Will Hartl, Thin air, thick skin (DOCUMENTARY & STREET 2024)

I sat down in a heap; I couldn’t breathe. We were around 15,200ft above sea level, 7 hours from a hospital, and help wasn’t coming. Luckily, we had an oxygen tank in the car. I sat in the car for a while, dizzy with excitement and lacking oxygen, after photographing the reclusive Changpa Nomads in the remote mountains of Ladakh, India. As we began to drive down the road, I spotted a man on a vast plateau surrounded by goats. Ripping off the mask, I yelled, “Stop the car!” This was a moment too good to drive past. Makpa Tswana and his herd were making their way back towards the camp. My local driver, Sonam, asked in Ladakhi if he’d mind having his portrait taken. We shot for about 20 frames before the light changed, and he’d carried on with the goats.

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