Qinghai, Aug. 24

For many reasons, I feel blessed to be living in this part of the world. China is super safe, modern life is extremely convenient and mostly affordable, and despite the painful number of tourists you can encounter, travelling is effortless. We have high speed trains that rocket along at over 300kmh, and compared to Europe are cheap. While airlines may not be most comfortable for anyone considered tall, and they are plagued by delays, they are at least fairly priced and somewhat reliable. Getting around is mostly hassle-free, but travelling during any of the main national holidays is really best avoided. During the national holidays I’m often working photocamps with keen young photographers around different places in China, and at other times I’m fortunate enough to be invited on various photography trips, usually hosted by local media or government tourism departments. I thoroughly enjoy these trips, as they give you chance to go see and explore a place you probably haven’t seen before, they put you up in nice hotels, and you can meet some wonderful people from various backgrounds and walks of life. In August of 2024, I was invited on what some might call “a trip of a lifetime,” a week in the Tibetan Autonymous region of Qinghai, China. To me at least, it was a mysterious and unknown place, a land of unquestionable natural beauty, of myth and legend, both famous and infamous in different measures. Whatever it was to be, memorable would certainly be one of them. And memorable it was.

*One of the hundreds of gorgeous temples in the area*

Getting there is a 2-stage journey. Because of the altitude (some areas can be over 6,800 metres up, that’s over 22,500 feet) you take the first flight to Xining, a small-ish city/big town in Qinghai province (2.5 million people, 2,275m up/7,465 feet), then allow a day there to aclimatize. Then the next day it’s a quick domestic flight to the main hub of the trip, Yushu (less than 140,000 people live there, and it’s 3,670m up, that’s 12,100 feet.) There was a ton of people on the trip from all over China, but only 3 of us were non-Asian. Each year in the town of Yushu they have this incredible photography event, with some astonishing photographs taken by mostly wildlife and landscape shooters. It’s a real big deal, with an evening event that includes singers and dancers on a gigantic stage, a massive fireworks display, and it’s all over the local provincial TV channels. This small but charming town in the middle of nowhere somehow has the best photography event I’ve ever seen in this part of the world. After the first day there of hotel, meals, and a tour of a few attractions in the town, the main evening event takes place. And then, when you’re sat outside watching the spectacle unfold, does the temperature change really hit you. Daytimes can be over 25 degrees, even approaching 30, but soon as the sun goes down it plummets. You could be wearing shorts and a vest in the afternoon, but a few hours later it’s time for winter jackets, hat, gloves and scarf. It chills you to the bone. Thankfully the hotel was super cosy and extremely pleasant overall, with beautiful wooden carvings and ornate doors. I do enjoy the feel of a nice old pair of knockers. To keep my evening beers cold, I hang them in a plastic bag out the window, and hope they don’t freeze solid. Who needs a fridge when you’ve got ingenuity.

*Big skies can make you feel pretty small and insignificant*

After the main event day, it’s on the bus to see whatever places and attractions the organisers think you’ll enjoy. The only frustrating thing about the whole trip is the sheer amount of time you end up on the bus. We often passed the most stunning and picturesque places, able only to snap a shot out the window. From some places to another, the miles can feel endless, but staring out the window is an absolute fest for the soul. The sky is the bluest I’ve ever seen, totally free of any air pollution, and saturated with puffy white clouds. The fields and pastures are sprinkled with Yaks, which are way bigger than I expected, and I can imagine stink like hell. If you’re lucky enough, you might even see snow leopards, wolves, pika, antelope, Tibetan foxes, bears, vultures, gazelle… the list goes on. For wildlife and landscape photographers, it’s heaven. I managed to glimpse a black bear in the distance, and on another day a fox, but they are gone in the blink of an eye. I can imagine if you have the time and the patience, you could really get some fantastic photos. Unfortunately, I had the patience but not the time. This area of China is a bit of a mecca for photographers, as the incredible images in the photography exhibition reflects. Even when you land in the airport, there’s a big wall display thing that says “A paradise for photographers.” They aren’t exaggerating.

As well as the hours spent on the bus, taking a stroll around both Yushu and Xining was delightful. The people in general don’t really like to be photographed, but they are still very warm and welcoming. On one day I took a break from the group and wanderd around on my own, finding a few temples and exploring on my lonesome. After a short time, a police car circled me, and my own idiocy hit me; Me, a tall, white foreigner, walking around this small town, on my own, with a bloody massive camera. To put it blankly, I shit a brick. Police all over China are pretty cool towards foreigners in my experience, but this is not just anywhere in China; This is a region that has its reservations and concerns about people from other countries. It’s not the time or place to go into detail here, but to say I was nervous is an understatement. After the police car disappeared, I kept on walking, but choosing quieter back alleys and smaller roads, rather than attracting any more unwanted attention than necessary. But once more, the same police car circled me. And again. 4 times in total, it drove next to me, slowing down, and the officers inside taking videos of me. On the last time, I thought right, one way to ease this is to be friendly, so I did. I smiled and gave them a wave, and beckoned them to come talk to me. They stopped tha car, and two police officers cautiously approached me. Thankfully I had the ID lanyard thing from the photography event in my camera bag, so I showed them that and some of the videos I’d taken at the big event. After they understood what I was attempting to explain, they were super friendly. We talked for some time using translate apps, and before they left they even asked for selfies together. After we shook hands and they had gone, my butthole untied itself and I breathed a very heavy sigh of relief. Honestly, my own stupidity knows no boundaries. The Tibetan area of China is not the place you want to end up in a cell.

