Are Tibetans travelling the world?

The prestigious Leica Fotografie International magazine just published a 14 pages portfolio of my reportage on Tibet.



Photographic representations of Tibetans do get seen worldwide by millions of persons. Yet, themselves have difficulties to travel on their own land because the Chinese authorities have set up so many restricting rules.
In the spring of 2000, I went to Tibet to share and photograph the lifestyle of the Tibetan pilgrims.

I walked through snowy mountains and high passes in their company, took refuge in caves or in nomad’s tents and shared their simple and daring lifestyle.
The photographs published in the current LFI magazine were made in Lhassa and around mount Kailash, the most sacred mountain in southwest Tibet.
I was once lost on a snowy day while trekking between the Ganden and Samye monasteries when suddenly, a single monk in his twenties appeared, himself lost and coming for a very far away part of Tibet. We became travel companions and found our way through high passes and frozen lakes.
His dream was to escape Tibet and to go live near the Dalai Lama in India.
Is he now travelling the world?


Technical notes:
I used Leica M cameras (on this trip, a M6 loaded with 3200 asa film for the dark interior shoots, a M4P with 35mm summicron and a M3 with 50mm summicron and 400 asa film for outoors). After years of carrying SLR cameras and heavy equipment, I discovered the freedom of having just a couple of discreet, quiet rangefinders and fabulous lenses. Best built quality, smoothness of use, reliability, no power failure and I can load film fearlessly in a snowstorm…

The french editor "Autrement" published "Pèlerinages tibétains : le goût du sacré" in 2004. The photographs are accompanied by a superb text from Martin Melkonian.

To view the full photo story, go visit my website.


Do you want one of these photographs on your wall? Write to me (email adress in my profil).