LOTUSfairy
Senior Member
Very very nice shots...u guys are so good...:bsmilie:
A guide to India 2007 (Delhi, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra)
- Thread starter binbeto
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Lotus: ur pic not bad too... ur composition is good for quite a few shot.
jeff49er: think it will be quite a while better taj mahal come out at the speed I am going.. haa haa.. Sorry about that..
dahaoren: We do not have time for Rajasthan this time.. What a pity! It is a nice place too.. Not sure if I will have the Agra pic up before your trip.. Hope you find this thread useful in any way.. If I can answer any of your queries, will be glad to.
Back to the rickshaw. When we reached Prayang, we didn't took it the first time becos the price was slightly higher than what the guide book said... Z & R went to recce the room before committing.. My only piority is to have a connecting bathroom.. haa haa
The room was ok but we wanna have a look at another hotel at the other side of the town, as recommended by Z's lovely "Lonely planet".
We booked 2 rickshaw and load all our gear/bag up.. 2 per rickshaw was a tight squeeze.. really pity the guy that took up me and R.. With a combine weight of nearly 200kg, it's a great wonder he managed to cycle us around without breaking a sweat..
When we reached the other hotel, **forgotten the name** we are shocked to learn that the price has almost tripled.. Must be the cause of the festival.. Alas, we have to head back to Prayag. haa haa
Before we set back to Prayag, we had our breakfast at the hotel resturant.. We have read that, generally, hotel resturant food are quite safe..
Food was ok but we waited for quite a while..Like 30 mins for some french toast.. Here, we experience our first black-out when we happily started charging all our electronics stuff in the resturant.... Electricity supply are quite unpredictable in India.. More on that later..
jeff49er: think it will be quite a while better taj mahal come out at the speed I am going.. haa haa.. Sorry about that..
dahaoren: We do not have time for Rajasthan this time.. What a pity! It is a nice place too.. Not sure if I will have the Agra pic up before your trip.. Hope you find this thread useful in any way.. If I can answer any of your queries, will be glad to.
Back to the rickshaw. When we reached Prayang, we didn't took it the first time becos the price was slightly higher than what the guide book said... Z & R went to recce the room before committing.. My only piority is to have a connecting bathroom.. haa haa
The room was ok but we wanna have a look at another hotel at the other side of the town, as recommended by Z's lovely "Lonely planet".
We booked 2 rickshaw and load all our gear/bag up.. 2 per rickshaw was a tight squeeze.. really pity the guy that took up me and R.. With a combine weight of nearly 200kg, it's a great wonder he managed to cycle us around without breaking a sweat..
When we reached the other hotel, **forgotten the name** we are shocked to learn that the price has almost tripled.. Must be the cause of the festival.. Alas, we have to head back to Prayag. haa haa
Before we set back to Prayag, we had our breakfast at the hotel resturant.. We have read that, generally, hotel resturant food are quite safe..
Food was ok but we waited for quite a while..Like 30 mins for some french toast.. Here, we experience our first black-out when we happily started charging all our electronics stuff in the resturant.... Electricity supply are quite unpredictable in India.. More on that later..
zoossh
Senior Member
it might be difficult to answer this question. we all brought our tripods, one of us lost it through flight and that tells you to be careful if you tie it to a backpack.
it depends on how willing are you to use the tripod in various situations.
for sunset and sunrise, if you are on a boat, they ain't used. on land, yes. but again, there is enough light if you push the ISO and aperture. tripod is used to allow you to use the lowest ISO and the smallest aperture if you want to.
night bazaar dun give you sufficient space and time to meddle. you still can if you want to, esp if you are willing to keep it attached and use it as a monopod, but if you want to do varied compositions at low angles, and in order to catch fleeting moments, you got to rely on fast lens and high ISO in. chances is you would use the tripod for sunrise, and drag it along (not using) when you shoot the streets. those who didn't have a tripod will still take the photos but with their largetst aperture and highest ISO.
the places we went didn't give us much options to shoot scenaries at night. nights are mostly rest or streets. but one of the night is spent on a lighted non-parading (not walking away) festival, where tripods come into use becos light is low and fast lens/highest ISO is stretched at the margin with more shots affected by handshake.
last thing is if you need to shoot star trails. that is if you are in a non-urban setting with light pollution. a tripod is a must.
