Tales by Light (2015) s01e02 Episode Script

1
Every Powerful photograph
has a powerful
photograph behind it.
Travel Photographer
Richard I'Anson
goes behind the scenes of
Buddhist rituals in Bhutan
where he has heard of
a sacred fire festival
that appears to
swallow people whole.
The structure behind me
will be set alight.
I've never seen it before,
it should be
absolutely spectacular.
Richard then travels
to a remote region
in Northern India
searching for the holy-grail
of wildlife photography -
the snow leopard.
It definitely feels a bit
like a needle in a haystack.
But we've got a great team,
and we're looking forward
to giving it our best shot.
He then
ventures south to capture
one of the world's most
colourful religious events -
the festival of Holi.
It's really hard
conditions to work in -
being attacked
with coloured powder!
The first photo
I ever took was a travel photo,
I was ten and I was on my
first big overseas trip.
I remember that moment
when I took that picture
as though it were yesterday.
The click of the shutter,
must have made
a deep impression.
Even from that early age
I saw this fantastic connection
between travel and photography.
I usually have two
reasons for shooting.
The most general
reason is that I shoot
what's called stock photography
which means I can shoot
any subject, anywhere,
at the same time I'm
usually working on
one or two very
specific projects.
My two current projects
are the Himalaya
and Festivals of the World.
I'm drawn back time and
time again to the Himalaya
because of this
captivating combination
of the most dramatic mountain
scenery in the world
and the living culture that
lives in this landscape.
I'm now heading to Bhutan
where I've heard about
this sacred fire festival
which I'm really looking
forward to photographing.
It's very early in the morning
and we do have a two
day drive ahead of us
but the monastery's in
Bhutan are really active
and first thing in the morning
there's usually a morning prayer
so I can't resist going in
to see if I can gain access.
The rooms are
wonderfully atmospheric,
they're filled
with incense smoke
and once the monks
start chanting
from the Buddhist scriptures
and then the instruments played,
it's got this incredible
almost medieval atmosphere.
After the morning prayers,
Richard is beckoned
by voices and claps
echoing from
the courtyard below.
Debating is an ancient
Buddhist ritual
where one monk will make
an argument to another.
It's then the task
of the seated opponent
to refute the position.
As well as practicing
Buddhist philosophy,
it helps the young
monks quash their ego
by not letting them get attached
to their personal viewpoints.
We've been up here
at Nalanda Monastery
since sunrise
and for the last hour or so
we've been photographing
the monks debating.
It's a fantastic atmosphere,
it's really noisy as they make
their points to each other
and then argue back and forth.
The festivals
around the world
are just sensational
destinations
as a travel photographer.
I love that that excitement,
I love the, the
chase for the image.
I run around like a mad man
capturing as many images,
of as many subjects,
in as many places as possible,
'cause I'm totally chasing
that depth and breadth
in order to give what I consider
a realistic view of the place.
The Jambay Lhakhang Drup
is a religious festival
celebrating the completion
of the temple in Bumthang
in the seventh century.
Richard is intent on capturing
tomorrow night's Mewang -
the exuberant fire
blessing ceremony.
But first he discovers
an opportunity
to capture some
rehearsals taking place
in an old palace nearby.
One of my aims on this trip
was to get behind the
scenes of these festivals.
To see the monks preparing
for these dances,
putting on the costumes,
the masks that are
really intricate
and sometimes quite frightening.
These are the scenes that
most people don't get to see.
We're here watching
the final preparations
for tomorrow night's
fire blessing ceremony
which is part of one of Bhutan's
most spectacular festivals.
This structure behind me
will be set alight
and the local people run through
in order to wash
away their sins.
I've never seen it before,
it should be absolutely
spectacular.
I can't wait to photograph it.
In the evening
crowds pour into
the Jambay Lhakhang
to witness the fire ceremony.
Fires are lit to exorcise evil
and then the festival begins
with the dance
of the black hats.
