rajasthan - indianathanhortonphotography.com/assets_d/16705/editor...day 6. jaisalmer a very early...

Rajasthan - India

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Rajasthan TourRajasthan photo tour (including Delhi and Agra)Rajasthan, literally translated means “land of great kings”. Rich in history, steeped in tradition, and hauntingly beautiful, Rajasthan is truly the jewel in the crown of this fascinating sub-continent. Our tour begins and ends in the capital city of Delhi and runs anticlockwise through some of the most charming, vibrant and “photo friendly” places one could ever wish for.


Nathan has always believed that his photography tours should open up a country by presenting opportunities to engage with local people. One of his principal aims, going far beyond teach-ing good camera technique, is to show participants that instead of being a barrier between the photographer and subject, the camera can be used as the key to open doors. He aims to show how, when used sympathetically, the camera can help to establish a vital connection between the traveller and the locals they meet.

Engage


Day 1. DelhiAfter arriving at the hotel in Delhi we will group together for refreshments and discussion regarding the days ahead. Those requiring tuition will spend time with Nathan. Later in the af-ternoon we will take a leisurely stroll through the Bazaar area of Old Delhi where you will be able to photograph ‘real’ city life with street stalls full of spices, fruit and vegetables and mouthwatering foods.

Itinerary


Day 2. MandawaAfter breakfast we will travel, at a relaxed pace, southwest to Rajasthan. As usual on our tours we will make stops along the way to take advantage of some unique photo opportunities. We will include a visit to a rural “brick making” community, and other small villages barely visited by western people.

Our destination for the day is Mandawa, a remote feudal prin-cipality in the centre of the Shekhawati region. Mandawa was a trading outpost for the ancient caravan routes that stopped here from China and the Middle East. In the 18th century the town was home to some very wealthy merchants who built incredibly fancy Havelis here. The merchants have since moved on but their legacies still remain.

Your own accommodation is not too shabby either. We will take rooms in the famous fort. In the evening we will spend time in a nomadic gypsy village with camp fires and dancing girls.


Day 3. BikanerShortly after sunrise we will take a guided tour around Man-dawa village center and visit some of the precious Havelis, we will then return to our hotel for a relaxed breakfast before proceeding on to Bikaner.

Bikaner is a vibrant, dust-swirling desert town with a fabulous fort and an energising outpost feel. It’s less dominated by tour-ism than many other Rajasthan cities. Here we will get a chance to visit Jain temples and catch sunset over the sand dunes.


Day 4. JaisalmerFollowing our morning activities and a nice breakfast we will head across the desert to Gajner Lake. At this serene palace location we will photograph many different types of wildlife and birds from all over the country.

We then drive on to Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer, known as “The Golden City”, is a World Heritage site which lies in the heart of the Thar Desert. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several or-nate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples are finely sculptured. Life is very different here. We will arrive in good time to check in to our accommodation and photograph the sun setting over the golden fort.


Day 5. JaisalmerAfter breakfast we will visit the fort. This is a fully inhabited fort with shops, cafes, textiles and people’s homes….a truly unique experience.Midday is free time to meander around the streets and markets. A totally stimulating experience with never-ending photo op-portunities of market stalls Haveli’s, camels, street food and much more.

Early evening we will visit Gadsisar Sagar Lake for some fabu-lous sunset shots.

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Day 6. JaisalmerA very early start to this day. We will drive deep into the desert to be there before sunrise. After lighting a camp fire (it will be very cold) our expert guides will make pots of local tea for us. Don’t worry about the noise in the distance, it emanates from our private camel train arriving for our private photo shoot on virgin sand dunes with the camels and the herdsmen in full Rajasthan dress. We then take camel carts for a 1-2 hour trek to a water hole. From there we visit a desert village.

In the late afternoon we visit another village where you will be made very welcome and the locals will cook food for us on campfires. Again this is a unique photo opportunity arranged exclusively for our guests with stunning ‘soft light’ village sunset shots.

