PHOTO TOUR SAFARI
Collated here are testimonials from participants in our various photo tours.
Belinda Nishball
On the 16 hour ride back to Delhi, I thought of all the wonderful things about the trek. Top of my list was the discovery of a bunch of people so dedicated to the same thing. My hat off to you and Shailan for fostering the “learning through sharing” theme. I could not have handpicked a more generous and caring bunch of people. Perhaps you both bring it out in us!
Yes, I’ve done a lot of fretting about missed opportunity. But I have since spent hours looking at my landscapes and find that truly, the 14-24 is an awesome lens. I was, frankly, shocked at the crispness of the photographs, the punchy colours and hues! I had never seen this in my 18-200! Now I don’t feel so bad. Glaring through the lack of macros is in my gallery of shots, I am content that I have shot enough and sit here happy at what I have accomplished.
I have other worlds to conquer. My 14-24 has proved its mettle. I plan very soon to put the 105 on its paces. And yes, I agree with you about the joy in solitary shooting. I do enjoy the camaraderie of photography but the greater joy is in shooting and going about at my own pace.
My thanks to you and Shailan for the seamless management of the trek. If only the rest of India were so managed, it would be pure heaven! My thanks to you and Shailan for your kindness towards Daniel. I know he enjoyed his conversations and explorations with you. I suspect he will be holding that camera correctly the vertical way, smile a little bit and remember you!
Shubhra Chaturvedi
It was very well coordinated and there seemed nothing amiss at all. There was such an eye to every detail that it really was very very inspiring. It just goes to show that both of u are such fine ppl and things that are so-called “not a man’s domain” were so brilliantly kept in mind by both of u. (This was just in the lighter sense). The photography kit was awesome. Thank u so much for the little things that will help us improve or better our work. I promise to use each one of them and show my efforts to u. The name tags were a brilliant idea…
I do not see anything that lacked effort so there really aren’t any brickbats from my side. However, there is a suggestion and for which I volunteer to work on as well for the next trek. The suggestion is that I noticed a lot of ppl underprepared for the trek and a few over-prepared. I discussed this with Shailan sir and while it is true that ppl need to look upon details like temps, climate, altitude etc and carry stuff accordingly, most of them did not do this. Since their health and well being is also the responsibility of the coordinators, next year onwards apart from the photography inputs of what to carry and what not… we could give a logistics and operational inputs also… eg…
The Trek… From 19th June to 28th June
Weather— Moderate in Manali to reasonably cold in upper Himalayas
Clothes to Carry… Jacket socks woollen and cotton, cap, mittens, lowers and inners.sweaters or fleece jackets or sweatshirts etc
medicines— headache, motion sickness, stomach digestive etc etc
This is just an example we could make more FAQs on this line. I volunteer for this if u decide to include this. This came to my head as I realized that Saarthak and Sonal brought things they did not use and did not have things which they needed….
It was a wonderful place, absolutely beautiful and a beautiful experience. the group was nice and cheerful and all in all 8 days of hard work but nirvana…
Thank u so very very much…
Radha Sabhapathy
There is a world of life out there. Aren’t we all blessed to use our eyes and ears?
Thank you both for a fantabulous safari. Couldn’t have been better, with so much of leg-pulling and frolic and whatever lil worries may have been ( of course endemic to each), were taken away by the winds at ‘Marhi’.
Darilang Mary Rymbai
As we left the summer and heat of Delhi and headed towards Spiti, I was thinking of sunny and clear blue skies, a cool breeze, pristine lakes and rivers. But as we approached we were greeted with one surprise after another. In a land widely known as a cold dry desert, there was incessant rain for at least three days. The sun refused to come out. We experienced landslides, blocked roads and really wet and cold weather.
Life has its way of surprising us and this trip made me realize that even if everything does not go as planned, it’s all up to us to make the best use of the situation. So out came the camera, safely wrapped in the “lapet”.
The beautiful monasteries, the mystic dance of the Buddhist monk that we were lucky enough to witness, the warmth of the local people, the serene Kibber village, the rugged beauty of numerous spots that dotted along our way and compelled us to stop and shoot – to the exasperation of the driver, and of course the gang, made this trek a very memorable experience.
