{"title":"Douglas Olson","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"northern-india-paperback","title":"Northern India - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Kashmir is in the Northwestern region of India. It's an area with rich fertile agricultural valleys and snow-clad mountains. Kashmir borders Afghanistan, Pakistan and China. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The locations for my photos in Kashmir were Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Martand. I have seen many changes from 1973 to 2012. In 1973 it was a quiet peaceful area with rich agricultural fields and small villages. As the population grew the people began building houses and shops along the roadsides and have encroached on the agricultural areas. On my last trip there I saw many large houses that were at least 5,000 square feet, so there is a lot wealth in the area. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Lehi\/Ladakh area is now known as the Leh District and is unlike any other part of India. It's a Buddhist area and has many monasteries throughout the area. The largest is the Hemis Monastery. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Hemis festival takes place in June\/July and is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rimpoche.) The monks ware colorful costumes, masks and dance to music played by musicians to traditional Tibetan music with four pairs of cymbals, large pan drums, 5 small trumpets and large size wind instruments. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Leh is 11,500 ft \/ 3524 m above sea level and you must give yourself a few extra days to acclimatize before you climb the steps to the monasteries. It's my recommendation to start your journey in Srinagar as its 6,600 feet above sea level. Stay there for three nights then drive to Leh with an overnight stop along the way. Rest for one day in Leh then drive to the Nubra Valley. You will pass over Khardung La pass at 18, 380 ft \/ 5606 m then to the Nubra valley. The Diskit and Samtenling monasteries are the main ones to see. When you return to Leh you should be acclimatized to visit the Leh Palace \u0026amp; Monastery, Thiksey, Shey, Thesey and Hemis Monasteries. I highly recommend The Hotel Royal in Leh. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Nubra Valley is about 93 miles (150 km) north of Leh, India. The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and the Karakoram Ranges. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. \/ 3048 meters above sea level. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Like the rest of Ladakh the Nubra valley is a high desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation except along river beds, and on high slopes. The villages are irrigated and very fertile, producing wheat, barley, peas, mustard, for oil and a variety of fruits. Most of the Nubra Valley is inhabited by Ladakhis who speak Ladakhi; the majority of them are Buddhist.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Nagakot is a village about 32 km east of Katmandu, Nepal in the Bhaktapur District. The elevation is 2,195 meters, it is considered one of the most scenic spots in the Bhaktapur District. Its renowned for its sunrise views of the Himalayas including Mt. Everest as well as other snowcapped peaks of the Himalayan range of Eastern Nepal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Darjeeling is a city in the Indian State of West Bengal and was a part of Nepal until the British took it from Nepal under their rule in India. It's internationally known as a tourist area with beautiful tea plantations and monasteries in the area. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railroad connects Darjeeling (6,812 ft. \/ 2011 meters) with Siliguri (600 ft. \/ 183 meters) it has 919 curves, 556 bridges, 3 loops and 5 Z sections.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e I did a trek from Darjeeling to Kalimpong, it's a great way to meet local people and visit the tea plantations. My trek took me to the Peshok Tea Plantation and the Bhutia Busty Monastery along the way to Kalimpong.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI highly recommend hiring a guide which will help you navigate the trails.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377712365791,"sku":"9781088116760","price":57.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/aWyeIZdorg9781088116760.webp?v=1789239992"},{"product_id":"my-impressions-of-india-hardcover","title":"My Impressions of India - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn October of 1970, I received a call from Frank Wyle, CEO and founder of Wyle Laboratories in El Segundo, California. One of their subsidiaries, American Tool Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, was importing machine tools from Hindustan Machine Tool (HMT) in India. They needed photographs of their facilities for marketing. Two weeks later, I was on my way to India.\u003c\/p\u003e In our spare time, Frank and I drove through the countryside; it was like stepping back into time. The photo opportunities were fantastic! At that time, there were only a few cars in the villages, mostly bullock carts and bicycles. Upon my return to Los Angeles, I decided to put together a collection of photographs called \"Rural India.\" My next assignment in India, \"India: The Sexy Subcontinent,\" was for Playboy. The photographs appeared in Oui magazine. Our locations were in the Konarak Area and the Maharajah of Jamnagar's palace. These photos are not in the book. I returned several more times in 1972 and 1973 to the villages to continue my \"Rural India\" project. When I returned in 1973, I contacted the Government of India Tourist Office and Pan American World Airways to sponsor me in a museum show, \"Rural India.\" I got the sponsorship and was featured in an exhibit in 1974 at The Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles. The Government of India Tourist Office sent me to India many times in the '70s, '80s, '90s to photograph tourist locations. I have returned to India in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018 on my own to continue my \"My Impressions of India\" project. Check out the locations on page 16 of the book. India and my many experiences there have had a big influence on my life. On my first trip, I was in a boat on the Ganga River at Varanasi. At sunrise, I looked over the edge of the boat and saw my reflection in the water. The person looking back at me was an Indian man. I knew at that time I had a past life in India. The experience gave me the chills. When I was in the villages, I saw the kids at play with each other, and their happy smiles had an effect on me. That led me to ask myself: Are we happier with all our possessions or are they happier without them?