[font color=\'#000000\']I just got back from an interesting photographic expedition into Western China, most of which used to be part of Tibet. The area is a healthy mix of flat fields and gentle hills. At around this time the hills are covered in green grass and in some areas small wild flowers that go on for kilometers. During the spring this area turns golden color, all the grass dies off but it is still a very interesting sight, then shortly after that it snows.
The best way to get into this area it seems it to travel first to Chengdu or Chongqing in Sichuan Province, then drive right into the grasslands which is about a 1-2 day drive depending, or if you don’t want to risk being on the road you can always hop on a tourist bus, but that usually yields far less photo ops. Basically you should look on a map and find a place called Aba and drive straight for it and you will end up in the heart of the grasslands.
Also if you like to get things other then just landscapes, it is also a gold mine for people who also like to shoot journalistic style. There is also very little pollution in this area, so little in fact that many of the photos look like I shot them with a circular polarizer when in fact I didn’t. Sky blues and grass greens are super natural and supremely beautiful. Most of the area is very old style, meaning people are usually dressed in traditional Tibetan garb, and very characteristic photos of people may be had here.
I recently spent a month and a half in this area and would go back in a heart beat, if only I had the time…..
Things to note about this area:
-The elevation is sort of high (1-3 kilometers), if you get altitude sickness watch out….
-It is extremely cold at all times of the year, only bring warm clothes and make sure your equipment is well bundled.
-The sun shines very hard, I found myself shooting at 1/4000 f22 constantly, be on the look out for that. Also it may be wise to bring a hat or something to keep the sun off your face and neck, I came back pretty red.
-Power is few and far between, usually only if you decide to check into a hotel, digital users may want to watch out for that.
-Food can sometimes be few and far between, restaurants can be found but it would be very wise to have your own surplus.
-Travel as light as possible unless you rent or have your own car.
-If you enjoy taking showers you may be out of luck, my teacher and I only took ONE shower in the month and a half we were out there simply because there was no where to take one. Sure you could take a bath in the many rivers but you would probably freeze to death first.
-The inhabitants speak an odd mix of Tibetan and Sichuan dialect (mandarin variation) so communication can be difficult
It really is a great place to go to if you are considering coming to China for photo ops. I highly recommend it.
Some photos that I took from the area:
http://www.deviantart.com/view/10027499/http://www.deviantart.com/view/10110522/http://www.deviantart.com/view/9885190/http://www.deviantart.com/view/9801187/[/font]
