Ten Years in the Himalayas: An Atheist's Travel Photography
Born in France and previously employed in the industrial sector, Florian Delalee relocated from France to Shanghai, China, where he currently resides. With a decade of travel across Asia, he uses his camera to capture breathtaking landscapes and a wide range of cultural traditions. He deeply admires the photography featured in *National Geographic* magazine, which encourages travelers worldwide to explore the globe more deeply—an idea that strongly echoes his own photographic path. His personal website is floriandelalee.com.
Shanghai, China—an international metropolis changing every day—is where I settled at 24 after relocating for work. Before that, at 21, I was deeply drawn to the photography of my former manager, who also became my mentor in learning photography. On a business trip to Shanghai, I bought my first digital camera and started exploring Asia in my free time. The city offers a multicultural living environment that embraces the differences between Eastern and Western cultures.
My decade-long travels through the heart of Asia reshaped me into a travel photographer, a transformation that has granted me a far richer existence and a wider worldview. In different corners of the continent, I have uncovered a multitude of distinct cultures, while encounters with fascinating individuals from every part of the globe have given us the opportunity to trade our varied life experiences and personal narratives. At the same time, the unfortunate stories I have heard or witnessed firsthand have made me acutely aware of my own good fortune, instilling in me a deep appreciation for the life I now lead. This journey is captured in "Seven Returns to the Himalayas.
In 2013, I first traveled to the Himalayan plateau, which ignited a profound interest in Tibet's landscapes and culture. Since then, I have made seven return trips to the Himalayas, exploring Tibetan regions in Yunnan, Sichuan, Tibet, and Gansu, and each expedition has brought remarkable experiences. What captivates me most about Asia's heart is its sweeping, majestic scenery, completely unlike what I saw growing up in the French countryside.
China's remote regions boast an extraordinary variety of landscapes, ranging from deserts and mountains to grasslands and alpine zones. These geographic conditions have influenced the development of ancient civilizations, yet safeguarding those traditions amid such rapid societal transformation is no simple task. Despite being isolated, these areas remain calm and vast, giving me an unmatched feeling of serenity—a sharp departure from the dynamic, fast-paced character of Shanghai.
For every landscape I capture, my focus is on sharpening my composition and my handling of light and shadow, with the hours of sunrise and sunset demanding the greatest precision in that balance. I find deep inspiration in the imagery published in *National Geographic*, particularly the photographs taken by Steve McCurry and by Romanian photographer Mihaela Noroc, who journeys across the globe.
On my journeys, I value the personal bonds I form with local people, and seeing the happiness on their faces brings me deep satisfaction. Traveling to far-flung destinations—including conflict-ridden areas—I put my life on the line to capture extraordinary images. In the Himalaya, residents generally welcome photography and will often pose with me for pictures. As an atheist who respects all religions, I frequently hear tales of nomadic herders and pilgrims along the way.
On a solo journey to Langmu Temple, I recall having limited Chinese skills, yet the local people were remarkably kind to me. They would invite me into their homes, where I enjoyed yak milk tea and yak meat, while they talked about the everyday routines of their temples. Although photographing religious ceremonies inside the temple is normally forbidden, the monks displayed no distrust of me. Instead, they allowed me the rare chance to take pictures of both portraits and the rituals themselves—a memory I will always treasure. That trust inspired in me a profound sense of gratitude.
My atheism doesn’t mean I have no curiosity about other religions. I find Buddhism to be a compelling philosophy, one that could serve as an alternative to other belief systems. During my visits to Buddhist sacred sites across China, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Indonesia, I have picked up ideas such as karma—the law of cause and effect—along with the quest for inner peace and the significance of forging meaningful bonds in our lives. My exploration will continue in the future. This August, I plan to travel to western Sichuan.
My passion has always been telling stories through photography and exploring fresh perspectives behind the camera. Within the coming year or two, I aim to secure sponsors for an exhibition in Shanghai featuring my travel works from the Himalayan plateau, so I can present more of my finest photographs to a wider audience.