TIBET
Jaroslay Poncar

Hardbound, 18.5" x 8.75", 160 pages
48 Duotone, 12 Color plates
2000, Te Neues Publishing

From the Publisher:
"This breathtaking black-and-white and color collection of Tibet's majestic landscapes was produced in a special horizontal format to suit the exquisite panoramic photography of Jaroslav Poncar, who developed a passion for the genre on his numerous expeditions into Asia. Using a Russian FT-2 camera with a swivel-mounted objective, Poncar, in 1985, became the first Westerner to successfully cross Tibet in its entire length from East to West. He has since undertaken many pioneering travels throughout the region, armed with the same camera, capturing Tibet's dramatic lighting, its intricately ornamental architecture, and its simple and dignified inhabitants. No other photographer has managed quite so beautifully to convey the grandeur and pristine quality of this hidden corner of the world. Inspired to practice panoramic photography by an early encounter with Josef Sudek's views of Prague, Poncar says, "I sometimes suspect panorama-photography could be my karma. After my four big trips to Tibet, I dare say that either Tibet was made for panorama-photography or panorama-photography was made for Tibet. I cannot imagine this seemingly endless landscape could be captured without a panorama-camera like my old FT-2."

About the Author
Born 1945 in Prague, Jaroslav Poncar now lives in Cologne where he teaches photo-engineering. Publications such as Tibet: Door to Heaven, Alchi-Ladakh's Hidden Buddhist Sanctuary, Panorama of India, a photo-documentary on Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and cultural-historic films for television have confirmed his reputation as an expert in the region. His photography has been shown in many exhibitions around the world.