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Experience scintillating adventure and photographic learning as you are guided through the most incredible landscapes that the Himalayas have to offer.
Our signature journeys in Ladakh are designed to help you de-stress and put city-living behind you, while you acclimatize to the high altitudes. You are guaranteed a window seat, and can feast your eyes and your camera on the spectacular vistas.
Our workshops are meant for people with an interest in photography and a Digital SLR or equivalent. Our tailor-made lectures and demos will open up your mind to the limitless ocean of photographic possibilities. One thing is for sure, on any journey with Travelling Lens you are bound to come back with some incredible images.
Tour HighlightsJourney through Ladakh while learning hands on from professional photographersDrive through the awe inspiring landscapes in the comfort of an SUVExplore the ancient town of Leh, meander through the narrow streets and get lost in lively bazaars.Hang out with monks at Hemis, Thiksey, Alchi and Lamayuru Monasteries. Wake up early to the sound of rhythmic chanting during the morning prayers.Ride a double humped camel over sand dunes, and eat fresh apricots straight of the tree in the Nubra Valley.Be mesmerized by the changing colours of Pangong Lake.Kick back at the river side camps in UlleytopkoFeel the rush of White Water Rafting | Workshop Fundamentals of Technique Composition Light Digital Image Management Customized assignments and individual reviews will help you test your own understanding Led by Yannick Cormier Varun Gupta Rahul Dhankani | Cost Indian Nationals INR 70,000/per person Foreign Nationals USD 1400/per person Including all taxes and fees August Starts and ends in Leh  |
20th to 31st August 2013
Aug 20 | Day 1: Arrive in Leh | Introductory Workshop, Module 1 – Fundamental concepts of photography | O/N Hotel in Leh
Aug 21 | Day 2: Early morning walk with our cameras to explore the narrow streets and bazaars of Leh | Assignment on Module 1 with a review session in the evening | O/N Hotel in Leh
Aug 22 | Day 3: Early morning visit to Thiksey monastery to witness the morning prayers, Visit Hemis Monastary and Return to Leh | Assignment on Module 1 with a group review in the evening | O/N Hotel in Leh
Aug 23 | Day 4: Drive to Nubra Valley by SUV, explore Sumur Village on foot| Demo on Portraiture | o/n Hotel in Sumur
Aug 24 | Day 5: Explore Diskit and Hundur, visit the sand dunes and 100ft statue of The Buddha, Demo on specialized environmental portraiture | o/n Swiss style deluxe tents in Hundur
Aug 25 | Day 6: Drive back to Leh | Individual review of Assignments, Module 2 workshop – Composition | o/n Hotel in Leh
Aug 26 | Day 7: Drive to Pangong Lake |demo on Night Photography | o/n Swiss style tents on the banks of Pangong Lake
Aug 27 | Day 8: Spend the day walking along the banks of Pangong Lake and exploring the village nearby | Demo on Landscape photography and use of color in images | o/n Swiss style tents on the banks of Pangong Lake
Aug 28 | Day 9: Drive back to Leh | Individual Review of Assignments, Workshop Module 3 – Understanding Light | o/n Hotel in Leh
Aug 29 | Day 10: Spend the Day in Leh | Editing and review sessions
Aug 30 | Day 11: Relaxed Day in Leh, Final Slideshow and Gala Dinner | o/n Hotel in Leh
Aug 31 | Day 12: Fly out from Leh
Course Modules
Module 1: Fundamentals of Technique
Module 2: Composition
Module 3: Light
Module 4: Digital Image Management & Photoshop
Challenging Assignments & The Review System
Customized assignments at the end of each module will help you test your own understanding of the course material. The assignments are designed to take you step by step through the various concepts that have been taught in a module, and require you to make images that satisfy technical as well as aesthetic requirements. For the Final Portfolio Assignment, participants will be asked to select a topic from amongst a pool of provided topics and work one-one-one with a member of the faculty to develop a final portfolio of images that will be displayed for the final critique & slide-show as well as on the Travelling Lens website.
The Travelling Lens Review System provides you both group and individual critique for your images. Classroom Critiques will hep you receive feedback from faculty members as well as the participants in the workshops, opening up images to group discussion and debate will help everyone learn from successes and mistakes. You will also get a chance to sit down individually with a member of the faculty for an in-depth review of your images shot during the workshop as well as previous portfolios.
What you can hope to gain from this workshop
To develop a strong foundation in photographic technique and composition. Exploring your strengths and weaknesses with a camera and what appeals to you photographically, be it landscapes, portraiture, reportage or documentary style photography.
Starting from the absolute basics, we will help you grow as a photographer by working with you collectively as well as individually with hands on guidance, reviews and constant feedback. At the end of the workshop you would have produced a set of images that reflects a strong technical and aesthetic sensibility and be on a platform from where you can emerge as a photographer in the direction of your choice.
You will have a chance to interact with professional photographers as well as amateurs like yourself, which will expand your perspective on image-making and help you establish a network to share your images and experiences, gain valuable feedback and continue learning.
The Travelling Lens basic Photography workshop helps you explore photography as a medium of creative expression.