Hi zoossh, thank for your explanation and your shots for ur india trip are very nice too. Both urs and binbeto's shots have really made me looking forward for my trip. Thanks again. Just want to ask whether any one of u ever visit taj mahal during FULL MOON nite? I understand that taj mahal is opened on FULL MOON nite and till now i have yet seen any such shots. should be very nice.
zoossh
Senior Member
i heard about some quota thing. you might want to plan it. we didn't get there by full moon.
but one thing is the air isn't fantastic, as such you dun get dramatic clouds often. hence taj mahal may not be very photogenic. next be prepared to deal with crowds. and last of all, i'm not sure if you can get in a tripod into taj mahal during night viewing.
Zoosh is right. According to what I have read, there is a quota for the full moon visit.. Be informed that we are not allow to bring our tripod in during the day time. So, chances that tripod are not allowed for the Full moon tour. Even, a gorillipod was not allowed as we have seen another tourist surrender his gorillipod to the "locker " area.
Zoosh has much covered the need or need not for a tripod.. In my view, if it's a photographic trip, just bring the tripod.. You never know when you will need one..
At least keep it in your hotel room, giving you the option to take it out.. Rajasthan might have some opportunity to use.. Desert is nearby, maybe could catch a nice sunrise.
If you like street photography more, maybe not much use of a tripod in delhi and agra.
As for lens, at least one fast lens (f/1.8 or so) will be of great help in night market where the light is low. Ya, India is quite dusty so a cleaning kits is quite a neccessity.
Back to the story.. We managed to chat a bit with the young boss of Prayag and he shared quite a bit about the festival Khumba Mela. We are told that there will be 2 timing for the BIG bath.. If my memory doesn't failed me, it 11pm and 4.30am(the next day). We have a decision to make. We didn't really catch much sleep since the day we set off. the possibility of another night without proper sleep is a scary thought.. Being a group of good and eager photographer, we press on with the motive of capturing good images.. haa haa (A bit thick skin)
With that set, we retreat to our room to washup and rest.. After dinner, we set off to the scarad Sangam, where the mela will be held.. Sangam is connecting point of three of the holiest rivers in Hindu mythology - Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
We decided to make our way there by foot, thinking we could see more and the distance look achieveable on the map.. Big mistake.. haa haa
We set off from hotel at about 9pm and started to way towards the general direction of Sangam, asking direction along the way. Surpringly, at this hour, the street is still bizzing with life. Along the way, we are being offered hot tea (in small plastic cup) and dry bread in front of small shrine. Everyone on the street was being offered a "serving".
With the temperature at 10+deg, this hot tea is godsend.
We are quite lucky to chance upon a celebration at a local temple.
There is people, music, dance and food.. We are being offered food again!! haa haa ..
Notice the swastika sign on the wall which zoosh has mentioned in his thread?
Gun-shot was fired as a form of celebration! Something I have never witness before.. Well, in response, With my flash mounted, I just fire away.. The scene was quite crazy and in the midst of it, somehow, Z was been carried over their shoulder and carried around a bit like a celebrity.. haa haa
Zoosh has much covered the need or need not for a tripod.. In my view, if it's a photographic trip, just bring the tripod.. You never know when you will need one..
At least keep it in your hotel room, giving you the option to take it out.. Rajasthan might have some opportunity to use.. Desert is nearby, maybe could catch a nice sunrise.
If you like street photography more, maybe not much use of a tripod in delhi and agra.
As for lens, at least one fast lens (f/1.8 or so) will be of great help in night market where the light is low. Ya, India is quite dusty so a cleaning kits is quite a neccessity.
