Day 1 – Delhi – Orientation Slideshow & First Shoot
A Luminous Journeys representative will greet you at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to get you situated and delivered safely to the hotel. The program begins at 2:30 pm with an orientation and slideshow presentation by David Lazar and Swarup Chatterjee. Bring your gear. At approximately 3:15 pm they will take you out for your first official India photo tour shoot on the mind blowing streets of the old city and Chandi Chowk market.
Day 2 – Jaisalmer - Morning Street Shoot to a Magical City
Morning street shoot in the blue alleys with great angles on Mehrangarh Fort. Later we’ll drive to magical Jaisalmer and the annual desert festival. The drive is about four hours with a stop for lunch along the way. Afternoon check-in at our fantastic haveli hotel in Jaisalmer, before checking out this fairytale city with our senses and through our lenses. This will include the fascinating Jaisalmer Fort from both outside and in. There are exquisitely stone carved haveli facades and balconies where David has arranged for some local models in colorful Rajasthani style saris to model, as if we are on a magazine shoot.
Day 2 – Jaisalmer – Opening of Jaisalmer Desert Festival
The Jaisalmer Desert Festival, which began in the 12th century, celebrates uniquely Rajasthani life going back over a thousand years. We’ll have the opportunity to experience and photograph such colorful happenings as camel races, amazing jugglers, spinning dancers and various tribal Peoples in traditional garb, puppet shows, martial arts, musicians, polo matches, and the world’s longest mustache competition! The festival will offer more great portrait opportunities than we can imagine, so this is truly a rare chance to learn from a master portraitist like David as he works this extraordinary scene with you.
Day 4 – Jaisalmer – Private Desert Camp - Festival Day 2 & Camel Safari
Day 2 of the festival focuses on the most photographable events of the morning. You are free shoot on your own, with David, or our guides if you have certain subjects in mind that are not on David’s short list. In the afternoon we head out on camel safari to a private and pristine desert location. Spend the afternoon/sunset photographing camels & camel drivers in the stunning Thar Desert dunes. As darkness settles in and the stars rise, dinner will be cooked over a crackling fire while men in white wearing bright turbans play ancient Rajasthani ragas.
Day 5 – Jaisalmer – Jodhpur – Road Trip to the Blue City
After the early morning thrills of the previous days, this morning provides a nice opportunity to sleep in a bit and enjoy a nice leisurely breakfast. Then we go road tripping through Rajasthan to the fabled Blue City of Jodhpur. The drive in our spacious and comfortable air conditioned vehicles will be broken up by lunch, as well as any interesting photo ops we see along the way. Arrive Jodhpur for an afternoon shoot before dinner with stunning view of the fort. Don't forget to bring your tripod!
Day 6 – Jodhpur – Blue Streets and a Bad Fort Looming
Mehrangarh Fort, called by Rudyard Kipling the “work of giants”, dominates the skyline. You might recognize the massive structure from which Christian Bale emerges in The Dark Knight Rises. Morning finds us shooting from a nearby nature reserve. Then we hit the narrow lanes below the fort, with its cool rich backgrounds and brilliant sari colors of of women effortlessly expressing their Rajasthani culture. Finally we find ourselves at the fort itself with its commanding views over the city.
Day 7 – Ranthambore – On Tiger Safari
Once the hunting grounds of Jaipur Maharajas of Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park is perhaps the best place on the planet to photograph tigers in their natural habitat. The terrain is a wide area of jungle scrub set within the rocky ridges and lake dotted plateaus of the Vindhya and Aravalli hills. This habitat, as opposed to a dense one, allows for easier spotting and photographing of tigers and other species. We begin the safari before dawn, take a leisurely break midday with optional image review, and then head out again in the afternoon. Our expert guides are the best in the business at locating tigers, as well as educating us about them. As for long lenses, a 70 – 200 is an excellent choice. If you are so inclined, up to 400mm can also come in handy. David Lazar will be using his all-around 18 – 300.
