India is one of the most lively and breathtaking places on Earth. Get swept off your feet by stunning landscapes, unique scenery and the diversity of life. Being an exceptionally colorful civilization, India is an intoxicating place to experiment with color, light and motion. Experience authentic India and capture unforgettable moments with your camera. You’ll have unique photo opportunities at the Taj Mahal, Jodhpur, ‘The Blue City’ and magical ceremonies along the banks of the Ganges.
Join Better Moments and Andreas H. Bitesnich to experience the authentic India and capture incredible images.
Since 1989, Andreas H. Bitesnich has devoted himself exclusively to photography and has been represented in group exhibitions and solo exhibitions worldwide in renowned galleries and museums such as the Museum for Decorative Arts and Crafts in Hamburg or the Kunsthaus Wien. Moreover, his works have been published in numerous illustrated books.
Bitesnich captures moments of indescribable beauty. In his successful artistic work, he uses his unmistakeable textures to create his famous nude photographs, numerous national and international advertising campaigns as well as portraits of famous contemporary figures such as Anthony Quinn, Jane Goodall, Bob Geldorf or Reinhold Messner.
With his travel reports, the fine art photographer depicts movingly beautiful landscape settings and once again proves how versatile his photographic oeuvre is. Through this photographic journey through India, Andreas H. Bitesnich created fascinating images, revealing many facets of this intricate, densely populated country. His photographs show Indian culture, faith, heritage, landmarks, cities, and wildlife, as well as its everyday life and ancient monuments.
We recommend to arrive one day early to get over your jetlag and adjusted to the local climate.
If you wish, Better Moments can help you book a hotel room.
If you arrive a day early, you can use the day to explore New Delhi with your camera. Although the city itself may not be India’s most beautiful, its narrow alleyways, bustling markets, colors, and people are a street photographer’s delight.
We will meet in Delhi at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, where we will depart together by plane for the ”Blue City”, Jodhpur. After arriving, we will spend the rest of the day around the historical part of the city, and during the warm twilight we will shoot photos across the city from one of the old houses in the centre of Jodhpur.
After dinner, we will meet for the first workshop – street photography. The workshop will focus on how to approach portrait motives in a natural and non-intrusive manner.
We set out early to visit Mandore, the ancient capital of Marwar before Jodhpur was built. The lower part of the city consists of small temples, garden areas and a small river. The upper part holds the ruins of the old fort which offers a magnificent view and unique photo opportunities. After lunch, we will visit the Mehrangarh Fort that dominates the city and is the largest fort in all Rajasthan. It occupies the entire top of a 150 m hill with commanding views all around, with three kilometres of massive ramparts built around the edges. At night – if we have the spirit and time – we will visit Jaswant Thada, a Royal cenotaph built in marble in a picturesque location next to a little lake.
Today, we will drive through the beautiful and dramatic semi-desert around Jaipur. En route we will make occasional stops at local villages, and from key scenic locations we will photograph the barren but stunning landscape. After dinner, Christian Nørgaard will offer detailed and constructive criticism on the photos of the day, as well as giving a presentation on photo composition.
Jaipur is the largest city in Rajasthan and was built in the eighteenth century. We will spend most of the day around the impressive and photogenic Amber Fort. This massive fort-palace complex is built in a hybrid Hindu-Muslim style and dates back to Raja Man Singh as the royal palace of the Kachwahas. The main sights within the fort include the Sheesh Mahal, adorned with thousands upon thousands of mirror tiles covering the walls and ceiling. From the town, we travel to the fort and take photos on our way. On our way back during the afternoon or evening, we will pay Jal Mahal, the Water Palace, a visit. Jal Mahal is situated beautifully in the centre of the lake Man Sagar. We will take photos of the palace, the reflections in the lake, as well as capture the impressive rose-coloured light.
