Admiring the Dalai Lama Photo

Photographer’s Note

I had intended to post a recent picture from Vietnam today, but instead I show this photo from 1986 as a kind of tribute to the occupied Tibetan nation, victim of a severe cultural suppression.
This is from a village near the Tibetan capital Lhasa. I had just left the large Drepung monastery when I met this old man sitting outside his house. Since he allowed me to take some pictures I gave him a photo of the Dalai Lama, thereby committing a crime in the eyes of Chinese law. The face of the exiled Tibetan leader is not allowed to be shown in public, but his position among the people is so strong that everywhere I went I met people who asked me – whispering and looking carefully that no Chinese officials were watching – if I had a photo of him.
This was scanned from a Kodachrome slide.

Trekki, lopshang, Floydian, saxo042, nekoyama, noborders, touristdidi, fanni has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Trekki (132) 2008-03-29 1:37

Thank you Gert for showing this photo - today and during this time as the Chinese do continue with an even more horrifying supression!
Ingrid

albertopiubello (2593) 2008-03-29 3:31

Hi Gert, here's a shot full of meanings in these days...I can guess how was difficult to catch a shot like this...
Very good details despite scanning.
have a nice we
Alberto

lopshang (650) 2008-03-29 4:19

Hi Gert

Great shot. Very candid and sharp photo. Great composition and great detail. It very appealing and very much truth about how Tibetans are living inside their own country. Thank you for sharing.

Regards,

Lopshang.

Floydian (30970) 2008-03-29 6:20

Hello Gert,
More than 20 years old but still high on impact, if it was taken yesterday. That's the best part of this image, a view from the past but still very actual right at this moment. The pose and the way he looks to the image is wonderful, but also smaller detail like his shoes...beautiful.
Very good work here, i like it a lot.
Regards, Henk

davide (1144) 2008-03-29 11:42

Hi Gert,
i like so much this photo, it's a beauty subject charge of signifycated, a beauty shot very well done. However i don't agree your explainations and some comments of some other member of TE who post the judice.
Anyway, this is not the right site for talk about political arguments.
Good photo,
Davide

saxo042 (17332) 2008-03-29 12:52

Hej Gert,
A fine statement and also a good photo! Interesting note.
Hälsningar
Gunnar

noborders (14201) 2008-03-30 12:48

Good that you indicate the date because this portrait is forbidden in "China", the monk could have had troubles ! Could still see such photos inside many houses, including in monks cells in Tibet in 2003 - Great idea to post this here, at this present moment !
Compliments,
Cath.

DannyOzzi (0) 2008-04-19 5:51

I can see you went there with political purpose. Tibetans are quite religious. They who belong to red lama missed Dalai Lama very much because they need his bless to go to heaven after death. After Dalai Lama 14th die, they will get blessed easily.

touristdidi (8563) 2008-05-13 12:33 [Comment]

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fanni (9359) 2008-05-18 8:28

Hello Gert!
VERY good photo, in my opinion! the lightning, the focus and the composition are great! and of course, the photo is full of meaning.
thank you for posting it!

Elena