Michael Sessio Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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Hi Dan,
100 people can go to India and have 100 wildly different experiences. Travel can be challenging, especially if you are on a shoestring budget, falling to the whims of clapped out buses, dodgy hotels, and unscrupulous touts. I've traveled in most budget brackets over the 14+ years I've been heading to India and can say from experience a $3 hotel in New Delhi isn't much of a bargain.
These days I spend around $25-$75 per night on hotel rooms and consider many of them to be great value and quite comfortable. In the off seasons you can get good rooms for steep discounts. The Paramount Inn that I stayed at in Pushkar would be less than $20 per night with great hot showers and a balcony overlooking a temple inhabited by monkeys.
I had a considerable amount of gear worth $$$$, and was traveling alone. Therefore I decided not to take any trains during my trip. Normally they are a great option but having to use the toilet and leaving my gear unattended just didn't seem like a risk worth taking. I ended up hiring a car and driver for all of my travel days. It's very affordable compared to most places, an 8 hour one way drop from New Delhi to Pushkar cost me around $120USD.
The customs encounter wasn't a scam, just a great example of bureaucracy run amok. I reckon I looked pitiful enough that they realised I was on the verge of jumping on a plane and heading straight back. No tourist dollars for mother India. I also provided ample evidence that I was indeed a professional photographer and not someone looking to peddle the gear for profit. This is the first time I've ever been stopped by customs in any country. The thing that really set them off was my 300 f/2.8 IS L when it went through the xray.
I don't speak Hindi, anywhere there are tourists there are loads of people who will speak english.
Pushkar during the camel fair is easily the most congested place with photographers than anywhere I've ever been, and it was still worth it. The festival is a nonstop photo opportunity where the locals are certainly used to having their pictures taken and have no problems asking for money, it's business for them. I'm mostly neutral about this, we're here to take pictures, oftentimes for profit or fame. I don't blame them for wanting to make a little money. If this isn't your thing, there are endless other destinations in India that haven't been overrun by tourists and photographers.
All my clothing and non photographic equipment would have easily fit in a small duffle bag.
During my stomach issues I was flat on my back for about 33 1/2 of 35 hours, no medication taken. I've been through situations like this enough times that I only considered it a minor nuisance for losing valuable shooting time. My only advice is to eat at places that appear to have good turnover with food. My mistake was eating a dish and a quiet tourist restaurant that probably wasn't ordered too often. Why throw an expired dish out when you have a tourist willing to pay for it and you likely won't ever see them again? This is India.
Aside from that I've eaten loads of street food with no ill affects.
People are generally very friendly in India. Women are shy and oftentimes more challenging to shoot. I tend to shoot with wider primes a lot of the time, especially the 35 f/1.4 L.
Hope this answers some questions.
Cheers!
Dan Wagner wrote:
Michael, great photos! They make me very curious to know more about the people and their day to day lives. It looks like it would be a hard place for a Westerner to visit in terms of the creature comforts we're used to. How did you deal with things like hotel rooms, food, and bathrooms? Maybe I'm asking dumb questions, I have no idea. How much stuff, clothing, camera gear, etc did you bring? Did you have any equipment issues? How did you manage to convince customs to not charge you that 30 percent? Is it just a scam they try on visitors? Do you speak the language -- or do many people speak English? The people look friendly and like they don't mind having their photos taken. Were there lots of photographers at the festival? How did you manage with your "belly demons?" What medication did you take, how long did it last, and what do you recommend for avoiding or minimizing this type of problem? How is Pushkar different from other parts of India? Did the people at the festival or in other areas expect visitors/photographers to give them money? What is the dynamic between locals and comparatively wealthy visitors? What specific photographic techniques worked best for you? Wonderful photos!...Show more →
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