at my own raw files. Essentially I stole his processing. My image is not that sharp because we had been waiting for the sunset to hit the mountain as the wind blew steadily across the ice for a very long time. Tripod,off camera release and mirror lock up at the ready. Eventually  I decided it was a matter of freezing to death or going inside (despite building myself a little wall from river stones to hide behind as I waited). Brian is made of stronger stuff. Some time latter someone said ‘its hitting the mountain now!’, so I ran outside and took this image hand held in low light.

Thanks Brian. (link)

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

Here is a link for the full set of 30 images from (this first trip to) Tibet

Thanks a lot to Brian, Jamin and Matt for a fantastic trip. I will be back.

www.plateauphototours.com

www.thedigitaltrekker.com

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 30  One of our wonderful hosts in a little hotel with a few shared rooms and a pit toilet from the first floor down to the ground floor. Basic but made comfortable by the warmth of the family,  The lodgings I liked the most were the most basic on this trip, once you get up to 3 star (asian) standards slip in terms of ‘service’. In the best hotel (1 star?) a very rustic tent at base camp which maybe had one of the worlds grottiest toilets shared by all the ‘hotels’ (ie tents) the solitary hostess plied us with tea, stoked the stove and cooked up a tolerable meal. Then tucked us in our beds under piles of doonas so we were warm despite the tea freezing overnight. ( I think its 50 years since I was tucked in!)

Seems appropriate to end the tibet series with this warm hearted Tibetan woman.

5DII Zeiss Macro Plannar 2/100 f9.0

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 29 Temple Courtyard and pilgrams. I like the shadows.

canon 5Dii Zeiss macro Plannar 2/100 ZE f9

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 28 I think of this as my best landscape from the tibet trip. Not sure but I suspect the washing would freeze on a line but catches the sun on the ground. Or……  Anyway for me captures the spirit of place quite well. On the ‘freedom highway’ close to everest.

canon  1Div Zeiss Distagon 21/2.8 (about 28ml on this body) 1/400 f10

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 27 Everest Base camp (iceland expedition in the foreground) sunny, cold and very  windy, but great to be there.

Canon 5D11 Zeiss distagon 2/35 f11

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 26 I am starting the last week of Tibet images with this smiling lady. In Lhasa there were many striking looking farmers wearing these sort of hats. I guess the hats came to Tibet with the Brits long ago. I bought one so now I look cool also.

canon  5DII 85/1.2 f2.0 

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 25 Rooftop patterns in Gyantse from the top of the biggish circumambulation around the temple complex. The click through should go to a bigger version- there are people as well as blessing post things on the tops of the buildings.

Canon 5DII 85/1.2 at f6.3 (not sure why though)

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 24 Everest from the monastery  a little way off from base camp. I still can’t quite grasp that I got myself there! I watched Brian race up higher to take a different view while struggling to breath from a little climb of my own.  5545 metres really slowed me down. Later in a conversation about missed photographic opportunities Brian said he had waited 5 years to make the capture that day after missing it on an earlier trip. Such comments somehow make me feel much better at all my missed opportunities. Do see Brians blog @ this link:  Brian Hirschy 

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

canon 5DII Zeiss Distagon 2/35 ZE f10

TIBET 23 Taken from the Chorten in Gyantse. “magnificent tiered Kumbum (literally, ‘100,000 images’) of the Palcho Monastery, the largestchörten in Tibet. The Kumbum was commissioned by a Gyantse prince in 1427 and was an important centre of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. This religious structure contains 77 chapels in its six floors, and is illustrated with over 10,000 murals, many showing a strong Nepali influence, which have survived almost entirely intact. They are the last of its kind to be found in Tibet. Many of the restored clay statues are of less artistry than the destroyed originals - but they are still spectacular.” Wikipedia)  A delight to explore this complex

canon 5DII Zeiss macro Plannar T 2/100 ZE f9.0.

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 22 a village on the way to Everest base camp. For me it illustrates the harshness of this environment and the way people survive. I nearly froze as I walked out of the shelter of the buildings into the wind to make this capture.

canon 5DII Zeiss Distagon 2/35 ZE f10 1/400

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 21 Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse (I think). A small circumambulation circuit within the complex. I was drawn to the bright highlights and the pattern of the buildings, the two figures are a bonus.

canon 1Div 85/1.2 f6.3

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 20 a portrait of one of the pilgrims on the roof of the shrine  area behind the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. The willingness of people to be photographed varied in Tibet, some were reluctant, often more out of shyness or a sense that they were not important enough, others were gracefully welcoming and a few said no. With 6 billion people on the planet I am always happy to accept a no. This elegant woman was shy at first but happy to be photographed after I had sat for a while with her and her friends and she had seen other portraits on my camera back.

This image probably ends the spiritual practice in Tibet part of this series. Next week more about buildings and landscape.

canon 5DII 85/1.2 1/1250 f 1.6 iso 200 

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 19 one of hundreds of carvings on the roof of the Jokhang temple, Lhasa.

canon 5DII Zeiss 2/200 ZE f3.5 1/200

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 18 monks washing day (number 2)

canon 1Div Zeiss Distagon T 2/35 ZE  1/100 f9

TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)