Rains over, another ecstatic moment awaited us at Kunzum La. The dappled brown of the mountains that we had crossed a few days back had been transformed into a blinding white blanket. The whole experience was astonishing and beautiful at the same time. At long last, the much-awaited sun surprised us again, this time by happily beaming at us. While we were heading back to Delhi I could reflect upon the calendar perfect imagery that I had wanted to shoot and smiled in fondness on the varied and enriching experience that the drifting clouds blessed upon us.
Thanks, Shailan and Jogi for making this possible
Amita Vikram Pratap
Spiti trek was the first of its kind trek I ever did, so I didn’t know what to expect and how to prepare well too. However, the trek was organized so well that I didn’t feel anything amiss and a couple of things which I didn’t take were available. Kudos to the food, everything one could ask for was available of a homemade taste. The conditions were hygienic and comfortable (as much as we could ask for in difficult terrain like that)
A suggestion someone made during the trek which Ii vote for is.. to ensure proper communication between the different vehicles, we can have walkie talkie sets.
Shweta Poddar
Spiti was overall an amazing and a very different experience for me. I enjoyed every bit of it. Since I had last been on a trip which involved some amount of trekking probably 12-13 years back, there was some amount of hesitation before leaving but once we were there, I didn’t want to be back in Delhi!
I thought it was very well organized and coordinated. The staff was amazing and so was the food!
Also, because of the weather etc., there was a certain kind of uncertainty, which added to the excitement (not in some of us) of the trek!
As of now, I can only think of positive feedback for the trip.
I would most definitely repeat it till I can 🙂
Sujata Khanna
Ladakh for me was a wonderful experience! It was my 5th consecutive year to Ladakh and yet apart from the fact that the place mesmerizes me every time – this time was special! I love travelling and I love photography and merging the two created magic and add to that a wonderful group of people who share the same passion…heavenly!
Since, I was the ‘freshest’ member into the PhotoSensitive family, having completed my Photo-One Workshop in August…I think this opportunity for me was amazing – to be able to apply everything I learnt was fun and then again learning so much more…whether through my mentors or the experienced group. The group used terminologies at times which had me lost…realized they are much more experienced time and again…but then that added to my advantage of learning from all possible directions 🙂
Rest, the accommodation, the food, the car journeys, the flight – everything was F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C!!
Last, but not least, THANK YOU so much Jogi and Shailan for your time and so unconditionally sharing your knowledge with us! I shall look forward to the next family outing of PhotoSensitive!
Chirag Shah
To be very honest, I actually had time of my life. Cannot really express in words how I enjoyed every moment of the trip; barring, of course, the Tso Moriri night! It was indeed great to see you all again, the next day morning!
Overall Arrangement: Impeccable. We never had to actually wait for any conveyance, or food or any other necessity. This speaks about your arrangement skills, as organization/people specializing in these, are usually found wanting!
Jasmine Tea every night, that too right from the Boss, was just perfect icing on the cake. How I miss that now.
Food: No two thoughts — absolutely perfect. The morning breakfast was just too good, always. Thankfully, it didn’t take the entire trip to realize what was good in the breakfast, both food and Tea;). Speak with Shailan Sir, for more insights. Not to speak of excellent dinner … discussing always the Schedule for the next day!!!
On giving your precious Time: This was one of the highlights of the trip. You both were always at our beck and call. This is indeed very appreciative. As often you don’t get value even after shelling out. But with you both at the helm, it was value-addition at its best — fewer inputs, maximal outputs!
And all these when you had organized the trip for the first time! I am sure, The Thomas Cook and Sita’s of the world have a thing or two to learn on trip organizing and playing host!
Thank you both for making this one of the most memorable trips of my life! Sadly, like all good things in life, this also ended.
