Depth of Field The Aga Khan Beyond the Lens

This collection of personal photographs--many never-before published--offers a fascinating glimpse into the personal life and public work of the fourth Aga Khan.

Having accompanied the Aga Khan as photographer for more than thirty years, Gary Otte has unique access to the prince's archives at the Aiglemont estate in France. Presented for the first time in one volume, they offer a narrative of the Aga Khan's life and work as a public figure and private citizen. The more than 200 images, each with a brief caption, span eight decades and forty-eight different countries, and include the work of fifty different photographers. From his childhood years in Nairobi, Kenya, his education at Harvard University, and his participation as an Olympic skier, the photographs also illustrate the Aga Khan's numerous achievements in the worlds of Islamic architecture, economic development, international diplomacy, and humanitarian aid, especially through the Aga Khan Development Network. This unprecedented collection of images is certain to interest anyone curious about the life of the Aga Khan, the AKDN, and the approximately 20 million adherents of Nizari Ismailism.

Gary Otte is an architectural photographer who has covered projects for the Aga Khan Development Network since 1984. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.