Back to the story.. We managed to chat a bit with the young boss of Prayag and he shared quite a bit about the festival Khumba Mela. We are told that there will be 2 timing for the BIG bath.. If my memory doesn't failed me, it 11pm and 4.30am(the next day). We have a decision to make. We didn't really catch much sleep since the day we set off. the possibility of another night without proper sleep is a scary thought.. Being a group of good and eager photographer, we press on with the motive of capturing good images.. haa haa (A bit thick skin)
With that set, we retreat to our room to washup and rest.. After dinner, we set off to the scarad Sangam, where the mela will be held.. Sangam is connecting point of three of the holiest rivers in Hindu mythology - Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
We decided to make our way there by foot, thinking we could see more and the distance look achieveable on the map.. Big mistake.. haa haa
We set off from hotel at about 9pm and started to way towards the general direction of Sangam, asking direction along the way. Surpringly, at this hour, the street is still bizzing with life. Along the way, we are being offered hot tea (in small plastic cup) and dry bread in front of small shrine. Everyone on the street was being offered a "serving".
With the temperature at 10+deg, this hot tea is godsend.
We are quite lucky to chance upon a celebration at a local temple.
There is people, music, dance and food.. We are being offered food again!! haa haa ..
Notice the swastika sign on the wall which zoosh has mentioned in his thread?
Gun-shot was fired as a form of celebration! Something I have never witness before.. Well, in response, With my flash mounted, I just fire away.. The scene was quite crazy and in the midst of it, somehow, Z was been carried over their shoulder and carried around a bit like a celebrity.. haa haa
nevertheless, i can feel their joy in ur shots. :thumbsup:Err.. Didn't do a good job using the flash.. haa haa Not built-in flash lah.. Mounted kind.
Leaving the celebration at the temple, we moved on.
Small group of people was just chatting on the street with a fire made from collected rubbish or logs. We have been walking for 1 hour + but no sign of the river yet. Asking a local has confirmed our greatest fear, we are still a long way from the Sangam mela ground!
When we are all desperate and tired, in came superman in his rickshaw.. haa haa We tried to tell him we wanted to go to the mela ground but superman doesn't speak or understand english. Luckily, a group of colleage boy (or is it uni man) came along and explained where we are heading. Thank god!
We travelled for quite a while on the rickshaw... Can't imagine if we really walk all the way.. When we reached near the mela ground, there is quite a few road blocks. This is the furthest superman could ferry us.. We bid our farewell and superman was very greatly for the amount we paid though we didn't really paid a lot.. He wanted a picture to be taken but I have a feeling he will never see this pic.. So, I am posting it on the net despite a weird color cast, under expose face, bad noise due to hight ISO and lens flare from the street light.
Superman, if you are seeing this.. Hope you like it..
Just before we part company with superman, he bend a little to touch my knee.. I find it a strange gesture but didn't move away from his hand.. In varanasi, I saw some old women touching the knee of a cow..
Any hindu can explain the meanin of this?
Leaving the celebration at the temple, we moved on.
Small group of people was just chatting on the street with a fire made from collected rubbish or logs. We have been walking for 1 hour + but no sign of the river yet. Asking a local has confirmed our greatest fear, we are still a long way from the Sangam mela ground!
When we are all desperate and tired, in came superman in his rickshaw.. haa haa We tried to tell him we wanted to go to the mela ground but superman doesn't speak or understand english. Luckily, a group of colleage boy (or is it uni man) came along and explained where we are heading. Thank god!
We travelled for quite a while on the rickshaw... Can't imagine if we really walk all the way.. When we reached near the mela ground, there is quite a few road blocks. This is the furthest superman could ferry us.. We bid our farewell and superman was very greatly for the amount we paid though we didn't really paid a lot.. He wanted a picture to be taken but I have a feeling he will never see this pic.. So, I am posting it on the net despite a weird color cast, under expose face, bad noise due to hight ISO and lens flare from the street light.
