2024 Colors of India
Workshop Information Packet
Contents:
I. General Information
II. To Do Checklist
III. Daily Itinerary
IV. FAQ’s
2024 Colors of India
General Information
Workshop Dates: Mar 17–Mar 28, 2024
Welcome!
Thanks again for joining our 2024 Colors of India photography adventure! I can’t wait to share a bit of the beauty and mystery of India’s people, culture, and history with you. But first, a bit of planning is needed to make sure everything goes smoothly. This document contains important information to help you prepare for our journey. Please take the time to read it carefully.
Workshop Overview
The workshop begins when we pick you up from Indira Gandhi International Airport (airport code: DEL) in Delhi (aka New Delhi), India on March 17, 2024 and ends upon our arrival at the same airport on March 28, 2024
In between, we will travel extensively through northern India photographing and exploring its people, history and culture. We’ll get around mostly in an air-conditioned minibus with a professional driver. We will also be accompanied by our local guide/co-leader, Harsh Agarwal, who also happens to be an amazing professional photographer. Our accommodations will be mostly modern hotels with a couple nights in a historic haveli (converted traditional mansion).
Take a look at the Daily Itinerary in this packet or on the workshop page of our website for more details about the locations we will visit and the things we can expect to see and photograph throughout our journey.
Balance of Fees
The balance of your workshop fees are due by Dec 1, 2023. You will receive an invoice by email approximately 30 days before. Payments can be made online by credit card. Please contact us if you wish to use another form of payment. Your on-time payment is much appreciated.
Health/Medical
Immunizations – there are no specific immunization requirements to enter India but you should consult with your doctor or travel clinic about any recommended vaccinations. Malaria prophylaxis may be recommended. The U.S. CDC website also contains general information which may be useful.
Prescription Medications – pack an adequate supply of any prescription medications you take, as they may not be available in India. Although I’ve never needed them, I usually carry a course of antibiotics when traveling, just in case. You can request a prescription for ‘traveler’s diarrhea’ from your health provider or travel clinic.
Allergies – please let us know about any allergies you have AND the severity of your reactions. It is your responsibility to carry appropriate medications (e.g. Epi Pen) in case of accidental exposure.
Covid- specific requirements
Both India and the US no longer require Covid vaccination or testing for entry.
Travel Logistics & Documents
International Flights –
Inbound – Book your flights to arrive in Delhi (DEL) by 2pm on Mar 17.
Outbound – Book your outbound flight from DEL for after 6pm on Mar 28 (most US bound flights depart in the evening).
Extra hotel nights - if you are arriving early or plan to overnight in Delhi before beginning your homeward travels, just let us know your itinerary specifics and we can book the additional hotel nights for you ($185/night including breakfast).
Passport – now is the time to double-check the expiration date of your passport. India requires your passport be valid for at least six months past the date you intend to depart the country.
Visas
American Citizens – a tourist visa is required to enter India. The easiest way to obtain your visa is to apply for an eTourist visa online
Other Nationalities– Please check here to determine if a visa is required
Address in India: enter the following info on your visa application for your address in India:
Pride Plaza Aerocity Hotel
Asset 5A Hospitality, District, Aerocity, Delhi, 110037, India
Travel Insurance – a policy that covers emergency medical evacuation (sometimes called repatriation) is a requirement for this trip. Please forward us a copy of your travel insurance policy. The primary purpose of this requirement is in case of medical emergency – cost should not be a consideration in getting you quality medical care in the event of a major illness or accident. Policies that cover medical evacuation as well as many other things like trip cancellation, lost luggage, theft/loss, etc are widely available and reasonably priced.
Notify Banks & Credit Cards – notify your financial institutions about your travel plans to prevent problems using credit cards or ATM’s while traveling.
Phone Carrier – look into your phone carrier’s international roaming policies and rates BEFORE leaving home or you may return to an extremely expensive bill. You may want to pre-purchase a data plan from your carrier.
WhatsApp – is a free communications app that is used widely in Asia. We will be using this for inter-group communications. Please download & install WhatsApp and create an account before arriving in India. You may want to also want to have your loved ones install this app also.
