Potala Palace
Tibet 2007
Potala Palace, once the residence of the Dalai Lama, contains over a thousand rooms. Most of them, in the white parts of the building, house the monks or are used as store rooms, kitchens, etc. The dark colored uppermost part of the palace is devoted to Buddhism: prayer rooms, libraries, galleries and a labyrinth of winding passages threading in all directions.
Visitors are limited to 1,500 per day and the time allotted for all 1500 of them is six hours per day. Although visitors only see the parts devoted to Buddhism, about 500 rooms worth, our visit became a marathon. Groups are given a starting time and a finishing time. We kept a fast pace, zooming past Buddhas and butterlamps, murals and altars, monks praying and tourists pointing and shooting. I had no idea of what I was seeing. It was a blur of maroon-colored robes, flickering flames, ancient murals dimmed by candle soot and hallways to nowhere. I took time to focus my camera somewhere near the last third of the race and got separated from my group. Like a riderless race horse, I galloped along with the other tourists, glancing about as best I could. Oh, it was unsatisfying!
And while I am complaining, I have to complain that our group, although supposedly devoted to photography, missed a good shot of the palace. If you go to Lhasa, try the viewpoint to the left of this photo. Go down the street a bit and shoot from that angle. I’ve seen it on the internet and I wish I had shot it.
We did go out at night and shoot when the fountains flowed and music played and colored lights lit the façade of the palace. I don’t like my shots. The color is all wonky. I haven’t deleted them, though. I may figure out what to do with them one of these days.
This shot was taken in the afternoon while we waited for our ‘starting time’ for the palace. I made it black and white. I think the strong contrasts add to the feeling of power and prestige. Shooting up from close to the base of the building makes the building seem as if it is looming over all below, sort of like an all-seeing god.