Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Photography
Batteries & Memory Cards
Shops in Lhasa stock a decent range of memory cards and rechargeable batteries (though
don't expect to find every camera model's type). Battery life plummets at Tibet's higher el-
evations and lower temperatures. Keep your batteries warm and separate from your cam-
era overnight and during cold weather. Just heating up batteries in your pocket or the sun
can draw some extra juice from them.
Restrictions
Photographs of airports and military installations are prohibited, and bridges are also a
touchy subject. Don't take any photos or especially video footage of civil unrest or public
demonstrations. Chinese authorities are paranoid about foreign TV crews filming unauthor-
ised documentaries on Tibet.
Restrictions on photography are also imposed at most monasteries and museums. This
is partly an attempt to stop the trade of antiquities out of Tibet (statues are often stolen to
order from photos taken by seemingly innocuous 'tourists'). In the case of flash photo-
graphy, such restrictions protect wall murals from damage. Inside the larger monasteries, a
fee of ¥20 to ¥50 is often imposed in each chapel for taking a photograph. Video fees can
be up to ¥800 (US$100) in some monasteries. You are free, however, to take any photos of
the exteriors of monasteries.
Technical Tips
Dust gets into everything in Tibet, so make a point of carefully cleaning your lenses as of-
ten as possible.
Take photographs early in the morning and late in the afternoon, to cope with the harsh
light conditions.
Use a polarising filter to deepen contrast and blue skies.
Lonely Planet's full-colour
Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures,
written by
internationally renowned travel photographer Richard I'Anson, is full of handy hints and is
designed to be taken on the road.
