Himalaya Bhatta Introduces the Beautiful Far West to the World Through Photos and Videos

Kathmandu: The hands that once held stethoscopes and wore aprons now capture the mountains, hills and wildlife of the Far West. Himalaya Bhatta from Darchula had completed his studies as a Health Assistant and moved to Kathmandu to prepare for the civil service. He never imagined he would become a photographer. His plan was to get a government job.

He came to Kathmandu with that goal and spent four to five months preparing for the civil service exams. During that time, his friends planned a trip to see the snow in Kalinchowk. Many students from his hostel joined the trip. “It was Magh 2074,” Himalaya recalls. “I kept wondering when it would snow in Kalinchowk and when I would get to see it. I was waiting for the snowfall.”

Seeing his friends and hostel-mates excited about the mountains, he asked himself why the Far West, where snow lasts longer at lower elevations, remained unseen. That question made him abandon his civil service preparation and return home. That was the beginning of his journey as a travel photographer. His smartphone played the most important role in that journey.

After returning from Kathmandu, he began traveling with enthusiasm. He created a Facebook page called “Visit Darchula” and started posting photos and videos taken on his Xiaomi Mi A11. When the page received little attention, he renamed it “Visit Darchula - A Hidden Heaven” Whether it was the name or his persistence, the page slowly started drawing attention. He still had no expensive camera, so he continued capturing remote landscapes with his mobile. “Maybe the words ‘A Hidden Heaven’ helped,” he says. “People praised the places and the photos. That inspired me to keep traveling, taking photos and posting them on the page.”

After two years of mobile photography, he shared a thought on social media: “Until now I’ve been trying to introduce the Far West using my mobile camera. If I had a better camera, I could show the Far West even better.”

That single status changed his life. Within minutes, his inbox filled with messages from people at home and abroad offering support. Smriti Aryal, the China head of the United Nations, reached out after seeing his passion for photography. “She asked how much a camera would cost and said they would cover it,” Himalaya recalls. “I didn’t post to ask for money. I only said that with a good camera, I could take better photos. I was just sharing what was on my mind.”

Smriti had been following his work for about a year. Impressed by his photos, she contributed Rs 30,000 as a token of support. Others began asking for his QR code. Himalaya accepted the help. Within three days, he collected Rs 135,000. The remaining amount was provided by the local level. With that, he bought a Canon 90D and improved his photography.

But with time and technology evolving, his gear changed again. The heavy cameras and drones he once carried have now been replaced by mobile phones. “Nowadays, mobile is enough for social media,” he says. “Earlier, there was a big difference between mobile and camera photos. Now the difference is small.” He currently uses Samsung’s S24 and S25 flagship models. His team uses Sony cameras for documentaries, but he says his personal travel and social media content is produced entirely on mobile. He believes technology has made everything easier.

With technology advancing, AI-generated photos have also become common. Even though AI is widely used to create or edit images, Himalaya values originality. “Seeing an original place is different from seeing an image,” he says. “Original photos have more value than AI photos.” He believes AI can create visuals, but it cannot capture the real vibe of a place or a person’s experience. He also has a bitter experience: people doubt old, real photos because of AI. “People now ask whether a real sunset photo taken years ago was created by AI,” he says.

The digital activism of content creators like Himalaya has transformed tourism in the Far West. Api Base Camp, which used to attract only 30–40 people a year, now sees 200–300 visitors a day during the season. “Photography has been promoted in the country and abroad. Now the hotels there are packed for months. Locals have found employment,” he says.

He says viral videos and photos on social media are attracting foreign and domestic tourists to the Far West. However, with this rise, challenges have also grown. Copyright and content theft have become major problems. He says when a creator’s video or photo is downloaded and posted by others without permission, the original creator’s reach drops. “When our content is stolen, watch time and views decrease,” he complains. “If someone else already has the same video, social media users don’t pay attention to the next video. So we get hurt when others copy our content.” He believes this problem will not be solved until platforms like Facebook introduce strict rules.

Himalaya’s experience is that although photos of the Far West sell at good prices in the international market, Nepal still does not understand the value of photography. Hotels and businesses spend lakhs on decorations but hesitate to pay a fair price for a local photo. That’s why he sells his photos in India, Germany, Spain, and other countries through Instagram. However, he is generous to students and photo enthusiasts. He says he provides thousands of photos for just three to four hundred rupees, considering the student’s budget. “Most of the big hotels in Dhangadhi and Mahendranagar do not have photos of the Far West on their walls,” he says. “They have photos of developed countries on their walls. They say they don’t have the budget to buy photos, instead of putting local photos. If the problem is the budget, I will provide my photos for free.”

Himalaya Bhatta is not only a photographer but also a tourism ambassador for Api and Badimalika. He has added the word ‘Pheruwa’ to his name. In Doteli, this word means “a person who wanders around without work.” However, his main work now is tourism promotion.

“I have sold thousands of photos at home and abroad,” he says. “If they are made available cheaply in Nepal, they are sold at a high price abroad.” There is huge demand for his photos, especially in India and countries with Nepali communities. Despite challenges, the 29-year-old wants to enjoy this field. “I forgot what I studied in HA. I still identify myself as a traveler and explorer rather than a photographer,” he says.

His social media presence has helped promote tourism. His Instagram posts have attracted Indian and foreign visitors, and domestic tourists have been drawn through TikTok and Facebook.

 

 

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: मंसिर १०, २०८२ १२:१७

टिप्पणीहरू