(always) Learning to See ...

TIBET 17 a glimpse into a monks little room. I was  captured by the light through the red curtain as it was blown gentle by the breeze but like the triangle of yellow as well.

canon 5Dii zeiss distagon 28/21 ZE 1/30 f8 iso 200.

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

TIBET 16  Monks debate in Lhasa. Strong dappled sunlight made this wonderfully theatrical scene very difficult to photograph successfully. This image taken with a longer lens and one of many is my favourite.

Canon 5DII 200m f2.8  1/800 f5.0

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

TIBET 15 another view of the square from yesterday. I count 17 prayer wheels (collective noun - a whirl?) which come in every shape and  size. As you can see people come prepared for the days work with thermos and snacks which they share generously.

(zeiss macro plannar 2/100 ZE  f18 1/50 canon 5DII)

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

TIBET 14 Just behind the Jokhang Temple was a courtyard which, during the month for Guru Rinpoche, was filled with many hundred, mostly older, practitioners and their prayer wheels. They drank the free tea, chatted, enjoyed the community and prayed. They were on the roofs and balconies, stairs and basically every nook and cranny.

(Canon 85 1.2  f2 5DII)

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

TIBET 13 The  early morning crowd of people prostrating is a blur of activity, except for one contemplative individual, The scene is at the front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa near the Barkhor.

(canon 85 1.2 f16 1/4 sec tripod, remote release 5DII)

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

TIBET 12 I spied this attractive woman on the path around the monastery in Shigatse and raced to catch up with her, which given the altitude and my fitness was a very demanding task, especially as she was setting a very fast pace and suspect did this ‘circuit’ of prayer wheels daily. I was rewarded with a smile and this blurry image which I like a lot as it captures the mood at least. (Not sure it is an example of right-mindedness though.)

(Canon 85 1-2 at f8 1/30sec 5DII pulse dangerously high)

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

TIBET 11 Walking around (circumambulating) the large temple complex of Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse with the determined, and usually fitter, pilgrims I found this, most sincere, woman praying to the mountain gods as she passed closest to the mountain. People shouted out at this point I guess so the god would hear them.

(Canon 85 1.2 f5.0 1/320 5DII) TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 10 One of a large group of monks we were able to photograph during a major puja in Lhasa thanks to the great research and generous support offered by Jamin York and Brian Hirschy from Plateau Photo Tours. Photography in dark halls lit by oil lamps is very hard and requires higher iso (800) and a tripod but this image was still at 1/15 sec and f2.2 (85ml 1.2 lens) on the 5D11.I probably also used an off camera release.  I prefocused using live view and tried to time the shutter as the monk moved his head back and forth. I did feel very happy that I carried the heavy canon 85ml lens on this trip as well as a tripod. More on gear latter in this series.

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

TIBET 09 worship starts young in Tibet. Canon5DII with Zeiss 100 Makro-Plannar f2.2 1/30 iso 1600 (handheld pretty much in the dark which helps explain the softness.)

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

TIBET 08 One of the lovingly cared for doors to a temple complete with the small donation tucked into the knob

(Canon 1DIV  Zeiss Distagon T 2/35 ZE 1/1250 f 2.8 iso 500)

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

TIBET 07 One of the things one notices in Tibet is how many pilgrims are clutching wads of small denomination notes as they move around a temple, palace or monastery. They leave offerings on every possible shrine and one often spies these small notes tucked into cracks and similar places in the building.

(canon 5DII 85 1.2 f1.8 1/50) TIBET series link  ©robert van koesveld (CC-BY-NC-ND)

TIBET 06 This monk is carrying out a ceremony for Guru Rinpoche in Lhasa during the  month of activity for this eighth century tantric sage who was key in establishing Buddhism in Bhutan.  Guru Rinpoche (precious master), also known as Padmasambhava, is regarded as the second Buddha by Tibetans and Bhutanese.

(canon 5DII Zeiss Distagon T 2/35 1/13 f2.0)

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

TIBET 05  Many pilgrams carry oil for the lamps as they visit all possible shrines in each temple they visit. For me, there is a sense of both dedication and of the pleasure involved in making an offering in this image.

(canon 5DII Zeiss Makro-Planar T 2/100 ZE 1/40 f2.5)

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

TIBET 04  we were able to visit a community of buddhist nuns Lhasa during their morning meditation period and allowed to photograph. I was glad of my tripod because the light was hard to find in the oil lamp lit temple. I really like this image as there is some sort of complex communication without language.

(Canon 1DIV 85/1.2 1.2 1/40 iso800 tripod)

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

TIBET 03 all day long there are pilgrims circumambulating the Jokhang temple which sits on Barkhor Square (The Barkhor) There are shops and it is a road but the vast majority respect the clockwise circumambulatory tradition. For many it is a daily practice of their faith.

The temple was “founded during the reign of king Songsten Gampo. According to tradition, the temple was built for the two brides of the king, Princess Wencheng of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. Both wives are said to have brought important Buddhist statues and images from China and Nepal to Tibet as part of their dowries, and they were housed here. Many Nepalese artists worked to construct this temple.^[1]”

^{more on wikipedia}

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jokhang

(canon 5DII zeiss Distagon T 2/35 ZE 1/20 f14)

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