What to Pack
Weather Note – March is typically warm and dry in the areas we will be travelling. Expect daytime high temps in the range of 75–85 F (23–29 C) and overnight lows of 55–65 F (13–18 C)
Clothing & Personal Items – the following are key items to bring along, not necessarily a complete list
Cool, lightweight pants & shirts
Sunglasses
Spare glasses/contacts
Brimmed hat
Comfortable shoes suitable for walking all day. Slippers or flip flops for relaxing
Sunscreen & Bug spray
Toiletries & Medications
Photo Gear – it’s tempting to bring everything you own, but that usually works against you. If you decide to bring the kitchen sink, I strongly recommend bringing a smaller camera bag/backpack that you are comfortable carrying all day as well. You will be able to safely leave extra items in our vehicle while we are out walking around. I’m happy to give more specific brand/model recommendations for specific items. Just ask.
Camera Body(s) – any modern dSLR or mirrorless camera body will do the job. Some of the higher end ‘bridge’ cameras would also be a good choice, especially if you want to minimize weight. Bringing a paper or electronic copy of your camera’s operating manual is also recommended. Your smartphone is also a great camera – don’t forget it.
Lenses – I favor zoom lenses for their flexibility. You could very conceivably do this entire trip with a single zoom lens with range of roughly 24-105mm. Realistically, you probably want to extend your range a bit on both the wide and long ends. As an example, adding a 16-35mm and 80-200mm would make a very complete kit lens-wise. If you prefer prime lenses, one lens from each of the three zoom ranges would be ideal.
Filters – a clear/UV filter for the lens(es) you will be using during Holi festival is essential. A polarizer (optional) is the only other filter I would consider bringing.
Camera Rain Cover – essential for protecting your camera/lens during Holi Festival. This is the one I will be using (we will modify prior to festivities to completely seal our gear).
Extra Batteries and Memory cards – you will be shooting a lot, maybe more than you ever have, easily in the thousands of images and hundreds of gigabytes total. Bring PLENTY of extra cards and batteries. You should NOT erase/overwrite any memory cards until you get home, even if you have downloaded the images to your laptop or hard drive.
Battery Charger – do not forget! As a backup, you might consider purchasing USB powered camera battery charger. They are inexpensive and let you charge your camera batteries without a wall outlet. Google “(your camera model) USB charger”
Tripod (optional) – sturdy, but light with a ballhead is the way to go. Note: tripods are not allowed in many monuments we will be visiting (e.g. Taj Mahal)
Flash (optional)
Other
Laptop or tablet –highly recommended. Your photography will improve if you review your images daily. Doing preliminary selects and ratings also makes the mountain of images more manageable when you get home. We will also have several sessions on post processing and image management in Adobe Lightroom.
Portable hard drive - ideal for image storage/backup. If you are considering purchasing one, look for a “bus powered” model – a drive that gets its power from the computer and does not require a separate power cord
Power adapters – India runs on 230-volt electricity with Type C, D or M outlets. A ‘universal’ adapter like this one will cover your needs in India. Packing a small power strip is also handy for charging multiple devices simultaneously. Just make sure it is specifically designed for international travel or rated for at least 220 volts.
Phones/tablets, laptops, camera battery chargers and other electronics have built in voltage transformers and work just fine with a simple adapter. Check higher power devices like hair dryers and shavers to make sure they are compatible with 230-volt power. Here is a link to a good article on travel adapters if you need more info.
Chargers and cables for your mobile phone and other electronics
Power bank – extremely handy when traveling. You can even use it to charge a camera battery in a pinch (USB battery charger required)
MISC
A Word About Gratuities – Like many service businesses, our guide and drivers rely on gratuities for a substantial portion of their income. I think you will find our local drivers in India to be outstanding at what they do. If you feel you’ve received good service, a gratuity is greatly appreciated. People always ask me for guidance on amounts – what I can say is that the typical range I see is:
Guide: $10–$20/day
Driver: $4–$6/day
Tipping at hotels and restaurants is not expected, but small gratuities are appreciated.
Again, if you have any questions about the information contained here or any other aspect of this workshop, please contact me.