They then move into a field
adjacent to the monastery
where the structure that
was build is ignited.
This ancient ritual
is said to purify
all those who enter
the structure.
Bhutanese from around the region
flock to brave
the flaming archway
hoping to bring good
luck and prosperity
for the coming year.
That was awesome,
it went from a very sacred,
ah, religious festival
to sort of absolute chaos as
they set fire to the structure
and all the people
came running through.
Absolutely fantastic,
never seen anything like it.
Richard is now travelling
to the remote and rarely
frequented region of Ladakh
in the Indian Himalaya.
He has been visiting
here since the mid-'80s
photographing the people,
the festivals
and the monasteries.
This time we've set ourselves
a completely new challenge
and that is to
photograph the Himalayas'
most iconic species
of wildlife -
the snow leopard.
Jimet, how long have you
been tracking snow leopards?
Ah, for the last 17 years
And how many
leopards are there
in this part of the world?
Covering 150
square kilometre,
nine, ten cats in this area.
The snow leopard
has become the Holy Grail
for wildlife photographers
and I think we now know why.
But we've got the best snow
leopard tracker with us,
we've got a great team
and we're looking forward
to giving it our best shot.
Richard walks up the valley
to a small plateau
where he and his team
will make camp
and begin the search.
A group of local
trackers get to work
with their spotting scopes
looking for any
signs of leopards
on the surrounding ridgelines.
It definitely feels a little bit
like a needle in a haystack,
but it's only our first evening
so we've got plenty
of time and ah,
looking forward to
making this happen.
Yeah, this is good sign.
This is the main trail
of the snow leopard.
So we know that, you know,
the cat is walking in this area.
Richard and
his team now embark
on several days searching
the frozen and barren hills
for this most elusive
of creatures -
which some call
the ghost cat.
Yeah, I can see him.
It's very exciting
but it's not a photo,
he's a little bit too far away.
We put in long, long hours
and since that first
sighting on the first day
we haven't had any other
sign of the snow leopard.
It's really,
really disappointing.
Now what happens?
Disappointed
but not deterred,
Richard has decided
to leave Ladakh
for the district
of Madhya Pradesh
in search of another
elusive wild cat -
the Tigers of Bandhavgarh.
Bandagar Park is quite big,
around 70 square kilometres.
And here the tiger population
around 75 tiger we have,
including cubs.
In India, very few tiger left.
Around fourteen hundred
tiger left in India.
That's why we have
very important
Bandagar Park Breeding Park.
So Richard we had a few
bitterly tough days
trying to track down
the snow leopard,
so you haven't given
up on, on a big cat?
Never, you
never give up, no,
I suspect our chances
of seeing tigers
are a lot higher
than the chances
of seeing the snow leopard.
The guides have just
spotted fresh footprints
in the sandy road
and we've just heard a
warning call from a peacock
so we're pretty sure there's
a tiger quite close to us now.
The tiger is really close now,
so it's very exciting.
A little bit frustrating
because we were here less
than five minutes ago
and we've just discovered
this very, very fresh sort
of outline of the tiger
whose laid down in the sand
and you can see the
flick of her tail,
so she's here somewhere.
We've been out in the park
since six o'clock this morning
and there's a couple
hours of daylight left.
We know that there
is a tiger somewhere,
we're still waiting.
The anticipating
is growing but ah,
so much about great photography,
great wildlife photography, is
about waiting, being patient.
This is very exciting, we've
had our first tiger sighting.
Female about three years
old, came out of bushes,
walked onto the road,
we we're able to follow
then she just sat down
in the middle of the road
and had a look around.
We probably had about
five minutes with her
before she's now moved away.
We've got some great
photographs already
but that's the problem
with this game,
if there's an opportunity
to take another photo
it could be the best one
so here we are again in
pursuit of another tiger.
Can you see there, tiger,
tiger with the kill?