Vibhor Taneja
Having been on all of the photosensitive treks I can gladly claim the accolade of being a senior member. And yet I eagerly wait for our new expeditions like a child. To me the workshops are not only informative but also liberating. Even after having fair enough idea of the techniques I pay close attention during the intro sessions on day 1 as brushing up is always great and there is something new to be learnt each time. The whole experience is not at all that of a workshop as you are not only learning, practicing or exercising the craft…u are also rejuvenating your senses. And this really inspires me as I’m away from the hustle bustle enjoying solitude mixed with creative energies and interaction. My most memorable memories are those of the first trek when I was terrified with the terrain and obstacles and I’m glad I took that leap over fear…and now am gearing up for the next.
Merideth Lacina
I have the time to sit down and give my feedback with a bit of care so here goes. I am not an English major, so even I am prone to some grammatical errors…I thought the pace of the trek was good. I enjoyed the longer treks (those that needed a packed lunch) because they took us through a larger variety of places to photograph, and more changing light conditions. The packed lunches were a good compromise to missing a sit down lunch.
When one is walking around the woods with your camera right at the ready, there are more happy accidents. That being said, when we did have the rest days the first camp with the river/rocks and then the camp near the peak were ideal because they had plenty to photograph in close proximity to the tents.
The tents were perfect. No leaks during the night and inside the sleeping bags (which were very clean) I was warm enough at night (Although I did sleep with many layers on). The camp staff was very pleasant and took really good care of us, I really liked the two guides. The food was excellent. High in protein and they did a good job preparing it. In India I have gotten sick quite easily on food that probably wasn’t properly prepared, but the cook this trek was great (no sickness). I especially enjoyed Chai at 6am!
As far a specific photography instruction, I found both of you very approachable and very knowledgeable especially with all the different equipment and gadgets available. You did a great job answering questions and creating impromptu classrooms when someone would find something interesting and not know how to shoot it. It was also nice to see a variety of cameras and lenses because then we could see other equipment in action. (The slide show after the trek is also an excellent way to continue this discussion, I am glad that is part of the trek) The slide show on microphotography was good, although perhaps more useful if sent to the participants before the trek if they wanted to purchase any equipment (you did send the list of suggestions, but easier to justify the money if one knows what you’ll get out of having the item). Perhaps there should be a pre-trek meeting when everyone brings their camera equipment/bag/and the shoes they want to wear. Or if? it was too hard to get everyone together, then maybe some specific suggestions on shoes and backpacks (the intro-email touched on the topic, but still there were some questionable shoes and backpacks that were too heavy or not built with enough support).
Ok, here are my thoughts. If I think of anything more I will email it. But I also wanted to say Thank you to both of you. The trek has been a highlight of my time here in India. I felt very lucky to be included in the group and felt very welcomed. I wish the trek was my first week in India and now I was spending six months here. I feel truly lucky to be a part of photosensitive!
Mansi Midha
What a trip!!!
One week later…And I still can’t stop raving about how well it went…
It was….
It was…
It was…
In one word… “AWESOME” (the preferred lingo of the trip 🙂 )
There really isn’t much that I can write about the experience, it was the best ever.
We climbed mountains, crossed rivers, woke up at 5 am! — for the love of photography…
The first ray of the sun, the bird that never quite sat still, that tiny orange bug that crawled all over and the circular pattern of the star trails… all captured on film! Some of the photographs produced by the group were definite Wow’s. It wasn’t just that, each of us has a special memory attached with the trip…be it the cheesy humour (Pallavi!!! Vibhor!!!) ha-ha, the fact that we made it from one camp to the next, the…’hop accrosses’, the sole-less people, our doctor-ji, the camera that was never charged, the medicine tablet used to keep the shutter open to capture the star trails (all the ‘jugads’ one could think of), and the shoes that never dried!!!
The mini-lessons and continuous guidance taught me lots and I think is all towards improving my skills at photography. Landscape is something I had always wanted to try my hand at…and what better location did I get for my firsts!!! Macro was fun as were the slllll-oooo-www shutters at the river. The icing on the cake (pun intended) was, however, the last night shooting the star trails! It was SO cold but I think for a first shot the trails were pretty cool 🙂 and worth it!
