The Essence Of India

For first time vis­i­tors India can be a cul­ture shock – but a won­der­ful one. For those who have trav­eled there before it is a coun­try that con­tin­u­al­ly reveals new lay­ers of beau­ty, com­plex­i­ty and fas­ci­na­tion. The Essence of India is designed for both new and return­ing trav­el­ers. It offers an immer­sive pho­to­graph­ic expe­ri­ence that includes, but also goes beyond, icon­ic land­marks – into the real life of one of the world’s most cap­ti­vat­ing countries.

Our jour­ney begins in Jodh­pur, the famous Blue City of Rajasthan. Stay­ing at the her­itage Haveli Inn, we will explore the city’s wind­ing lanes, bustling mar­kets and his­toric quar­ters, all watched over by the mag­nif­i­cent Mehran­garh Fort, one of India’s most impres­sive strong­holds. Here, pho­to­graph­ic oppor­tu­ni­ties abound, from vibrant street scenes and colour­ful mar­kets to por­traits of local peo­ple and views across the sea of blue-paint­ed hous­es below.

From Jodh­pur we trav­el by road to Ghan­erao in rur­al Rajasthan, where we stay at the remark­able Ghan­erao Cas­tle. Still home to the local roy­al fam­i­ly, this atmos­pher­ic prop­er­ty offers a unique oppor­tu­ni­ty to expe­ri­ence life with­in a liv­ing palace while enjoy­ing com­fort­able guest accommodation. 

This region pro­vides some tru­ly reward­ing cul­tur­al pho­tog­ra­phy. We will vis­it Bish­noi vil­lages, renowned for their tra­di­tion­al way of life and deep con­nec­tion with nature, and Gara­sia com­mu­ni­ties whose dis­tinc­tive cus­toms and colour­ful dress make them fas­ci­nat­ing pho­to­graph­ic sub­jects. We will also vis­it the Bhil set­tle­ment, meet­ing mem­bers of one of India’s old­est trib­al communities.

The rur­al areas around Ghan­erao offer oppor­tu­ni­ties to pho­to­graph Rai­ka tribes­men in their strik­ing red tur­bans tend­ing to their live­stock, cre­at­ing pow­er­ful images which speak of tra­di­tions which have endured for cen­turies. Along­side can­did doc­u­men­tary pho­tog­ra­phy we will also arrange for care­ful­ly select­ed local peo­ple to pro­vide oppor­tu­ni­ties for more con­trolled and cre­ative por­trait work.

Our next des­ti­na­tion is Jaipur, Rajasthan’s cel­e­brat­ed Pink City. We will stay at the wel­com­ing Lax­mi Palace Hotel and will explore some of India’s most icon­ic archi­tec­tur­al trea­sures, includ­ing the Amber Fort, the City Palace and the exquis­ite façade of Hawa Mahal – the Palace of the Winds. The streets and mar­kets of Jaipur pro­vide end­less oppor­tu­ni­ties for obser­va­tion and pho­tog­ra­phy, from traders and crafts­men to the colour­ful rhythms of dai­ly life which unfold at every turn.

A short flight takes us onward to Varanasi, one of the old­est con­tin­u­al­ly inhab­it­ed cities in the world and, for many, the spir­i­tu­al heart of India. Here we will pho­to­graph along the ghats which line the sacred Riv­er Ganges, wit­ness the unfor­get­table spec­ta­cle of the evening Aar­ti cer­e­mo­ny and explore the flower mar­ket and the labyrinthine streets of the old city. A dawn boat ride on the Ganges will offer a unique per­spec­tive on the city as it awak­ens, with pil­grims, priests and res­i­dents gath­er­ing along the river­bank at first light. Local holy­men will accom­pa­ny us on the boat and on the far bank of the riv­er, or mid-stream on a sand­bank, we will have the oppor­tu­ni­ty to pho­to­graph them before return­ing to our hotel for breakfast.

Few places chal­lenge and reward pho­tog­ra­phers in quite the same way. Light, smoke, rit­u­al, colour and human activ­i­ty com­bine to cre­ate scenes of extra­or­di­nary atmos­phere from dawn until long after sunset.

Through­out the tour par­tic­i­pants will enjoy the sup­port of two expe­ri­enced pho­to­graph­ic tour lead­ers, assist­ed by a knowl­edge­able local guide and fix­er whose insight and local con­nec­tions help open doors which ordi­nary trav­ellers rarely expe­ri­ence. Whether your inter­ests lie in doc­u­men­tary pho­tog­ra­phy, por­trai­ture, trav­el pho­tog­ra­phy or visu­al sto­ry­telling, the tour is designed to pro­vide both inspi­ra­tion and prac­ti­cal pho­to­graph­ic opportunities.

India has a remark­able abil­i­ty to leave a last­ing impres­sion. Long after the pho­tographs have been made, many vis­i­tors remem­ber the warmth of the peo­ple they met, the moments they shared and the sense of hav­ing expe­ri­enced some­thing gen­uine­ly dif­fer­ent. This jour­ney offers an oppor­tu­ni­ty not only to pho­to­graph India, but to engage with it in a mean­ing­ful and mem­o­rable way.