Can you see it?
First we heard the alarm call
of the spotted deer
and suddenly we saw the tiger
carry the small baby
in the mouth.
In the last 14 years,
this is my second tiger
sighting like that.
It's very, very rare
to see like, like that.
This is a once
in a lifetime sighting
and this is what I live
for as a photographer.
India is known
as the land of spirituality
and is the birthplace
of four of the world's
major religions -
Buddhism, Jainism,
Sikhism and Hinduism.
The roots of Hinduism
are thought to date
back over 5,000 years
which many scholars
believe makes it
one of the oldest organized
religions in the world.
The myriad of Hindu
festivals throughout India
has been a major reason
Richard finds himself
returning year after year.
I'm now on my way
to Verandaban in Utapradesh
to photograph one
of India's most colourful
and exuberant festivals:
the Festival of Holi,
famously known around the world
as the Festival of Colours.
We've arrived in Vrindavan
in Northern India,
as you can see I've got a
little bit of colour already,
I've only just arrived.
And the camera's well protected
'cause I'm expecting
a lot of powder
and a lot of coloured water
to be thrown my way over
the next couple of days.
Holi is a festival
that celebrates
the arrival of spring,
the triumph of good over evil
and the excitement of a
plentiful harvest to come.
The kaleidoscope of flying
colours represents joy,
celebration and new growth.
Priests have just
finished the ceremony
and now they're
dousing the crowd
with coloured water
and coloured powder.
I've taken a couple of direct
hits already as you can see
and there's plenty more to come.
That was another one.
We're out on the streets now,
heading from one
temple to another.
More of the same I'd expect
but ah, possibly bigger crowds.
It's absolutely brilliant
being able to get a bit
of elevation in here.
It's really crowded down there
and we'll be down there soon,
but to get an overall
view from this high point
is something I'm
always searching for.
We're really in
the thick of it now.
We're on the temple floor
with thousands of people,
the air is just full of powder
it's really hard
conditions to work in -
being attacked with coloured
powder in my eyes, my ears -
the camera's holding up ok.
Happy Holi!
The Bankey Bihari temple
is a highly revered shrine
and becomes the heartbeat
of the Holi celebrations
here in Vrindavan.
Famous throughout India,
this temple is a
fitting location
for Richard to capture
the joy that Holi brings
to millions of people
around the world.
To shoot these events properly
you've just got to get in there.
There's no other way
to get that intimacy,
that close up, that sense
of what it's really like.
You just have to be prepared.
Wear clothes you
don't mind losing,
cover the gear so it's
protected and go for it.
No one's safe around here,
not even the holy cows.
The atmosphere is amazing,
it is really friendly,
really jovial,
everyone's pretty
happy, it's um-
- Happy Holi!
- Happy Holi!
You certainly need to
keep a sense of humour.
Thank you.
Happy Holi!
Oh no, here comes the red!
Happy Holi.
The finale
of the celebrations
takes place several
kilometers away in Mathura -
the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
Bal Dev temple stages one
of the most iconic rituals
of the Holi festival -
Huranga.
Men playfully tease the women
and they retaliate by tearing
the clothes off the men
and beating them.
The electric atmosphere
builds to a point
where a procession
enters the spectacle
and the temple is
flooded with water.
The only way to Richard
to truly capture the chaos
is to enter it himself.
This is an incredible finale
to the whole Holi Festival.
I'm having my clothes
taken off me by
raging women with saris.
I've always
had the ability
to feel comfortable
wherever I am.
I do my best to blend in,
which isn't that easy
given I'm a six
foot tall white male.
At a really simple level,
travel photography
provides a visual record
of places visited.
But at its best,
it can provide an insight
to the world at large
and all its diversity.
I just love the process
of discovering
and photographing new places.
I expect to keep
doing this forever,
I can't really imagine stopping.
It's what I love,
it's who I am
and there are far too
many places in the world
still to see.