ContentsBurma Page 2Highlights Page 3Itinerary: Day 1-3 Page 4Itinerary: Day 4-6 Page 2Itinerary: Day 7-9 Page 2Itinerary: Day 10-12 Page 2About Nathan Page 2Group Size Page 2How to Book Page 2What to Bring Page 2Tuition Page 2The Fine Print Page 2

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Day 7. JodphurAfter Breakfast we will drive to Jodhpur, the ‘Blue City’, stop-ping just short of halfway in the delightful small town of Pokran.

After checking into our very special hotel in Jodhpur we will visit the mighty Mehrangarth Fort with its “birds eye” view of the Blue City. This is truly a majestic fort and still home to the Maharaja Gaj Singh. After sunset we will go to a local rooftop to get a jaw dropping evening picture of the Blue City.



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Day 8. JodphurA relaxing day today. First we will take an early morning stroll through the Old City capturing unique photos of the locals feeding the cows and other things you don’t see at any other time of the day.

You will then have the day to yourselves to relax by the pool, shop or explore the amazing local markets.

In the evening we have a special dinner treat lined up which includes local music and dance.



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Day 9. JaipurFirst stopping at a very local water-hole with a great deal of activity we will then proceed on to Pushkar for lunch.

After Pushkar we will drive to Jaipur arriving in time for sunset at Jal Mahal, the temple in the middle of the lake.



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Day 10. AgraVery early this morning we will head to Amber Fort capturing “low light” pictures as the sun gently rises over this awesome Fort, the reflections in the lake below are breathtaking. A quick detour to the most spectacular stepwell of all, Panna Meena Ka Kund, then into the fort where, among other things, you will see many elephants carrying people up the steep entrance.

Back to the hotel for breakfast and then head off towards Agra. Before reaching Agra we will stop in Fatephur Sikri (an ancient 14th century town) for a wonderful sunset location.



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Day 11. DelhiArguably one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, a World Heritage building, and one of the 7 wonders of the world, The Taj Mahal is our agenda this morning. We will be inside as soon as the sun rises. Spend as much time here as you like then return to the hotel by tuk tuk for breakfast.

Later we will arrive back in Delhi and visit the famous spice market before having a final evening dinner together.



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Day 12. DelhiFor those not flying off too early Nathan will oversee some post production workshops.

At some stage today we will bid you goodbye and trust you will take away with you some stunning photos and some memories of a lifetime.


Nathan Horton has been a professional photographer for 25 years since graduating with a BA Hons in Film, Photography and Video Arts. He has sold work as an artist, worked as an advertising photographer for some of the world’s biggest brands includ-ing Nokia and Lux, and also as an editorial photographer for some of London’s premier magazine titles including Elle, The Times Travel section and Food and Travel magazine.

Nathan has travelled extensively in Asia for over 25 years and has made Cambodia his home since 2006. After many years of experience in this field he has managed to fine-tune some very successful itineraries that deliver in-depth photography tours throughout South East Asia. His tours have been highly praised in Trip Advisor, Na-tional Geographic Traveller and the Weekend Guardian for exploring Asian culture in deeper, richer and more ethical ways than most.

Nathan’s Mission “After living, working and teaching photography in Asia for over 9 years, I have a unique in-depth knowledge of the countries I visit. I have extensively researched my itineraries and pride myself that my tours don’t just drive straight past fabulous photo opportunities but remain flexible enough to make random stops. We often find ourselves pulling up when we see local people harvesting rice, catching fish, climbing coconut trees etc. What makes my tours different is that I consider it my job to help you engage with the country and its people in a much more natural, friendly way than you might ever have imagined”.