\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377714102495,"sku":"9781087955810","price":114.03,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/nZv9wJ8KB39781087955810.webp?v=1789239997"},{"product_id":"sri-lanka-paperback","title":"Sri Lanka - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In 1975, I was in Sri Lanka on a photo assignment for The Tourist Board of Sri Lanka. Their 1976 calendar was on the agenda. I heard so many great things about Sri Lanka. I wasn't disappointed. They are a predominately Buddhist country. Buddhism was introduced by Venerable Mahinda, the son of the emperor Ashoka, during the reign of Sri Lanka's King Devanampiyatilla. According to legend, a tooth was taken from the Buddha as he lay on his funeral pyre. It was smuggled to Sri Lanka in 313 A.D., hidden in the hair of Princess Hemamali, who fled the Hindu armies besieging her father's kingdom in India. The majority of the architectural ruins I photographed go back to this era. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e There are beautiful local Buddhist shrines scattered throughout the country. The ancient frescoes of Sigiria, a rock fortress built by King Kassapa in 477-495 CE, are a must-see if you travel to Sri Lanka.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The agricultural areas are fantastic; there are great photo opportunities everywhere -- from the terrace rice paddies to the tea plantation at Nuwara Eliya. There is an old hill club built by the British in the 19th century. It's kept much like it was then, complete with the old pool tables. One can only imagine what went on there!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Negombo's fish market and harbor were high on my photo list. I recently checked the internet and found only hotels and resorts. I imagine that most of these areas are gone now. Fruit and vegetable vendors were a staple of the villages; mini-malls and grocery stores didn't exist. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Tissamaharama game reserve, which is next to Yala National Park, was an experience I shall never forget. We were in a jeep at sunset and happened to cross a lone elephant. It was startled by our presence and charged our jeep. I used my camera's motor drive and took a lot of photos. The ground shook, and the photos were mostly blurry. I prayed that the game warden knew what he was doing; he did. The elephant stopped four feet from the front bumper. The photographs were taken over a 10-day period in 1975. I used Nikon cameras and Lenses, Kodak Kodachrome \u0026amp; Kodak color infared films on this project.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am happy to have shared with you a look back in time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDouglas Olson\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377715871967,"sku":"9781088092194","price":50.67,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/LRzAO4uKEx9781088092194.webp?v=1789240002"},{"product_id":"sri-lanka-paperback-1","title":"Sri Lanka - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In 1975, I was in Sri Lanka on a photo assignment for The Tourist Board of Sri Lanka. Their 1976 calendar was on the agenda. I heard so many great things about Sri Lanka. I wasn't disappointed. They are a predominately Buddhist country. Buddhism was introduced by Venerable Mahinda, the son of the emperor Ashoka, during the reign of Sri Lanka's King Devanampiyatilla. According to legend, a tooth was taken from the Buddha as he lay on his funeral pyre. It was smuggled to Sri Lanka in 313 CE, hidden in the hair of Princess Hemamali, who fled the Hindu armies besieging her father's kingdom in India. The majority of the architectural ruins I photographed go back to this era. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e There are beautiful local Buddhist shrines scattered throughout the country. The ancient frescoes of Sigiria, a rock fortress built by King Kassapa in 477- 495 CE, are a must-see if you travel to Sri Lanka.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The agricultural areas are fantastic; there are great photo opportunities everywhere -- from the terrace rice paddies to the tea plantation at Nuwara Eliya. There is an old hill club built by the British in the 19th century. It's kept much like it was then, complete with the old pool tables. One can only imagine what went on there!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Negombo's fish market and harbor were high on my photo list. I recently checked the internet and found only hotels and resorts. I imagine that most of these areas are gone now. Fruit and vegetable vendors were a staple of the villages; mini-malls and grocery stores didn't exist. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Tissamaharama game reserve, which is next to Yala National Park, was an experience I shall never forget. We were in a jeep at sunset and happened to cross a lone elephant. It was startled by our presence and charged our jeep. I used my camera's motor drive and took a lot of photos. The ground shook, and the photos were mostly blurry. I prayed that the game warden knew what he was doing; he did. The elephant stopped four feet from the front bumper. The photographs were taken over a 10-day period in 1975. Since then the environment \u0026amp; Pollution has taken it's toll on the historic sites. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e I am happy to have shared with you a look back in time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDouglas Olson\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51378064654559,"sku":"9781087923376","price":40.3,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/K-NGo19g0p9781087923376.webp?v=1789247820"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/douglas-olson.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}