Himalayan Pilgrimage in a Kaleidoscope ▎Ernst Haas, Pioneer of Color Photography

14 septembrie 2025

Ernst Haas (1921–1986), an Austrian photographer, is widely recognized as one of the most famous and influential photographers of the 20th century and a pioneer of color photography. In 1953, *Life* magazine published a 24-page color photo essay by him in New York, marking the first large-scale color photography feature in the publication's history. His retrospective exhibition was the first color photography show held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Throughout his life, he published four books: *The Creation* (1971), *In America* (1975), *In Germany* (1976), and *Himalayan Pilgrimage* (1978). In the year of his death (1986), he was awarded the Hasselblad Award.

Photographic Works of Tibet
by Ernst Haas

20 Pounds of Butter for the First Camera

Ernst Haas was born in 1921 in Vienna, Austria, to a Jewish father and an Austrian mother. He grew up in a well-off middle-class family; his father was a government official and an avid amateur photographer, while his mother, who loved literature and enjoyed writing poetry, was an aspiring artist. They placed great importance on education and creativity. Influenced by his family, Haas attended a private school in Vienna from 1935 to 1938, where he studied art, literature, poetry, philosophy, and science.

From a young age, he showed a strong interest in painting and possessed a keen sensitivity for visual art forms. His teacher once invited him to serve as a judge in the school's art competition. Over several years of formal training, he developed a refined sense of composition and perspective.

Young Haas

Although Haas's interest in photography was not as strong as his passion for painting from an early age, he realized that photography could serve as a tool for documenting travels and also as a medium to convey inner thoughts. Thus, at the age of 25 (in 1946), Haas exchanged 20 pounds of margarine on the black market in Vienna for his first camera—a Rolleiflex—marking the beginning of his photography career.

"I never intended to become a photographer. It grew out of a boy’s compromise, a desire to combine two goals: explorer and painter. I wanted to travel and explore the world—and what better profession could there be than a photographer? Painting would be overwhelmed by the ever-changing scenes, but my inspiration for photography came from art, not photography magazines."

"Homecoming"
Returning Prisoners of War
Vienna, 1947

Stay Free, Join Magnum

In his early years, Haas was influenced by Werner Bischof and realized that photography could both tell stories and serve as art. He thus aspired to become a true professional photographer, with the goal of documenting how the people of Vienna endured and rebuilt their lives. He created his first photography project, "Homecoming," which masterfully captured the mixed emotions of joy and sorrow as Austrian prisoners of war disembarked from trains and reunited with their loved ones. The project was later published in *Life* magazine.

Robert Capa, Ernst Haas, and Cornell Capa

The renowned war photographer Robert Capa saw Haas's "Homecoming" photos and invited him to join the newly established Magnum Photos. At the same time, *Life* magazine also offered Haas a position. Haas ultimately chose Magnum and wrote a letter to the editor of *Life* magazine.

He said: "What I want is to stay free, so I can realize my ideas. I don’t think many editors would be willing to assign the kind of work I want to shoot."

Haas at Work

"The Colorful Tibetan Land of 'Himalayan Pilgrimage'"

In 1949, Haas became a member of Magnum. In 1951, he moved to the United States and, while working on black-and-white photography in the deserts of New Mexico, he developed a strong desire for color. Soon after, he began experimenting with Kodachrome color film and became a leading color photographer of the 1950s.

He said: "Black and white must transform into the abstraction of color. I still respect both forms. But I want to express the world of color through color itself. I am searching for a language of color, not merely the composition methods of black-and-white images."

Religious Ceremonies Photographed in Tibet

He began traveling the world and working in the fields of magazines, books, and advertising. Every place he visited, he sought out sacred sites and solemn ceremonies—from the dances of Native Americans to the ancient ruins of Greece, the Holy Year in Rome, the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, as well as the Borobudur Temple in India and the Himalayan regions of Bhutan and Tibet, China.

In 1978, he published the photography book *Himalayan Pilgrimage*, which documented Haas's nine years of photographic work in Tibet. The collection conveyed to readers the unique radiance of the region, highlighting the rituals of Tibetan Buddhism, the breathtaking vastness of the landscape, and the tranquil beauty of daily life among the Tibetan people.

Cover of the Photography Book "Himalayan Pilgrimage"

The Dual Heights of "Mountains" and "Spiritual Realm"

In his book *Himalayan Pilgrimage*, Haas wrote: "Mountains have always held great significance for me. Growing up in Austria, I am grateful for everything the mountains gave me—endurance, discipline, awe, and wisdom, all of which are crucial in life.

Thus, my interest in the Himalayan expedition was not merely sparked by the geographical environment or my profession as a photographer, but by a fact that has always captivated me: the world's highest mountains seem to inspire the highest realms of the human spirit. Even during my first visit to the Himalayas, I found myself less interested in climbing the highest peaks and increasingly drawn to the inner wisdom of the people living in the Himalayan region."

Tibetan Landscape
Photographed by Haas

The cover photo of this book symbolizes the dual heights of "mountain" and "spiritual realm"—both inner and outer. The lama standing on the high mountain blowing the ritual horn appears even taller than the mountains themselves. Due to Tibet's isolation from the rest of the world, I initially expected Tibetans to be wary of outsiders or burdened by the hardships of survival, but I discovered I was wrong. They seemed untouched by the "mechanical world," and the gentleness and sincerity emanating from the Tibetan people deeply captivated me. Their unwavering faith and innate sense of humor felt like love at first sight to me.

Photography is the language of writing poetry.

Haas captured many rarely seen aspects of Tibet in vivid colors. The resilient character of the Tibetan people fascinated him so deeply that he devoted the last decade of his life to the study of Mahayana Buddhism, finding profound inner fulfillment. Whether photographing people, documenting vanishing cultures, or focusing on the transformations of nature and seasons, Haas's work consistently reflected reality. Through these rich experiences, he came to see life as a gift.

Haas once said: "Everything I have done has always been an extension of my interests. The interrelationship between all senses and art is extremely important to me. I want to connect photography with words through books and articles, and audiovisual music with photography. I wish to keep an open mind toward everything in this world, even being willing to learn with humility."

"I have always believed that adventure is far better than taking an easy path. Full of energy and a desire to explore the world, photography has become the language through which I write poetry."