About Nathan


Tour ArrangementAs with all our tours outside Cambodia we rely on some kind of local support. On this tour we have enlisted the help of a friend and fellow photographer Dave Hughes. In previous years he helped us out enormously in organizing tours in Bali and Java. In 2014 Dave moved to India and has done a great job in organ-izing the on ground logistics including the itinerary, hotels and transport. Whilst on tour Dave will be with us to make sure the tour runs smoothly. He will also have plenty of photographic advice with regards to the best locations and angles and, most importantly, local friendships.

Dave HughesAs a chef specializing in authentic cuisine from around the world Dave traveled extensively. Eventually his passion for taking photos became stronger than his love for cooking. Living in many parts of Asia over the past 12 years he has an intimate knowledge of many cultures, which is often reflected, in his photography. Dave will often be out there well before dawn and long after dusk to photograph that special moment. He is also particularly good with people, making them feel at ease and capturing their mood: both happy and sad.


TuitionThis tour is for photographers wanting to expand their knowl-edge of travel photography and will help both novice and ex-perienced photographers alike to capture very special images. This tour will include introductory workshops that cover both the technical and ethical issues of travel photography very specifically orientated towards photographing people.

On the first day of the tour if you are new to photography you will attend the morning workshops in which Nathan will teach you how to take control of your camera. Photographers of all levels will attend the next workshop in which Nathan will give his take on travel photography. Those who have been one of our previous tours might want to skip the morning workshops and would then join the tour in the mid afternoon for the scheduled photowalk.

During the rest of the tour Nathan constantly works alongside you, to help you understand particular technical challenges, give you artistic inspiration and, most importantly, lead by example in approaching local people. Time is also put aside to help you develop your post production skills so that you can subtly enhance your pictures thus producing a stunning portfolio of the tour and those taken on your future travels.

AccommodationRajasthan is rich in remarkably high standard accommodation. We wanted to add some extra charm to this tour by including some little gems along the way. In the big cities like Delhi, Agra and Jaipur we will be staying in 5 star hotels (Trip Advisor ratings). In the other places we have arranged some very unique and diverse accommodation for you ranging from converted forts and palaces to luxury tents. Always with bathroom en suite and ample A/C we hope to delight you with a standard of accommodation that on occasions will give just as good a photo opportunity as in other places we visit.Don’t forget to pack your bathing costume as just about eve-rywhere we use has a swimming pool to help you cool down after a long hot day.



The GroupIn India we will never run a tour with more than 10 photogra-phers. A group of this size is ideal for Nathan and his regular local guide, Dave Hughes to give everyone the attention they may need. This intimate group size forms a stimulating dynamic where participants can share their experiences with like-minded people, and more often than not, they will leave with new friends. Whether you are a single traveller, or you come with a partner you will find being in a small group who share a com-mon interest a great way to get something extra out of your trip. No more worrying about keeping people waiting whilst you get your shot.


ReviewsPast participants on other tours gave these Trip Advisor reviews

“5* photo trips with a man who knows...”Reviewed May 14, 2013 I have done two trips with Nathan, one in February 2012 around Cambodia, and another in April 2013 to Burma. Both exceeded expectations in every respect: well organised, didn’t have to worry about transport or accommodations. We somehow arrived at the important places for photography at the right time of day, and often without any, or too many other tourists. I learnt so much, being pushed beyond my comfort zone, but in a very pleasant way. Top marks! Don’t hesitate, have a cool experi-ence and try something new. On top of the scheduled locations there was always something extra happening....

“Perfect introduction to photography in Cambodia”Reviewed January 21, 2015 First let me state that I am professional landscape and travel photographer comfortable with putting together my own itineraries. However I decided for my first trip to southeast Asia that I would connect up with a small group photo tour. After doing some web research, I chose Nathan Horton based on five things: his images are stunning, he clearly interacts with his subjects, his itinerary was perfect for what I wanted in a trip to Cambodia, the small group size, and his price was very reasonable. Having just returned from a ten-day trip with Nathan I was not disappointed.