Superman, if you are seeing this.. Hope you like it..
Just before we part company with superman, he bend a little to touch my knee.. I find it a strange gesture but didn't move away from his hand.. In varanasi, I saw some old women touching the knee of a cow..
Any hindu can explain the meanin of this?
Due to the road block, we got to walk to the mela ground. Along the way, there's tents setup by pilgrim. Some just slept on a cupboard with blanket.
It's freezing cold, slightly below 10 deg.
Finally we reach the mela ground. Boats are available for hire at 120 rupee of so.
Thinking it'll be too dark to take pic from teh boat and fearing too cold, we give the boat a miss. We managed to catch a boat during daybreak but the ferry price has ballooned to 600 ruppee.. hmmm..
It's freezing cold, slightly below 10 deg.
Finally we reach the mela ground. Boats are available for hire at 120 rupee of so.
Thinking it'll be too dark to take pic from teh boat and fearing too cold, we give the boat a miss. We managed to catch a boat during daybreak but the ferry price has ballooned to 600 ruppee.. hmmm..
Tomshen: glad you like them. Heard you are going mongolia later this year? Wish I could go to.. haa haa
We stroll down the river as the temperature drop further.. Getting cold and I curse myself for not being properly prepared... Should have brought glove and cap..
Devouts lighted candle to perform certian ritual.
The air is freezing and I can't imagine the temperature in the water... Despite that, the devotee continue to take the dip in the river.. Hmm enjoyable but none of us in the group are willingly to try.. haa haa
We stroll down the river as the temperature drop further.. Getting cold and I curse myself for not being properly prepared... Should have brought glove and cap..
Devouts lighted candle to perform certian ritual.
The air is freezing and I can't imagine the temperature in the water... Despite that, the devotee continue to take the dip in the river.. Hmm enjoyable but none of us in the group are willingly to try.. haa haa
The ground for Khumba mela is quite big..Afterall, millions of people are expected.. Security is tight. Policmen patrol the area in horses. Quite cool.
We proceed to explore the area more. Further up the bank, there is quite a number of different pandas (priests) on small platforms made of planks. They perform puja and assist devout in their rituals..
Read from somewhere that each pandas actually represent different sects with a bit variation on how they perform the religion. A small offering is required after the priest give you his blessings.
We proceed to explore the area more. Further up the bank, there is quite a number of different pandas (priests) on small platforms made of planks. They perform puja and assist devout in their rituals..
Read from somewhere that each pandas actually represent different sects with a bit variation on how they perform the religion. A small offering is required after the priest give you his blessings.
asterixsg
Senior Member
Bro,
I like your travelogue. :thumbsup: Looks like you had great fun
Can't wait to see your pics of the Taj.
Touching the feet is to seek blessings. Children do this to elders in order to get blessed.
You will also notice that in temples, devotees touch the feet of idols too. In Hinduism, cow is a sacred animal - considered as the mother. Probably that's the reason why you saw some old women touching the knee of the cow.
Yes planned already. Hope we could make it. If not, I'd love to go India. Next time will invite you for coffee and some tips on India trip
asterixsg: Srini, Glad you like the pictures and write-up. Thanks for the explanation on the gesture.. Your advice before our trip helps us a lot on what to expect as well as our planning. Thanks again.
megaweb: Thanks for the compliment, johnny. Hmm.. Thanks for teh idea.. maybe will try to print out for memory..
tomshen: Coffee sometimes.. Sure! why not?. The taman negara trips seem like just yesterday.. Think haven't have the chance to meet up since then.. haa haa..
megaweb: Thanks for the compliment, johnny. Hmm.. Thanks for teh idea.. maybe will try to print out for memory..
tomshen: Coffee sometimes.. Sure! why not?. The taman negara trips seem like just yesterday.. Think haven't have the chance to meet up since then.. haa haa..
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