Assignments

A Day in the Life of Kirti Monastery

These images are from a photo essay that I did on the monks of the Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala for the Associated Press. A large number of Tibetans in Tibet who have immolated themselves since 2009 protesting Chinese rule were monks from the parent Kirti Monastery in Tibet.  The past year has seen an escalation in … Continue reading →

Tibetans protest

On 23 and 24 January 2012, and again on the 26th, Chinese security forces responded to protests by Tibetans in Kham, now part of Sichuan province, by firing into the crowds, leaving at least three dead and injuring at least 30. Tibetan refugees in India protested the violence by holding candlelight vigils in Dharamshala, holding … Continue reading →

Snow white

Mcleodganj has been receiving snow since early Saturday morning. With no power and little communication, life has become hard. More snow is expected in the coming days. Ashwini has been photographing every day finding hotels with generators to keep his laptop/camera batteries charged.

Lunar Eclipse, 10 December 2011, Dharamshala, 7:40PM IST

I Am Anna

Dharamshala photographer Tsering Topgyal started an internship earlier this year with the Associated Press Delhi bureau. One of his early assignments was to photograph anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare, who gained huge popular support when he went on hunger strike to demand the government pass a tough anti-graft law. Tsering spoke candidly about being a novice … Continue reading →

Shooting by candlelight

There have been several candlelight vigils in Dharamshala marking a series of recent self-immolations in Tibet to protest Chinese rule. Covering these events presents particular challenges to the photographer. Here is some advice on how to photograph under such low light conditions.   Use fast lenses preferably with maximum apertures of f1.8 or larger. Usually … Continue reading →

Ramlila

Ramlila or the story of Ram is enacted each year in India for 10 days ending on the Hindu festival Dussehra, when large effigies of the demon king Ravan, his son and his brother are burnt depicting victory of good over evil. This year I went backstage in Dharamshala to photograph the artists. Ashwini Bhatia

Miss Tibet 2011

NO EVENT GENERATES AS MUCH INTERNATIONAL PRESS IN McLEODGANJ AS THE MISS TIBET CONTEST,  A SMALL TOWN BEAUTY PAGEANT WITH A BIG FOLLOWING. THIS YEAR, SIX TIBETANS COMPETED FOR THE CROWN. Tenzin Yangkyi, a 17-year-old Tibetan from Zurich, Switzerland waves to the crowd after winning the Miss Tibet 2011 beauty pageant in Dharamshala, India, Sunday, June … Continue reading →

Aman Sharma, cricket photographer

Some people just make it look so easy. Amritsar-based photojournalist Aman Sharma got his break in photography when he was still in school, shooting for AP on a compact camera. From there he moved into sports photography, covering everything from the ICC Cricket World Cup to the Beijing Olympics. In town last month to shoot … Continue reading →

Local photographer makes NYT cover

Up and coming McLeodganj photographer Tsering Topgyal achieved a career milestone on 8 February when his photo made the cover of the New York Times newspaper. Topgyal was photographing the march in support of His Holiness the Karmapa from the Tsuglakhang to Gyuto Monastery on 4 February when he captured the striking image of three … Continue reading →