We will travel through the beautiful landscape and visit the abandoned sandstone fort Fatehpur. En route, we will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, and in the evening we will arrive in Agra. To launch the evening’s workshop, we will go through the photos taken during the day. The workshop is based on the challenges of travel photography, how to shoot while travelling and what to prioritize in this context.
As dawn breaks, we will arrive at the Taj Mahal, which is an immense mausoleum of white marble. For our shots, we will focus on the gentle morning light, where the Taj Mahal is at its most beautiful and picturesque. Taj Mahal, which means the Crown Palace, is one the best preserved and architecturally beautiful tombs in the world, and for this reason it is important that we arrive early before it gets too crowded.
We will go by rickshaw to Agra Fort, which is another unique masterpiece. The fort was built between 1565 and 1571 and has a beautiful view of the Taj Mahal. At the fort, there are plenty of opportunities for portrait photography featuring soldiers and other locals. At the end of the day, we depart on the old night train for the most holy of the world’s cities, Varanasi.
We will arrive early in the morning, and after breakfast at our hotel, we will spend the rest of the day along the shores of Ganges, where many
photo opportunities await. Here, we will experience funeral pyres, bathing Hindus, oxen at the water’s edge and holy men in lotus position – a true mecca for photographers.
As twilight rolls in, we will travel by private boats along the bank, and from the water we can experience the many amazing ceremonies that take place along the shore as well as photograph the many pyres blazing in the night.
At dawn we will travel along the river in our own boats, where many locals bathe in the river. This is, in every way, a unique experience with many great photo opportunities. After a late breakfast, the group will break up in order to allow time for private projects.
Evening flight to Delhi followed by a farewell dinner.
After breakfast, a transfer will take you to the airport for your return flight and assistance with the boarding formalities.
“We have been on a trip of about ten days through India, the North part of India, and it’s been a fantastic experience. We have seen everything and everything. You start up in the North, and we drove, we had a flight, and we have seen so many things. To be honest, very impressive things. The Taj Mahal is something you need to put on your bucket list, but we have also seen very sad and dirty things.
Everybody has something to offer to the group, so we learn from eachother, we share things, we have workshops in the evenings where we talk about what went well, what went wrong… and we see a lot of different styles, a lot of different techniques. And that is the good thing about this trip, it is really all about photography…. Photography of the brilliant, incredible India!”.
Peter Dorr, The Netherlands. He has participated in the Ethiopia, the Silk Road, and the India workshops with Better Moments.
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GETTING THERE
Indira Gandhi International Airport, situated 16km to the southwest of Delhi, is the main gateway for the city’s domestic and international civilian air traffic.
VISA
Visitors to India must obtain a visa from an Indian diplomatic mission unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries or a country whose citizens may obtain a visa on arrival, or an e-Visa online. An application for e-Visa must be made at least four calendar days in advance of the date of arrival and can be made as early as 120 days in advance. The visa is valid for 60 calendar days from the date of arrival.
WEATHER
November is characterized by alot of sunshine as well as little rain and low humidity. The weather is pleasant and there is warm, brilliant sunshine during the day. Average temperature in November 28 °C, with a high of 30 °C (day) and a low of 26 °C (night).
CURRENCY
Indian rupee (INR)
LANGUAGE
India has no national language. Hindi, with the largest number of speakers, is the official language of the government. English is used extensively in business and administration and has the status of a “subsidiary official language”; it is important in education, especially as a medium of higher education.
HEALTH
Check with your doctor which vaccinations or medications are recommended for this destination. Remember to plan well ahead with vaccinations. Allow up to six weeks to receive the full course, as some vaccinations require more than one dose, and some should not be given together.
QUICK GUIDE
India can be a challenging destination, especially for first-time visitors, due to poverty being omnipresent and bureaucracy quite irritating. A ‘go with the flow’ attitude is advisable if you want to enjoy the Indian ride. With India boasting dramatic terrain, beautiful wildlife, a wide array of flavorful dishes, and even more sacred rituals and festivities, be assured you won’t get bored.
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