Our book TIBET: Culture on the Edge was just released this week!! I must say I’m thrilled with how it turned out. The idea for a second book on Tibet came quite by accident. ( My first book Tibetan Portrait was published 16 years ago.) In 2009 I had traveled to Lhasa to document the… Read more »
The typical way I work when producing a book is to choose an issue I feel strongly about then finding an organization (usually an NGO) that is aligned with the same interests and partner with them to collect the content necessary for the book. The partnership is not only valuable in helping to cover the… Read more »
I shoot my documentaries with both the Sony EX1 and the Canon Mark II 5D. I love the 5D for the shallow depth of field I can achieve with a variety of lenses. It has some very definite ergonomic issues so I mainly use it on a Tripod. I often set it up as a… Read more »
I have 3 cameras that I use to shoot video for my social documentary work in the developing world. My main camera is a Sony EX1, however, since I’m carrying a Canon Mark II 5D I often use it as a second camera in my interviews. Also when I want a short depth of field… Read more »
Most of my human rights work in the developing world has been focused on creating media (exhibits, books, and multimedia) for audiences in developing countries. Typically I would create media for NGOs that would put it to use for building awareness and fund raising campaigns in North America and Europe. At the same time I… Read more »
Evidence of the Tibetan daily devotional practice — a practice intended to expand their compassion to include all “sentient beings” and remind them of our “interconnectedness” – is seen everywhere. Every morning Tibetan Buddhists walk clockwise around various objects of veneration such as monasteries, stupas or sacred mountains. I’ve watched hundreds of devotee’s make their… Read more »
Through my Bridges to Understanding program I have enjoyed teaching digital story telling to students in different countries. I wanted to give them an opportunity to share stories of the issues they faced in their communities. So I was excited when I heard of the work that Anne Medley did in the Congo. The following… Read more »
As a follow up to my November post. Nine year old Yeshi studying math at boarding school for nomadic children near Dawu in Qinghai Province on the Tibetan Plateau. In 2007 China made an unprecedented commitment to education by mandating that all children attend school through grade 9. Rural children can now have their compulsory… Read more »
Chinese tourist and the dancing waters at the Potola Palace. Five and a half million tourists visited Tibet in 2009! This was a 150% increase from the year before. Tibet is currently the number one tourist destination for the Chinese. Certainly the clear mountain air and spectacular scenery offer relief from the air pollution that… Read more »
Last month thousands of Tibetan students took to the streets to protest the Chinese Government’s decision to make all elementary and high school education in the official Chinese language, Mandarin. China has recently mandated that all children go through grade 9 and has plans to increase it to grade 12 soon. If Tibetan Nomads fail… Read more »
