India Begins

Getting to India was not without its difficulties. Nathan and I were supposed to travel together but he became very unwell the day of our flight and I had to go on without him. Last night I met him at Delhi airport and today, this morning, our adventure began. I have been here a day already without him and have already taken a few photographs and seen a few things. But today our India Photo Tour made its official start.

It began with our mobile phones going off at around 5:45 am. We had both slept very well, so that wasn't too bad. Our first meeting was for breakfast with the others who are with us on the tour and then we were headed for an early morning shoot at the India Gate. India Gate is a war memorial built by the British to honour Indian soldiers who had fought and died in the First World War. For us, it was a wonderful official start to our first day. The light was warm and beautiful and we were ready for it.

After a little while here, we were taken to a large mosque in the Old Delhi area. This incredible complex was a feast for our lenses. Worshippers reading Scripture as they sit and rest on ancient columns, soft light filling the Arabic style corridors and worshippers washing in the ablution pools were among some of the sights we were able to capture.

Then, the market outside. We were taken initially through this market by rickshaw and then let loose on its populace as we walked through its streets. This was a great place for my Ricoh GRDIII, which I have wanted to use as my 'street camera' for this tour. It got broken in this morning and it helped me create some wonderful images today.

Nathan found this part of the morning quite wonderful. He had often heard my tales of the rather pungent marketplaces I have walked through in the countries I have travelled through, but this was the real thing and he was actually there. He faced it bravely, his Nikon D90 raised to his eye most of the time. His morning was a life changing one, a turning point - and I was honoured to be there.

Rickshaw driver in marketplace, taken with Ricoh GRDIII

Then, lunch. We had been shooting for nearly 6 hours, so as you can imagine we were rather hungry and thirsty. So, a long lunch ensued, after which our afternoon was spent in a 900 year old mosque complex which was quite spectacular.

Oh, there is so much more I could tell you about today, but alas I have the alarm set for 4am. Tomorrow we are off to Pushkar. So, these images are pretty much straight out of camera. Too Tired for PhotoShop...G'night...
For more information on photo tours, go to the SafariWise website for the photo experience of your life...