Photo & video tips

Film & Equipment
Tibet is one of the most photogenic countries in the world and you should bring twices as much film or memory as you think you'll need.

China has thoroughly embraced digital photography and shops in Lhasa stock a decent range of memory cards and rechargeable batteries. Internet cafe or photo shops in Lhasa, Shigatse, Chamdo and Ali can burn your photos onto a CD.

Battery life plummets at Tibet's higher elevations and lower temperatures. Keep your batteries warm and separate from your camera overnight and during cold weather. Just heating up batteries in your pocket or the sun can dram some extra juice from them.

Print film is easily available in major towns, through slide film is only available in Lhasa. It is possible to process print film and make digital prints in Lhasa, with fairly good results but there's nowhere to process slide film in Tibet. Even in Kathmandu, with the exception of a couple of professional outfits, it is a risky proposition.

Technical Tips
ipsBear in mind, when taking photographs in Tibet, that special conditions prevail. For one, the dust gets into everything - make a point of carefully cleaning your lenses as often as possible. The high altitudes in Tibet mean that the best time to take photographs is when the sun is low in the sky: early in the morning and late in the afternoon. At other timws getting a  good exposure becomes more difficult - you are likely to end up with a shot full of dark shadows and bright points of light.

One useful accessory to cope with Tibet's harsh light condition is a polarising filter. When using it, turn the filter until the contrast improves; if there are any clouds in the sky, they will become whiter as the sky itself becomes a deeper shade of bule.