We missed out Beas Kund (next year guys?) but the extra day at Bhakker Thatcch was spent well-exploring macro…
Now I understand that it is all about what the photographer wants from the photograph…or saying the same thing differently I would say that a photograph is what the photographer wants it to be…
So when I take a photograph… why did I use those particular settings? Why did I shoot at f4? Why did I not use a smaller f-stop? Why did I not shoot from that angle instead? Why did I not use a fast shutter speed on that one…? Or WHY did I use a tripod?
One must be able to answer those questions…
Each photograph is a creation on its own… we all must be able to analyze the why’s….and that’s what this trip helped me to do…Or as I just came across Ansel Adams who said ‘ you don’t take a photograph, you make it’…that’s what I’m trying to say… 🙂 and that is what I understand now…
Beautiful surroundings, “awesome” guidance and great company…Can’t say enough thank-you’s to those who made it possible…All I can say is…Let’s do it again! Let’s make more ‘magic’!
Shubhra Chaturvedi
I have had good interaction with both of you on the trek and most of what I think is known to you but still I will pen it down in a structured format:
- I think the trek was well thought out and very well planned.
- The people organizing were nice and that made it really worthwhile.
- One thing which i thot could be done was to assign the tents, sleeping bags from day one. Maybe a number or something…so that entire trek at least u are in the same sleeping bag. I think midway i got the sleeping bag which Tim or Vibhor used and it smelled of cigarettes. Not too much of an issue except that this is how we did in the last trek and it helps.
- Lastly, though I realise that the idea was that the trek was to be easy to concentrate on photography, but I feel it was too easy especially the last leg where we could have easily done some more hiking. Just my view.
Overall as u wud know already I had a great time. learnt a lot of new things and refreshed a lot of old stuff… and as shailan sir wud put it, my next trek I will be talking of this one and not Nanda Devi one…
Thanks to both of u for making this happen.
Gurmeet Singh
About the trek, the first long trek I’ve been on…it was an enriching experience. Firstly learning about macro photography, and then having an extended experience of going into the field with it. The landscapes, the variations in light…the use of filters and an up close and personal chapter on apertures and focal length. Overall it has helped me gain more knowledge in the field.
Again it was fun to be part of the group…Joginderji and Shailanji have conducted the trek with good synchronization, efficiency and finesse.
Ari Ramani
There’s just one thing I would like to include in the whole trek. We could have spent one extra day at the hotel, relaxing and sharing all our work with available resources. Probably next time you should recommend everyone carrying their S-Video cable or an AV cable to directly skim through the pictures shot. I understand there would be a time constraint to this, but having a presentation later is almost tempting to spend another 10k to just touch base at Delhi. Felt the trek with good by all standards.
Soven Parker
I never thought the trip would be like it was. I thought it would be really boring but I had a lot of fun. I have written a poem about the trip
I didn’t want to go, I made a fuss
But on the way in the bus
I loved every second
My seat number was the second
In the Solang Valley hotel we played football
Until the lunch call
The lunch was delicious
At dinner we were told about a vicious
creature who lived in the forest
And fed on eggs in a nest
The trek started the next day
And I heard my father say
That we were going to the mountain with snow
I thought to myself that I would throw
Snow balls on everyone
And above us was shining the sun
at last we reached the campsite
Dhoondi where I lost all my might
The snow was still far
I wanted to go by car
Before the trek
Was the bag check
In no time we were at our destination
It felt like a wonderful vacation
but it was a whole lot more
for we learnt a lot more
while our sirs helped our spirits soar
with our cameras beautiful pictures we shot
ok ok not all we caught
was great but we hope to do better on our next trip
which i will surely not skip
come hail come snow
I will make sure we go
Kunal Shingla
The infrastructure – it was very good and comfortable……better than last time in some things but sadly not as good as last time in some things….
the quality of the tents, food, sleeping bags and a lot of other things were much much better….but I think the team we got last time was better than this one….these guys worked hard but somehow we had more fun n enjoyed more with last year’s team….they were younger…..more playful….meals were fantastic like always….in fact it was better the trek was a lot of difficult this time… I was fitter for this one than the last year trek…but in the end…..overall it was still on the positive side… 🙂 we all came back smiling… 🙂 learning about new cameras and equipment….the whole group was wonderful…