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Yannick Comier | Trikaya Photos
Yannick Cormier was born in 1975 in France. In the early 2000s he worked in the studio Astre in Paris parallel to his photographic studies in CIFAP. After years of working as an assistant for Patrick Swirc, William Klein and others, he began a career as a documentary photographer. From 2003 to 2005 he teamed up with the agency Wostokpress and was sent to India as a correspondent. During those years, he fell in love with all that is India and has since been settled in the coastal city of Chennai.
In 2007 he founded the agency Trikaya Photos in India, to showcase emerging photographers working on sensitive issues. Since 2009, he has been working on the conflict in the region of Kashmir, the problem of drugs addiction in Kolkata and the marginalized transsexual community across India. His photography is an aesthetic testament of traditions that are endangered in modern India. These images have been published in various international magazines (OjodePez, Courrier international, etc) and exhibited in India and abroad.
Varun Gupta
Varun was born to a family of travelers in Calcutta. The holidays of his youth were spent rock-climbing, trekking and pursuing adventure amidst the towering beauty of the Himalayas. As a natural extension of his travels, he took to the camera at the age of eight, to document what he saw. A few hundred rolls of film later, his journey continued through a bachelor degree in Mass Media Communication from College of Wooster in Ohio, a job as an animator in New York, and a diploma in Photography from Light & Life Academy in Ooty; taking to digital photography along the way.
Varun is a professional freelance photographer based in Chennai. He undertakes various commercial assignments for clients around India and abroad. He is a regular contributor to Lonely Planet Magazine in India and other travel magazines. His teaching experience includes several workshops at Max Mueller Bhavan. He also teaches Photojournalism at the reputed Asian College of Journalism. His fine-art photography has been keenly appreciated and collected.
Rahul Dhankani
Rahul is a traveler who happened to find a camera, which he now uses to express the feelings of a wandering soul. For the last few years Ladakh has been his summer home, where he has been documenting the fragile relationship between humanity and it’s environment.
On this program he will serve as a co-coordinator as well as an instructor for Digital Photo Management and Photoshop
Comprehensive Packing Lists
Travelling to the high Himalaya is no everyday task, an incredible adventure such as this requires meticulous preparation and planning. Our comprehensive packing lists are distilled from years of experiences in the mountains and will prepare you for most things that come your way. From the type of clothing to carry, sunblock and toiletries you need, info on cellphones and coverage, to a complete rundown on the photography gear that will come in handy, we try to cover all the bases. We even suggest a detailed list of basic medication, including what you can take to minimize the affects of altitude.
Complete Pre-Trip Support
Understandably, an epic adventure such as this will raise plenty of questions in your mind. Our dedicated team is available to answer all your queries and put your mind at ease, info on weather conditions, permits and visas you need, what kind of photo gear to carry, or even how you can extend your trip and see more of India, all you have to do is ask.
Travel in the comfort of SUVs
With Travelling Lens you travel in the comfort of a spacious vehicle operated by experienced mountain drivers. We limit the number of passengers in each vehicle to only three, so that everyone has a window seat and there’s plenty of space for all your gear. We believe in never rushing to reach a destination, the journey is as important. We try to stop for every photo opportunity, whether its a furry marmot on the side of the road, a rainbow behind a peak or a textured rock that catches your eye. Driving through the awe inspiring landscape of Ladakh is an incredible experience, we make sure that you really enjoy it. With every bend in the road, a new vista emerges that will take your breath away!
Full Service, responsible Camping
Experience the outdoors like never before with Travelling Lens. When we say full-service, we mean it. On the trail mules and porters carry your heavy bags, leaving you free to make great images. When you hit camp, your tents are set up, sleeping bags laid out and a hot cup of tea or cold lemonade waits in the dinning tent. Packed lunches take on a whole new meaning as your served hot meals by our jovial staff in the choicest locations. Our expert high altitude cook will rustle up magical meals in the middle of nowhere.
We make sure that you are taken care of, while constantly minimizing our impact on the environment. We waste as less as possible, carry our trash back and bury our decomposable waste.
We make sure that you are taken care of, while constantly minimizing our impact on the environment. We waste as less as possible, carry our trash back and bury our decomposable waste.
Experienced crew and guides
The Travelling Lens crew is made up professional photographers, long time travellers, experienced mountaineers and trained medics. We know the land, speak the local language, understand the local culture and customs and are prepared for almost any situation. We also know how to have a good time. We share this with you so that your experience is holistic and meaningful. We love what we do and are good at it, so when you travel with us rest assured that you’re covered from every angle.
Comprehensive safety measures and Fully packed first aid kits
Safety is our top most priority. We love to push the limits of adventure, but make sure that we are prepared for any eventualities that may arise. We use short range walky-talkies in each vehicle so we can communicate with the team even as you drive through remote mountain passes. Gamow bags and oxygen cylinders travel with us at all times, members of our crew are trained to administer fist aid, deal with high altitude sickness and react in case of emergency situations. We have systems in place for evacuations and rescues.
All precautions are taken to make sure that nothing goes wrong, but if something does, we know how to deal with it.
