Tips for photography in Tibet

Taking photos is an indispensible part for most travels, so is your Tibet travel. Tibet itself, with its unique culture and beautiful scenery as well as its people, gives you a great opportunity to take photos. However, due to the special conditions of Tibet, there are some helpful tips for photography in Tibet for you.

(1) As the altitude of Tibet is pretty high (an average altitude of over 3000m), you should pay attention to protect your camera from extreme temperature and harsh climate. If necessary, take some technical precautions. Dust cover, lens hood, lens tissue, a brush, detergent, repair outfits and other useful things are recommended to be taken with you.

(2) And because the sunshine in Tibet is rather strong, please do remember not to let your camera insolate under the sunshine and you can equip your camera lens with UV lens to protect it and get better sly capture. Be careful using your camera when it is dusty or windy.

(3) Take enough films, a large-content memory card and batteries. Take one time more films than the ordinary amount. You are not supposed to buy films in Tibet unless you are lucky enough to avoid buying any fake films. And the batteries may not work as well as they do in other low-altitude places because of the low-temperature there.

(4) Take a small table-tripod if you can.

(5) When you try to take photos inside the monasteries, ask for permission from the Lama in the monasteries first. But you should know that it is usually forbidden to take pictures inside the chapels or you may need to pay a high price to be allowed to do so.

(6) You are highly suggested to take a lamp with you to get a clear view when taking photos inside the monasteries, because most monasteries are very dim.

(7) When you take photos inside the monasteries, be careful to protect your camera from butter. You should know that there’s butter everywhere in the monasteries. And you’d better not let the pilgrims touch your camera, especially its lens. Do not use the camera when it is unclear or rainy.

(8) Respect the person you invite to take a shot, be polite and not to disturb them. You can give them some tiny presents for thanks. In some remote places, you’d better not to ask women to take pictures with you, which may make their husbands annoyed.

(9) In Lhasa, you may come across some avaricious guys asking you for money when you take photos in public places, and you can refuse to do so.

(10) For your convenience, your photographic apparatus should be as light as possible, because traveling in Tibet, the highest place in the world, is no easy thing.