Out of Reality, Out of Fiction

Tingmongang

Bruno — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:00:21 +0000

August, 21st, 2006

It is fascinating to see in what different conditions human activity can develop. There are no signs of places where people can meet around here. All the social life, that in Europe was going on in public already 4000 years ago, is finding place somewhere else.
It took 3 hours walk from Hemis to here, climbing a pass at 3700 meters.
There is a big, steep, black mountains that closes the valley as if it was a wall. Pouring tons of dust into the village. The village developed itself along the river, so it’s even more rarefied than usual.

Tingmongang, India, 2006

Yang Tang, Hemis

Bruno — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:00:21 +0000

August, 19th, 2006

I’m too tired to write

August, 20th, 2006

I’m too tired to write.

I remember that it took 8 hours of walk from Leh to Yang Tang and then 5 hours more from Yang Tang to Hemis. Most of the time I was gasping for more air, since my body didn’t get fully accustomed to the altitude yet. Iron red mountains. Sometimes a small oasis with a river. Then dusty iron red mountains again against a deep blue sky. Sometimes an animals’ carcass to improve my spirit.

The guide was continuously offering me to bring my backpack, but I was too proud to accept.

On the first day I saw only one other person. On the second I had the impression that the whole valley was full of Israeli without maps, waters, trekking shoes, guides or anything. Well, it looks like they survived the Himalaya.

Leh – 2

Bruno — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:06 +0000

Leh, India, 2006

Leh

Bruno — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:00:31 +0000

When I visited Ladakh, altitude sickness took an awful toll on me. I spent the first days sitting in the hotel’s terrace and avoiding almost any unnecessary movement.

August, 16th, 2006

The night was a real nightmare. Nausea, I couldn’t breath properly. My blanket was heavy as a one ton boulder on my stomach. I tried to puke, but nothing came out. I went a bit outside, looked at the flowers under the bluish light of my LED lamp. Not even some fresh air helped. I took two aspirins and that helped me to fall asleep. My awakening has been like waking up from a coma, a long apnea in which I found shelter not to rest but to consume less oxygen.

It looks like most of other tourists in the hotel ignore my presence and snub my greetings. Probably the presence of other tourists disturbs their idea of the “small Tibet”, where they could have found the truth about life?

Fucking mountain, I miss Delhi’s chaos.

When I thought it was over, one day early in the morning, I went out with my camera and took some pictures of the morning activities. The streets of Leh get invaded by dust and every morning Nepali immigrants are sweeping the streets.

Unluckily, I moved a little bit too much. Later that day, it came in a sudden: I couldn’t move anymore. I had to stop for an hour or two before I found the energy to get back at the hotel. It was a reasonable price to pay for this photograph.

Reflections of Reality

Bruno — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:00:21 +0000

Photography is a form of communication. You can discuss about its’ structure, rules, ways to deliver a message to the receiver. Seldom people remember that you first need something to communicate: an event, a mood, a reflection of reality.

Yanming

Bruno — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:00:21 +0000

A few days ago I discovered the photos of the Chinese photographer Yanming. I like how he mixes portraits with street and landscape photography, candid shots to more elaborate settings: each shot builds up with the next forming a very interesting and unique narrative. You can find a lots more on his website, watch them one after the other. I found this small sequence hilarious

Jaipur Bus Terminal – 3

Bruno — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:00:43 +0000

Jaipur Bus Terminal – 2

Bruno — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:00:22 +0000

Jaipur Bus Terminal – 1

Bruno — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:00:17 +0000

Big L

Bruno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:00:05 +0000

Daniel Hofer (link only in German) is going to spend some time in Bolivia for his thesis in Photo design. He wants to document the life of the people living in Uyuni next to the salt planes. The salt planes of Uyuni are the one of Earth’s most important reserves of Lithium, the metal used in the batteries of laptops, cell phones and, soon, of electric cars. Daniel’s aim is to document the change ongoing in the lives of the people living next to the salt flats.

He has some money to go there, but not enough. Therefore he’s selling some prints to try to collect the missing amount. I saw some large format prints of his in an exhibition and I was really amazed by their quality. The price of a print is 50€.

By the end of the months he plans to start a blog to document his whole work. Well, good look, I’ll follow you from here.