I look forward to meeting you in Delhi,
Ken Lee
+1 949-282-9660 mobile/WhatsApp
ken@artofseeing.com
Colors of India 2024
To Do Checklist
___ Send us a scan/photo of your Passport picture page (cell phone snap is fine)
___ Book Inbound/Outbound flights and forward a copy of your flight itinerary to us.
___ Let us know if you need any extra hotel nights
___ Apply for India eTourist Visa
___ Purchase Travel Insurance and forward a copy of your policy
___ Notify Banks & Credit Cards of your travel plans
___ Check mobile phone carrier’s international roaming policies and plans
___ Make a personal packing checklist (click here for a downloadable Photo Trip Packing List template you can customize to your own needs)
Daily Itinerary
Day 1 (Mar 17) Arrival in Delhi – Welcome to India! Your adventure begins when our representative meets you upon arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), transports you to our hotel and assists with check in. Relax and recover from your travels until 4 pm when our program begins with an introduction and orientation meeting followed by a group dinner. Overnight in Delhi hotel (meals: D).
Note: hotel check in time is 2pm.
Day 2 (Mar 18) Delhi - Vrindavan – Our first shooting day is a big one, starting bright and early with a sunrise shooting session at Humayun’s Tomb. Early morning is the perfect time to explore the architecture and gardens of this UN World Heritage site, both for the beautiful light and because this vast complex is popular with locals who come to practice yoga and meditation in the cool morning stillness.
After breakfast, we move on to the Jama Masjid, Delhi’s largest Muslim mosque, where you can climb the narrow spiral staircase of a minaret for a breathtaking view of the sprawl of new and old Delhi. In the afternoon we visit the kitchen at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, a historic Sikh shrine that serves over 10,000 free meals each day to the less fortunate of the community. Then it’s off to the narrow, winding streets of Old Delhi and the chaos of Chadni Chowk market.
We depart for Vrindavan in the afternoon so we will be on scene to observe, photograph and participate in the Holi Festival celebrations from the very beginning.
Throughout the day and the remainder of our adventure, Ken and Harsh will be there to help you better understand which camera settings make sense for various situations, how to identify and approach subjects and ways to become more aware of light and backgrounds. Overnight in Vrindavan hotel (meals: B, L, D).
Days 3/4 (Mar 19/20) Vrindavan – our base for the Holi celebration in the villages of Barsana and Nandgoan where a unique version of Holi, known as Lathmar Holi, is practiced.
Nandgoan is Lord Krishna’s birthplace and Barsana is Radha’s (his beloved). The Radha-Krishna love-story is one of the most famous in Hindu mythology. Over the centuries a tradition developed where the men of Nandgoan come to celebrate Holi with the women of Barsana, but are greeted by a pummeling with sticks (laths). The men now come prepared with padded shields and clothing.
This is also the opportunity to create your own versions of the impossibly colorful images we’ve all seen on the internet. We’ll show you how to protect your gear and take you to the best vantage points to capture the action. Be advised that you’re bound to end up wearing some of Holi’s colors as well as photographing them. Overnight in Vrindavan hotel (meals: B, L, D).
Days 5/6 (Mar 21/22) Agra - and its most famous attraction, the Taj Mahal, is our next stop. Words and even pictures can’t convey the magnificence of this monument so you will just have to experience it for yourself. We will pay the Taj proper homage by scheduling several shooting sessions from various vantage points and lighting situations highlighted by sunrise from inside the Taj complex.
We’ll also make time to explore Agra’s other attractions such as the Red Fort and Itimad ud Daulah, aka ‘Baby Taj.’ Overnight in Agra hotel (meals: B, L, D).
Days 7 (Mar 23) Agra – Jodhpur (via Delhi) – from Agra, we drive back to Delhi to catch the short flight to Jodhpur. Known as the Blue City, at one time it was decreed that all its buildings should be painted a striking Cerulean blue. That tradition is fading but the first thing you notice about Jodhpur won’t be its color but giant Meherangarh Fort, which sits atop the central plateau and absolutely dominates its skyline. Jodhpur exudes such a relaxing vibe that it will be difficult to choose between photographing its many attractions or just sit in the rooftop café of our Haveli (converted mansion) hotel, sip cool drinks and stare at that huge fort.
If you opt to explore, our scheduled outings include an early morning shoot at Jaswant Thada, an ornate royal cenotaph carved from white marble, a stroll through Jodhpur’s old city and, of course, an exploration of Meherangarh Fort. Jodhpur’s Sadar (clock tower) market is also an excellent place to make images of a traditional Indian marketplace where vendors sell all manner of fresh and prepared foods as well as a dizzying array of clothing and goods. Finally, this will be our second opportunity to capture the colors of Holi on its traditional celebration date.