*The beginning of the mighty Mekong river*

The rest of the week was as captivating and enriching as the previous days. I met some great people on the trip, locals and photographers alike, and even this great guy who ran a local coffee shop/bar and spoke perfect English. The trip was over all too soon, and before long it was the final day. We had a small minibus to take a handful of us to the airport, and it was on this final drive that something magical happened. We passed a beautiful monastary, and there were small groups of monks walking along the road. We asked the driver to stop, and we got out to talk with them. If any of the organisers had been present, we probably wouldn’t have been allowed to, but thankfully it was just the 5 of us happy snappers. The monks were gracious, kind, and very friendly. They invited us to go inside and see the monastary. After politely asking, they were fine with us taking photos, and all had big smiles and warm personalities. (*Side note; This is also when my biggest ever photography balls-up occurred, read the Photography Notes for details.) They were mostly in their 20’s, calm, quizzical, and very handsome. One of them looked like he could be a movie star. One of the higher-level monks (is there a hierarchy in monks? I presume so) noticed the tattoo on my neck I got in India. It’s a variant of the sign of Om, sacred in Hinduism, but mine is also recognized by the Buddhist faith. Upon seeing this, he personally invited me to see the inner rooms of the monastary, full of incredible gold statues and symbols of divinity. The sights inside there made me lost for words. I’m in no way religious, but I’m a believer in something. When I was a kid, me and a friend saw a ghost, and only a few years ago I witnessed a miracle. People think I’m mental when I tell tell them this, but I know what I saw. After such things unfold in front of your own eyes, you know there’s something more after we leave this place, this body. After exiting the monastary, we noticed vultures circling the top of a nearby mountain. The boss monk (Monk-y King) explained how that day they were holding a sky-burial, where the body of the deceased is laid out in pieces for the animals to eat, and therefore return to the circle of life. This is absolutely how I want to end up, a meal for wild animals. On the trip I’d seen vultures sat by the side of the roads, and they are fkn massive. The look so ferocious they could take down a horse, never mind a gangly middle-aged photo prat. I certainly wouldn’t want to face one alive, but if I’m dead they can munch on me like a buffet. This beautiful event, meeting the monks and being escorted around inside the monastary, was completely by chance, but it was the best part fo the trip for me. It taught me that you should always have your camera ready, and remember that if you don’t ask for something, the answer will always be no.

*Just how handsome is this guy?! And if you’re wondering why the quality is so shit, read the Photography Notes at the end…*

Soon I was back in Xining, and the next day back in scorching Shenzhen. On reflection, I wish I’d had a different mindset about the trip. I was annoyed by the endless hours on the bus and driving past such glorious photographic opportunities, but it’s par for the course. There’s not many people in the world can say they’ve seen that place and be paid for it, and it was a true privilege to be invited there. And the best part is that August this year, 2025, I’ve been invited back there. My mindset will be different, my camera gear will most certainly be somewhat different, but I’m sure Qinghai will be just the same; Insanely gorgeous. I’ll report back with photos after the trip, with my thoughts and musings. Unless a big bastard vulture gets me.

Photography Notes; For this trip I wanted the best possible image quality I could get, but I really had no idea where we’d go and what we’d see. I took my Canon 5D4, with the 24-105 lens and the Sigma Art 40mm f1.4. Sharp as a razor and heavy as a housebrick. For any photo trip, I always take a back up camera, and this was my utterly stupid mistake. I took my EOS 55 film camera as backup, with a few expired films. 2 camera bodies, and 2 lenses. When we saw the monks on the way to the airport, I stupidly grabbed my film camera and not my digital. I didn’t know what was about to transpire, and I wanted to finish the roll of film I had inside. To my idiocy, it was Velvia 50, colour positive film, expired by over 10 years. Me=Moron. Shooting inside, very low light, at 25ASA and f4 therefore slow shutter speeds, with expired film. I am truly beyond stupidity at times. When I got the film developed it was just pure red, something had gone horribly wrong, layers in the film or something. I had a friend take a look at fixing them, and he managed to pull a few shots back from the dead. These were 100% my favourite shots from the trip, and I’d screwed them up. Not to self; DO NOT trust expired film, especially colour positive film. For the next trip I’ll be taking a TLR 120 camera, but I’ve learned my lesson from this. Digital is not your enemy. Film is your pretend best friend.

*My mate Rynos did his best by building up the RGB layers, he is a bit of a magician*

*My mate Rynos managed to get these from the horrible red negatives, but in the end I Just B&W’d them. They don’t look good, but better than nothing*

Aside from that, I’m not especially happy with most of the sahots from the trip. I was trying to take nice photos, but failing dismally. I’m not a landscape photographer, and therefore I cannot think like one. I don’t see the compositions they can see. I don’t have long lenses, so I can’t even see what most wildlife photographers can see. I’m happy to have a bash at it, but I’m lightyears beind a good landscape or wildlife shooter. This year in Qinghai I’ll stick to what I know, what I like, and what I’m ok at; People shots, scenes, things. I’ll take the same camera and lenses, and this time I’ll have a play with an ND filter and tripod and attempt some slow shutter speed shots. I’m not a landscape photographer, but at least I can put on a costume and try to look like one.

Guizhou May 25.

Inner Reflection Foto