New Delhi, July 19 -- Swiss photographer Manuel Bauer first met Tenzin Gyatso, better known to the world as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, in 1990. Back then, Bauer was a 23-year-old rookie journalist, hungry to make an impression in his first job. As luck would have it, he didn't have to try too hard for a big break.

Early on in his career, Bauer was sent on an assignment to photograph the Dalai Lama, an encounter that would change the course of his life. For one, it was an unusual initiation into the world of photojournalism, where the familiar rules of engagement seemed to have turned topsy-turvy. Unlike most other celebrities, here was one who was neither pricey nor given to throwing tantrums. The great Tibetan leader didn't at al...