So, shoot or relax? Both will be inviting at this point in the journey. The choice is up to you… maybe, a little of both? Overnight in Jodhpur haveli (meals: B, L, D).
Day 8 (Mar 24) Jodhpur – rise early for a sunrise walking tour to nearby hill to capture a magnificent view of Mehrangarh Fort and old city of Jodhpur. Return to Hotel. After breakfast, visit Mehrangarh Fort, one of the grandest forts in India and Jaswant Thada, the royal cenotaph. After lunch, we'll take photowalk of Jodhpur's Old Town where you'll see why Jodhpur is known as "the Blue City". Walk deep into the alleys and homes of Jodhpur with its maze of brightly painted blue homes. In evening, walk around Clock Tower market to capture daily life of local people. In evening, witness locals preparing to celebrate Holi with a large bonfire Jodhpur. Overnight in Jodhpur haveli (meals: B, L, D).
Day 9 (Mar 25) Jodhpur – Varanasi (via Delhi) we travel by air to Varanasi on the Ganges, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth and the holiest place in the Hindu world. We'll arrive in time to wander its back alleys which offer amazing street photography opportunities. We'll make our way to the stone ghats for sunset where we are just as likely to encounter wandering holy cows as holy men. Overnight in Varanasi hotel (meals: B, L, D).
Day 10/11 (Mar 26/27) Varanasi - is otherworldly. While Jodhpur’s vibe is relaxing, Varanasi envelops you in a thick cloak of spirituality and mysticism. Millions of devout Hindus make the pilgrimage to their most holy city every year to experience spiritual rejuvenation in the sacred waters of the Ganges. Photo opportunities in Varanasi are everywhere. The pilgrims, along with the wandering Sadhus and Aghoris (religious ascetics) are powerful subjects for environmental portraits. The ghats (stone terraces) lining the riverbank are bustling with activity any time of day and it’s a mistake to dismiss the nightly Aarti ceremony as a tourist attraction.
Varanasi also happens to be the center of India’s silk weaving industry and most of the work is still done in outlying villages on traditional hand looms. We will visit these master craftsmen and photograph them and their handiwork. Be prepared to be mobbed by curious young children who may have never seen a foreign face. Overnight in Varanasi hotel (meals: B, L, D).
Day 12 (May 28) Varanasi - Delhi - our journey ends upon our early afternoon arrival at Delhi airport, in time to catch most outbound international flights. (meals: B, L)
End of Service.
If you wish to overnight in Delhi before flying home, let us know and we can make arrangements for lodging and airport transfer ($185/night including breakfast).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Q: Should I buy travel insurance?
A: Yes. In fact, proof of insurance that includes medical evacuation coverage is a requirement for participation in this workshop. I like to use World Nomads for insurance when traveling abroad but there are many options out there.
Q: Do I need a visa to enter India?
A: If you are an American citizen, an Indian Tourist Visa is required. The easiest way to obtain one is to apply for an eTourist Visa (eTV) online. If you are a citizen of another country, check online or with the Indian consulate in your country.
Q: What kind of accommodations will we be staying in?
A: Our lodgings will mostly be in 3 and 4-star modern hotels with amenities like air conditioning, Wi-Fi, room service and laundry services. We may also stay in a Haveli. These are renovated historic mansions that may lack some modern conveniences but make up for it with their unique architecture and charm.
Q: What kind of food will be available?
A: Breakfast and dinner will almost always include both western and local options. Western cuisine may not always be available for lunch if we are eating 'in the field'. Beef is generally not available, but chicken and fish are common. Vegetarians will have no problem in India. Contact us if you have any dietary needs or restrictions.
Q: What will the weather be like?
A: March is a great time to travel in northern India. The climate should be generally warm and dry throughout our itinerary. Historically, daytime high temps are in the range of 75–85 F (23–29 C) with overnight lows of 55–65 F (13–18 C)
Q: How will we travel inside India?
A: In general, we will get around in an air-conditioned minibus with a professional driver and local guide. There are also two domestic flights on our itinerary, which are included in the workshop fee.