All precautions are taken to make sure that nothing goes wrong, but if something does, we know how to deal with it.
Our philosophy in putting together this package has been quite simple. We would not do it any other way, if we were doing it ourselves.
Your safety is our first priority. We have designed the itinerary in such a way that your body can slowly adjust itself to the rarefied air. Above all, it is important not to rush and exert yourself during the acclimatization phase of the tour. Instead you should take the time to put your feet up and completely relax and get the city out of your system.
On your visit to Ladakh, you are likely to encounter tourists who pack what you are doing in 2 days into a single day. We just do not believe in that. Ladakh is a land of total visual-immersion. At each bend in the road a new vista emerges that captivates your eye. Each landscape more spectacular than the last. The drives by themselves are an integral part of the Ladakh experience., you will be privileged to reach heights of 13,280ft at the top of Khardungla, a feat that would take mountaineers and locals several days to achieve in the old days.
We also recognize that the drives can be strenuous even for the most-seasoned amongst us; and we have broken the journey to insure that your never quite sick of looking out of your SUV’s window and so you can experience each stop on the route by itself. Additionally, we have chosen to limit the number of passengers in a car to only four so everyone can be perfectly comfortable.
For accommodation, we have chosen establishments that give you a flavor of the local people and culture; while insuring that you experience the level of comfort you need, to completely let your hair down. That being said, if your signing up on a tour with us, please come prepared to take whatever hardships come our way in good spirit; such is the nature of the awesome Himalayas that one should never try and predict anything.
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Indian Nationals : INR 70,000 per Person
Foreign Nationals : USD 1400 per person
The cost includes:
Cost does not Include:
Terms
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Great, you have reached our booking section !
Bookings will close on July 20th
For any further clarification or assistance during the payment process, please feel free to contact us at:
Email: mail@travellinglens.netPhone:+91 9790770679
Cancellations:
Travelling Lens understands that unforeseen circumstances might cause you to withdraw from the tour.
Our refund policy is as follows:
Cancellations made more than 45days before the start of the tour: You are refunded 75% of the package cost
Cancellations made 30 days to 15 days before the start of the tour: You are refunded 50% of the package cost
Cancellations made Less than 15 days before the start of the tour : No Refunds.
Taxes, paypal fees and transaction costs are non refundable.
Travelling Lens reserves the right to cancel a tour due to unforeseen circumstances. In the event of such a cancellation a 100% refund will be given to all participants. Travelling Lens will not take responsibly for any third party expenses made by participants such as cancellation fees for accommodation or flights etc.
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To register You are required to pay a booking deposit of INR 10,000
Please be aware of our cancellation policy mentioned in the costs tab
We accept both online and offline payments
Online
You can complete your online payment below using all major credit/debit cards or internet banking faculties
Offline
We accept offline payments through wire transfers, cash and cheque
Please fill up the form below to request an invoice
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I bring a companion?
A: Yes, we can make arrangement for companions who will not be attending the photography workshop, but would like to travel with you. So if you would like to bring your wife / girlfriend / mother-in-law / brother / sister / friend / dog, you are most welcome. Cost for companion travel is mentioned on the cost page.
Q: We are going to some very high altitudes, can their be problems with breathing and headaches?
A: Yes. The trick to negotiating high altitudes, is best put by the age-old adage, “climb high, sleep low.” The best part about this package is that by virtue of the Leh to Manali drive, you are doing exactly that. But to further ensure we do not encounter problems we have set the itinerary to give use at least 2 full days in the Leh area before we get adventurous. On these days, you will get a chance to walk a little, take in the sights but most of all come to terms with the rarefied atmosphere. This is not to say that someone can experience some symptoms like headaches; however there is no need to be alarmed.
Q: What is the weather like there?
A: We are all aware that weather in the hills is very unpredictable, so of course no one can say for sure. However, on average, Ladakh has a variety in its daily conditions. During the day, one is likely to experience scorching heat when exposed to sunlight and much cooler temperatures in the shade. In the evenings and at night it can get as low as 2-3degrees or even lower in some places. Particularly Pangong Lake features some high wind that lowers the temperatures further. Being prepared is always better so please do bring adequate winter clothing. You will receive a detailed packing list after you have signed up for the tour and paid your advance.
Q: What about Loos!!!???
A: This is the one discomfort that you might have to live with. Although all accommodations in our package will provide functioning toilets, there is no guarantee of what we find on the road when nature does make that untimely call. To battle this in a dignified manner we recommend a recently learned travellers secret – the use of ‘baby wet wipes’ is both pleasant and hygienic.
Q: What about my precious Cellphone coverage???
A: Even though we would much rather you leave those blasted contraptions behind at home, we realise that some of you might need to be in touch with the real world from time to time. Despite the lovely cellular company ads showing people in the middle of Ladakh with crystal clear coverage the truth is quite different. Most networks just drop out a few hours outside Manali and don’t pick up till Leh. Even in Leh you are likely to encounter trouble. The trick here is to ensure that you have either a Airtel or BSNL connection, which is properly activated for roaming. BSNL will give you coverage even outside of the Leh area.
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