Day 8 – Ranthambore National Park – On Tiger Safari
Once the hunting grounds of Jaipur Maharajas of Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park is perhaps the best place on the planet to photograph tigers in their natural habitat. The terrain is a wide area of jungle scrub set within the rocky ridges and lake dotted plateaus of the Vindhya and Aravalli hills. This habitat, as opposed to a dense one, allows for easier spotting and photographing of tigers and other species. We begin the safari before dawn, take a leisurely break midday with optional image review, and then head out again in the afternoon. Our expert guides are the best in the business at locating tigers, as well as educating us about them. As for long lenses, a 70 – 200 is an excellent choice. If you are so inclined, up to 400mm can also come in handy. David Lazar will be using his all-around 18 – 300.
Day 9 – Ranthambore National Park - On Tiger Safari, Day Two
Before dawn this morning we head to another area of the park to photograph our star quarry, the magnificent tigers of Ranthambore. But the reserve is much more than just tigers. It’s rich with a wide range of wildlife. They include leopard, sloth bear, sambar, chinkara gazelle, jackal, hyena, langur monkey, and wild boar. In addition, there are more than 300 species of birds and myriad other critters. We will all have outside seats in our private jeeps, with unobstructed views. We will also shoot on foot as suitable opportunities arise. One of the many great things about Ranthambore is that the tigers have grown accustomed to the benign human presence and are not shy of the jeeps. The tiger photos on this page were taken by Luminous Journeys guest photographer Katie Garrod and her sister Fenella. We thank them for the image use and for their insight into Ranthambore.
Day 10 – Morning drive to Agra - Sunrise Taj to a Legendary Tiger Reserve
The moment you walk through the entry archway where Taj seems to fill up the sky is one you will never forget. This is a prime example of where even the greatest photographs cannot do a subject this beautiful justice. But we’ll give it our best shot! Later we’ll drive into eastern Rajasthan and the legendary Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. Here we will get an introduction to the two photo safari days to follow. Ranthambore is justifiably famous for both its number of tigers, and the tiger’s photo accessibility compared to other reserves.
Day 11 – Tajmahal – Varanasi – Ancient City on the Holy Ganges
Morning flight to perhaps the most fascinating city on the planet. Built on the west bank of the Ganges River, Varanasi is widely considered the holiest city in India, dating back some 3,500 years. After checking into our 5-star hotel right on the river, we'll venture out to photograph the happenings along the various "ghats". We'll see all manner of colorful sadhus, or holy men, as well as snake charmers, chai wallahs, "untouchables" manning cremation ghats, etc.
Day 12 – Varanasi – Sunrise on the Ganges, Winding Alleys, Night Puja
We’ll be on the Mother Ganga (recently declared a living being by the government) in small boats before dawn. Photograph locals and pilgrims as they bathe and perform puja rituals illuminated by the first rays of sun breaking across the water. After breakfast there will be a free shoot in Varanasi’s fascinating alleys. An endless array of scenes arrange themselves in shaded frames quite naturally, as if waiting for a photographer! The highlight of the early evening blue hour will be the famous night puja ceremonies.
Day 13 – Varanasi - Ganges Morning and a Taj Mahal Afternoon
In Varanasi we have time for another early morning free shoot or guided free shoot, giving you the opportunity to test your street skills on now familiar ground. Early mornings along the Ganges are always fascinating. After breakfast we return to the airport. With a bit of bureaucratic luck the long promised direct flight to Agra will be scheduled this year. But if not we'll go via Delhi. Afternoon check in to our impressive Moghul style hotel before photographing the Taj Mahal from various angles across the Yamuna River.
Day 14 – Varanasi – Delhi - Free Expression & a Farewell Feast
Sunrise on the stark desert is often breathtakingly beautiful. Morning shoot with local women in traditional garb, plus our trusty camels. After a glorious Rajasthan breakfast on the dunes we return to Jaisalmer and the flight back to Delhi. After check-in you'll have free time to relax by the pool and decompress, or keep it rolling with an optional street shoot in the always fascinating streets of the capital. This evening we'll head over to our favorite neo-classic Delhi restaurant for a farewell dinner & drinks to be remembered!
Day 15 – Delhi – Home – Safe Journey & a Fond Farewell!
There is no scheduled photography for today, as people will have differently scheduled departure flights. If you have a later flight out consider it free time, and if you need any assistance we will be there for you. You’ll be driven to the airport according to your departure time and given a fond farewell… Off to relative peace and tranquility you go, but you will miss this incredible, incredible country!
