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Nature photography by Eckart Mayer celebrating the beauty of our planet !
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NEW !!! The first batch of photos from TIBET is now live on this website, more to follow soon ...

New images

Two white painted stones with Chinese writing and altitude marker 5.020m at Kharola Glacier in Tibet

Altitude markers at Kharola Glacier viewpoint

These markers confirm the altitude of the highest mountain pass on our transfer from Lhasa to Gyantse, exceeding 5.000 meters above sea level. We stopped for a while at this place, and enjoyed the spectacular views of the Kharola Glacier nice framed by the typical and colorful Tibetan prayer flags. (Kharola Glacier, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-47)

Close-up of two Tibetan women, holding a baby yak in their arms with the mother animal standing by

Two Tibetan women with baby yak

The highest mountain pass on our transfer from Lhasa to Gyantse reached more than 5.000 meters above sea level. We stopped for a while at this place, and enjoyed the spectacular views of the Kharola Glacier. Walking around a bit, we once again met some local Tibetan people who make a small business from posing for cameras with their typical costumes. My favorite image shows two women, one of them holding a baby yak with its mother standing next to them. (Kharola Glacier, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-45)

Ensemble of two mountain peaks, one with yellow-brownish grass and the other one with snow and ice on top

Snow covered mountain peak overlooking Tibetan grasslands

This is another example about the ever-changing natural beauty in the Tibetan highlands. On our way from Lhasa to Gyantse, we passed a lot of snow-covered mountains. Their bright white provided a strong contrast to the warm yellowish color of the ground, mostly covered by grass. (Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-43)

Large dark red prayer flags laid out on the arid floor with mountains and a beautiful lake in the background

Deep red prayer flags at high mountain lake

This panoramic view once again underlines the stunning location and breathtaking beauty of the Yamzho Yumco lake in Tibet's Nagarze county. Surrounded by high mountains, the water reflects the blue of the sky. Whilst the surface due to the high altitude of 4.500m above sea level is only scarcely vegetated, there are other elements adding a lot of color. Whilst these are not the traditional multi-colored Tibetan prayer flags, I liked them a lot due to their intense dark red. (Gampa Pass, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-39)

Beautifully decorated Tibetan Yak standing on the edge of a mountain road

Yak with colorful Tibetan decoration

On our drive from Lhasa to Gyantse, the road climbed to more than 4.500 meters above sea level at the Gampa Pass. One of the attractions on our route was the beautiful Yamzho Yumco lake. The water shines in an amazing turquoise color, reflecting the blue sky. With many tourist stops en route, this has become an important source of income for some local people. Apart from posing for cameras with their typical costumes, their beautifully decorated yaks are quite popular photo models. (Gampa Pass, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-36)

Scenic view of the turquoise Tibet's Yamdrok reservoir lake from Gampa Pass

Panoramic view of Yamzho Yumco lake

On our drive from Lhasa to Gyantse, we passed quite a lot of spectacular mountains and lakes. One rest place was overlooking the beautiful Yamdrok lake reservoir at an altitude of almost 4.500m above sea level. It is one of four holy lakes in Tibet, and with more than 70km in length, also one of the largest freshwater reservoirs. With the surrounding snow-covered mountain peaks, the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. (Yamdrok Lake, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-35)

Portrait of smiling Tibetan farmer in traditional costume with little goat

Proud owner of a cute little goat

After a few days in Lhasa, we moved on to our next destination. On our way to Gyantse, the road climbed to more than 4.500 meters above sea level at Gampa Pass. One of the attractions on our route was the beautiful Yamzho Yumco lake. With a lot of tourists stopping at various viewpoints, some local Tibetans make a living from posing for photo and video cameras with their typical costumes and animals. (Gampa Pass, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-32)

Rocky beach with waves of the Yamzho Yumco lake against blue sky with large white clouds

Waves washing onto the rocky shores of Yamzho Yumco lake

After an extended stop, enjoying the spectacular lake and mountain scenery, we continued our journey towards Gyantse. The road descended towards the Yamdrok Lake reservoir, so we asked the driver for another stop to explore the lakeshore. It was quite windy and cold that day, so some smaller waves washed onto the rocky beach. The lake tends to freeze during winter. (Yamdrok Lake, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-41)

Rear side view of a Tibetan woman performing a prayer against mountain landscape with colorful flags

Say a highland prayer for me

After some interesting days in Lhasa, it was time to go to our next destination. On the way to Gyantse, the Gampa Pass climbs more than 4.500 meters above sea level. One of the attractions on our route was the beautiful Yamzho Yumco lake. With a lot of tourists stopping at various viewpoints, some Tibetans make a living from posing for cameras with their typical costumes. This woman performed some kind of a prayer ceremony. (Gampa Pass, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-33)

Portrait of a friendly smiling fruit vendor with his cart filled with citrus fruit and apples

Happy fruit merchant in Lhasa

When you walk around a town during a holiday trip, one tends to get a feeling about the locals living there as well. Are they open, curious and welcoming towards visitors, or rather shy or even showing a repressive attitude? During our time in Lhasa, we mostly met people who fell into the first category. Even though communication was difficult due to language issues, we saw a lot of friendly smiles. This fruit merchant proudly presented his mobile shop to us. (Lhasa, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-29)

Low-angle view of many ropes with Tibetan prayer flags attached to a stony mountain peak

Colorful Tibetan prayer flags against blue sky

One of the first things that come to your mind after travelling to Tibet are the colorful prayer flags. Traditionally, the colors represent the five pure lights. They can be found almost everywhere, especially along trails and on mountain peaks. This makes sense since their purpose is to bless the surrounding area. I found this accumulation of Tibetan prayer flags in the mountains above the Yumbu-Lha Khang monastery in Tsetang. (Tsetang, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-20)

Line-up of four metal chairs with red seats and backs in front of a weathered blue wall

Four aged metal chairs with red seats

Yes, these chairs have definitely seen better days. But they are still in working condition, and therefore are properly lined up, waiting for "customers". I found this line-up during a stroll in the narrow alleys and streets of the old town of Lhasa. (Lhasa, Tibet, April 2014 - Image ID: 201404-CN-27)

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The Idea

Capturing moments on camera has been my passion for more than 40 years. And we all know that beautiful moments are best enjoyed together. Sharing my memories will hopefully inspire others to appreciate the big and little wonders of this world…

Selected images are available for sale for a purpose related to my favorite photo location: NATURE!

Giving Back to Nature

images4nature isn’t just another image archive.
50% of the profits generated by "images4nature 4321now" will be donated to support environmental projects.