A little bit about Lama Yeshe

So much has been written about Lama Yeshe, the much beloved Tibetan Buddhist teacher and meditation master, that I won't go into much detail here. Aside from having thousands of students all over the globe, he, along with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, established a worldwide network of spiritual centers which are part of The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition. (There are two excellent websites which tell all about them: the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive and FPMT.)

These archival portraits exude Lama Yeshe's inspiring presence, and are a fitting memorial to the life of this great teacher and spiritual friend. 

Please note, we are keeping our prices as low as possible in order to make these prints more affordable for Dharma practitioners and students of Lama Yeshe and the FPMT.

About the Paper and
Protective Spray

PremierArt Smooth Fine Art paper is a museum grade paper made from a hot press mould that provides a very smooth surface to the paper, and is ideal for photography and art reproduction.

The high resolution coating has an excellent D-Max which expands the tonal range of the paper, resulting in a higher color gamut than any other museum grade rag on the market, as well as being 100% Cotton, Acid and lignin free, and free of any artificial optical brighteners.

The print is then sprayed with PremierArt Print Shield, a protective spray which guards the prints from moisture, UV light, humidity, atmospheric contaminants, scuffing and fingerprints.

This greatly extends image life. Print Shield has has been tested by Wilhelm Imaging Research, and was found to increase display permanence ratings significantly, in some cases almost doubling it.

A Note on Photo Restoration

All of these images needed a certain amount of attention to make them shine. For some of them, this meant subtle adjustments to the color balance and image sharpness, for others it meant a radical overhaul in which the background was replaced or recreated entirely.

The intention of course was to keep a natural feeling in the composition, and to let the spirit of the original photo of Lama Yeshe reveal itself. Hopefully this is how it appears to the viewer. If you are interested in seeing how these images were retouched or would like to know about my retouching and restoration services, please go the the David Zinn website.

Freedom and Joy

I did not have the good fortune to meet or receive teachings from Lama Yeshe while he was alive during the years these photos were taken, but I certainly feel as though I meet him again and again as I continue to work on the images for this gallery. I feel he is one of those unique spiritual teachers whose presence is conveyed quite directly through his photographs ~ his compassion, his wakefulness, and his deep sense of humor.

Though the Tibetan Vajrayana path which he taught is one of great energy and discipline, when one looks at the portraits, one can sense the fruits of the practice in the form of profound freedom and joy. And it is my sincere hope that at least some of that joy is shared with those who view these images of a great spiritual teacher.