“Inspiring, amazing, fabulous tour”Reviewed January 13, 2015 There are only a few adjectives but there is more: without Nathan’s guiding I would never get such pictures. He knows what looks good for a photo, which times are best for the light and how to engage people. Thanks Nathan, I’ll return

Given special mention National Geographic Traveler 2010Listed as a top ten photography holiday around the world UK Guardian Newspaper Travel Section Sept 2011Described as ‘comprehensive’ Lonely Planet 2012Highly recommended Luxe Guide Cambodia and Laos 2012

Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2012/2013Trip Advisor Over 95% 5 Star Reviews - In the top 10% of world wide businesses

How to bookPlease go to the “Contact” page on the website where you will find the Tour Request Form. (Just click on the website link at the right hand side of this page). We aim to respond within one working day. Once we receive your enquiry we will check avail-ability and confirm this to you, and also reserve you a place on the tour. We will send you an invoice for the deposit (25% of the tour cost). Once this has been received your place will be fully confirmed. At the moment we can only receive overseas payments via Swift Code. Full details of how to pay will be found on your invoice.



What to bringYour best camera, be it a DSLR, mirrorless or an advanced compact with some manual controls. Your lens(es) should cover at least a medium zoom range. If you have them, a wide-angle lens (useful in temples and pagodas) and a longer telephoto lens (good on boat trips) would be useful but not essential. A fast standard lens with aperture of f1.8 or f1.4 is another good option.

{ A torch{ A polarising filter{ A tripod{ Plenty of memory cards and a spare battery{ A laptop essential for backing up the day’s shoot, and

for reviewing what you have taken. We also recommend a portable external hard drive - just in case!

{ A rain cover for your camera and one for yourself are recommended, and are essential during the rainy season


The small printDates and pricesInclusions:{ All teaching {Photography guidance {All transport (A/C car, airport pickup){All entrance fees{All accommodation{English speaking local guide{Breakfasts when part of the hotel package{ Farewell dinner

Exclusions:{ International travel to and from India { Any kind of insurance{Drinks and meals other than specified above under ‘inclusions’{Other personal expenses, e.g. laundry, phone calls, gifts etc{ Tips for local guide and staff

Payment and Cancellations:25% deposit must be made at the time of confirmation. Full payment of the remaining 75% is due, 45 days before the tour starts. Cancellation of services less than 45 days prior to the start date will result in the deposit being retained. However this may be transferred to another tour date (minus any costs incurred by Nathan Horton Photography Tours in arranging the changeover).

Dates: 2016 (12 Days)February 2nd to 13thAugust 28th to September 8th

Prices:$3500$500 single supplement.

Extra Hotel nights (Delhi) $75 per night

Insurance:Please understand that Nathan Horton is not an ‘above the line’ tour operator. Nathan Horton runs a guided photography tour with third party local service providers.

Your safety is always a top priority but all participation is at your own risk and you should not sign up without accepting that Nathan Horton can accept no liability for damage to equipment or personal injury.

SECURING YOUR OWN INSURANCE IS ALWAYS CONSIDERED A PREREQUISITE FOR ACCEPTANCE ON THIS TOUR, AND PROOF THAT YOU HAVE ARRANGED ADEQUATE INSURANCE WILL HAVE TO BE PROVIDED TO THE OPERATOR IN ADVANCE.

Accommodation:All accommodation is included in the price of this 12 day tour. We have gone out our way to research the best value safe, clean and comfortable hotels available on all parts of the tour. We will be staying, where possible ,in good standard heritage hotels. These hotels are often old havelis, palaces or forts and will have been chosen for their charm and comfort.

FlightsPlease note the following when booking your flights. The tour will start and end in Delhi. The start date for September is the 6th and for February is the 2nd. Those arriving after a long flight are recommended to request that we book an extra hotel for the night before. On the last day, we will finish at lunchtime in time for you to catch a mid afternoon or evening flight. Again, we can book extra hotel nights on request.

rajasthan - indianathanhortonphotography.com/assets_d/16705/editor...day 6. jaisalmer a very early...

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