Description

Over the course of five years, photographer David Vaala embedded himself in Ladakh, a mountainous corner of Northwestern India, to capture Little Tibet: its landscapes, culture, and people. More than 150 full-color, large-format images focus on the rare cham dances, masked dance-dramas, which are a unique aspect of Tibetan Buddhism. Using a make-shift studio, Vaala documented these brief annual ceremonies that narrate the story of Buddhisms spread into Tibetan culture. The images immortalize the cham ceremonies with detailed portraits of individual cham characters from each of the four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism as practiced in Ladakh. Further celebrating this isolated region are spectacular landscapes that feature Ladakhs terrain, nestled between two great mountain ranges, the Himalayas and the Karakoram. Portraits reveal its nomadic people in intimate detail. This book is ideal for those interested in photography, anthropology, world travel, and Tibetan Buddhism and culture.By David VaalaDavid Vaala developed a keen interest in photography early, in parallel with a passion to explore. Wildlife, the natural world, and, increasingly, global cultures direct his travel and photography.167 color photosThe Culture and People of Little Tibet167 color photos