shinden Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 Hello! This is my first attempt to present a folder in photo.net. I hope it's going to work somehow. Remember Tibet To begin with Tibet is not an enjoyable country to travel around nowadays. To be sure, the scenery is breathtaking, the Tibetans are charming but the omnipresence of the police and the army overshadows your wayfaring pleasures. Tibet stood for high spirituality once but the Chinese have succeeded in disrupting the centuries long tradition. The scientists are telling us that by burning the virgin forests we are destroying the Earth's lungs and may soon become short of breath. Likewise I am convinced that by treading down Tibet's heritage we become more confused and desorientated than ever before. I travelled two and a half months through parts of Tibet and tried to capture some of the life's aspects of Tibet today. I was happy to carry one camera and one lens. The strain was taxing and I never missed sophisticated equipment. This is the folder: http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder.tcl?folder_id=250754<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew1 Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 This is a stunning body of work, Ladislav. You did an excellent job of providing a good document of your journey and of the people you met. This folder is also a strong reminder of what you can do with one lens and one kind of film. I have never much cared for the 35mm lens, as I have found it to be too short or too long- but this folder is making me re-examine that position. Technical question- are these (excellent) scans from prints or negs? Anyway, thanks for sharing these wonderful photographs. You should find some other ways and places to share these- they should be seen by more people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas_t Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 Ladislav, This is an amazing folder. Wonderful perspective and composition. I was very impressed with what you captured of Tibetan life. An odd juxtaposition of old and the rather more incongruous new. Terrific work. Best regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manaboleh Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 Hi Never being to Tibet but your pics show quite a bit of it which I am glad. But just leave out the politics. Regards from Malaysia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert_smith Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 Great body of work! It should be required viewing for the <i>"Which lens should I get next?"</i> asking crowd. I bet you saw 35mm framelines in your sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 I've spent a lot of time with the Tibetans. You've done a brilliant job of capturing their essence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_lehrer Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 My response to your work: This is what Leica photography is supposed to be! Not adulation for some pieces of hardware. Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_rocha Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 Ladislav, They are magnificent pictures. What camera, lens, flash and film did you use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsbc Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 Ladislav: Indeed an excellent portfolio. Do you always use a 35mm or was the one lens policy only for this trip? I look forward to the rest of your portfolio. Please tell us when you have that online. Johnson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_collier2 Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_.1 Posted November 5, 2002 Share Posted November 5, 2002 Excellent! Vivid and they tell a story! Also the power of the 35mm lux! Thanks for sharing. I want to travel... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henk Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 "Likewise I am convinced that by treading down Tibet's heritage we become more confused and desorientated than ever before." No matter how weird this may sound, i have to agree. The prayers are still echoing in my mind, needless to say this country made a big impression on me.... Greetings, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris_karkowski Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 Ahh. Bringing back those memories of one of my favourite "countries". Been there 1993 and 1994 and these beautiful photos make me want to return. Only I am afraid that things have been even more sino-sied these days. Hope to see more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland_schmid Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 Ladislav - wow! That's one of the best folders I have ever seen in photo.net. Amazing how the vibrating energy of the Tibetan people shine through your photographs. Wong: why not show and write obvious political facts in this context? I think you must write something on this matter, otherwise you get a very wrong impression about the situation in Tibet: it's not just the primitive highland on top of the Himalaya with shining monks and strong nomads. What's going on there is the destruction of a precious culture. Today the Tibetans are a minority in their own country and in a couple of years Tibet will be a cultural desert, sponged on an eager occupation force. That's what about concerned photography is and how Ladislav shows it to us in his brilliant way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick_van_nostrand Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 Your portfolio is magnificent. I especially like the ear pulling shot. Great moment ! Says a lot about using minimal equipment and concentrating on seeing photos. Great job ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msitaraman Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 I had ignored this thread for a few days, but what a portfolio, what an eye! It's a real inspiration. Thank you for sharing it with us. Hey everybody, look at Ladislav's portfolio :-O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis1 Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 Excellent choice of film and lens and body. Outrageous body of work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patricks Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 Outstanding results! Thanks for sharing and please keep on doing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2yellowdogs Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 Beautiful work. As was said above, this is what Leicas are made for. Just shows you what can be done with one body and one lens. The 35 is such a great all-purpose lens and its versatility is plainly seen here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralph_barker Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 Let me add to the chorus of "atta-boys" Ladislav. Excellent work, and I appreciate you sharing it. Like others, I'll look forward to seeing more of your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny_c. Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 Hi Ladislav,<br><br> Good works! May I suggest one thing is that keeping your political comments in your home page and not showing this forum. I do not know what you will see if you visit Tibet 70 years ago. May be you can see lots beaten slaves owned by the ruling monks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msitaraman Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Maybe if he had visited 30 years ago he would have seen many monks being beaten by Red Guards who didn't speak a word of Tibetan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nesrani Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Kenny Chiu and Wong Kh - I wonder why these guys object to any mention of the rape of Tibet by the Chinese? Ladislav, as I mentioned in my comment on Andy Kay's thread about this folder, you have a terrific eye. This is a travel journal that anyone would be happy to have made. Maybe I'm the only dissenting voice, though, when I say that this folder doesn't go deep - it isn't really journalistic or documentary in any sense. There are many shots of people looking at the camera - which suggests that people stopped what they were doing to pose for you, rather than allowing you to document or portray them going about their lives. All of this is directed more at the other commenters on your folder than at you, as I have no idea what your intentions are - whether journalistic or simply travel snaps. If the latter - astounding. If the former, then you've missed the mark somewhat, IMO. Great stuff, and the political aspect is of course the heart of the matter. You can't depict a life under threat without being aware of and condemning the threat itself. Best regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinden Posted November 7, 2002 Author Share Posted November 7, 2002 Sorry Boys (girls do'nt seem to be Leica Fans - or am I wrong), Sorry I'm so late to answer your questions. First let me tell you how ovwerwhelmed I have been by so much appreciation. I didn't expect that. Andrew, thanks a lot for your offered help in terms of finding some publicity in N.Y.. I will be obliged to you for any contact. I am not with any agency so far and maybe I'm not the right man for it. I work slowly, enjoy long-term projects that seem never to end. Here a few technical details that you and some others would like to know. I use Leica M6 for most of my work and use it with 1,4/35mm asph. exclusively. I could just as well have it welded to the camera. Recently I've been also using a Nikon F100 with Nikon AF 2/105mm DC. My eyes are not what they used to be so I'm happy F100 takes over some job. Especially with a tele-lens and portraiture job. As to films and developers I do a lof of experimenting (sick of it sometimes), but basically I use Kodak TX exposed to 320 or 400 ASA and develop in D-76, diluted 1+1, for 11 minutes (20 degrees Centigrade). This combination works in almost all conditions. Because of the hard light contrast in Tibet, I developed some films in two-bath Emofin (6 min/6min). I exposed the TX at 640 ASA for that. The pictures I like I first enlarge 24x30cm to use them as show prints and to scan from them. I use Epson Perfection 2500 scanner. Later I enlarge to 30x40cm or 40x50cm for exhibition purposes. I use Ilford, Bergger and Moersch enlarging paper. Moersch is rather a new paper manufactured by a small company in Germany and in my view is one of the best. I don't use flash often and when I use it I always know that everything may go wrong. Despite positive criticism some people suggested that I should stay away from politics when photographing (in Tibet only?). I wonder what photography is about. I take pictures of people not of daffodils or dragonflies. The fact is that all Tibetans I met, in Tibet and elsewhere, are utterly dissatisfied with the political situation in their country. I don't know if 70 years ago I would have taken pictures of monks beating up slaves, but in 1996 I witnessed Tibetans kicked and beaten up by Chinese soldiers. I photograph what I see, not what I am supposed to see. Sorry. Some of you express a wish to see some more of my Tibet photographs I may add a few more but I want to save space for my African folder about to come in two months. Thanks a lot again. I^m looking forward to seeing some of your work. Ladislav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinden Posted November 7, 2002 Author Share Posted November 7, 2002 Sorry Boys (girls do'nt seem to be Leica Fans - or am I wrong), Sorry I'm so late to answer your questions. First let me tell you how ovwerwhelmed I have been by so much appreciation. I didn't expect that. Andrew, thanks a lot for your offered help in terms of finding some publicity in N.Y.. I will be obliged to you for any contact. I am not with any agency so far and maybe I'm not the right man for it. I work slowly, enjoy long-term projects that seem never to end. Here a few technical details that you and some others would like to know. I use Leica M6 for most of my work and use it with 1,4/35mm asph. exclusively. I could just as well have it welded to the camera. Recently I've been also using a Nikon F100 with Nikon AF 2/105mm DC. My eyes are not what they used to be so I'm happy F100 takes over some job. Especially with a tele-lens and portraiture job. As to films and developers I do a lof of experimenting (sick of it sometimes), but basically I use Kodak TX exposed to 320 or 400 ASA and develop in D-76, diluted 1+1, for 11 minutes (20 degrees Centigrade). This combination works in almost all conditions. Because of the hard light contrast in Tibet, I developed some films in two-bath Emofin (6 min/6min). I exposed the TX at 640 ASA for that. The pictures I like I first enlarge 24x30cm to use them as show prints and to scan from them. I use Epson Perfection 2500 scanner. Later I enlarge to 30x40cm or 40x50cm for exhibition purposes. I use Ilford, Bergger and Moersch enlarging paper. Moersch is rather a new paper manufactured by a small company in Germany and in my view is one of the best. I don't use flash often and when I use it I always know that everything may go wrong. Despite positive criticism some people suggested that I should stay away from politics when photographing (in Tibet only?). I wonder what photography is about. I take pictures of people not of daffodils or dragonflies. The fact is that all Tibetans I met, in Tibet and elsewhere, are utterly dissatisfied with the political situation in their country. I don't know if 70 years ago I would have taken pictures of monks beating up slaves, but in 1996 I witnessed Tibetans kicked and beaten up by Chinese soldiers. I photograph what I see, not what I am supposed to see. Sorry. Some of you express a wish to see some more of my Tibet photographs I may add a few more but I want to save space for my African folder about to come in two months. Thanks a lot again. I^m looking forward to seeing some of your work. Ladislav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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