GET GOING Learning Holiday Photography

I found this tailor’s shop as I was walking Snap Judgements in Hampi Bazaar. The clothes in the background were Picture-perfect holidays aren’t as difficult as they sound bright and cheerful, with the dull metal Text & Photographs by Charukesi Ramadurai machine in the front of the shop. This is one he first thing Hellmuth Conz before we actually shoot any images. all the images should be straight out of the of my early attempts teaches me about my camera is There are 12 of us walking on the narrow camera and not edited in any way. Most of at an abstract picture, trying to suggest a how to hold it correctly—with my lanes of Anegundi and we soon find our- the images we show are pretty ordinary but, subject instead of fully left hand under the lens, cradling selves playing pied pipers to a large troop of considering it is our first day, he decides to displaying it. It was T also an experiment it, and not above it. “There is no need to village children, who’re eager to pose. While be kind in his critique. with opening the raise your little finger,” he says. “You are these are great exercises in framing and Early next morning, we visit the Vithala aperture fully to get a holding a camera, not a tea cup.” composition, the twilight puts to test what Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site. shallow depth of field— I am in Hampi with ten other enthusiasts we have learned about controlling light To get there, we cross the Tungabhadra in with the foreground for a workshop on the basics of photogra- conditions in the camera. It’s fun to experi- coracles­­­­—round boats lined with buffalo sharply in focus and the background a blur. phy. Hellmuth, our instructor, has politely ment. The aperture goes up and down and hide and tarpaulin. The temple is one made it clear that an eye for composition is of Hampi’s most popular sites, gracing all very well, but without technical knowl- countless advertisements for the Karnataka edge, I may as well be using a simple point- In Varanasi, everything tourism board. It is almost empty at that and-shoot instead of an expensive DSLR time of day and we wander freely. It is in- camera. By the end of that first session, my seems photo-worthy teresting to see how each of us sees unique head is swimming with principles like aper- and all of us are here frames from the same place. I manage one of Hampi, right outside the towering ture and ISO that I’ve known about vaguely that finds approval from Hellmuth and the Virupaksha temple. There is no dearth of but have never made a serious effort to with our cameras, so gang: an image of the wheels of the stone interesting subjects here: small roadside understand. Luckily, most of the other the real challenge is to chariot in front of the temple’s main man- shrines to Hanuman, vendors of brightly- participants seem to be groaning under the tapa (hall). My image suggests the subject hued kumkum and glass bangles, the ba- weight of all the information too. find our own unique rather than showing it completely. We have nana vendor in her yellow sari to match her Soon, we head out to Anegundi village more information flying at us—white bal- wares, a small darkroom inside Virupaksha across the river from Hampi, with its bar- perspectives and frames ance, metering, the rule of thirds. The night Temple that was a precursor to the modern ren brown rocks, a typical feature of this session focuses on using studio lights for pinhole camera. region. Hellmuth lets us loose with very correspondingly, the shutter speed. As it portraits and techniques like panning and In the review session just after lunch, specific instructions. To photograph boul- gets darker, the third point in the light zoom burst. By then, some of the earlier les- we can all see clear improvements from ders that look like something else—I found triangle, the ISO, comes into play too. sons have sunk in and I can process more the first day’s photographs. We have better a fish—and to treat the digital SLRs as we Back at the resort, we download the pho- information. light control, more unusual compositions would cameras with film, restricting the tographs from the cameras to choose our Our third day in Hampi is easily the best. and are more experimental in our fram- number of shots we take so that we care- three best images from the walk. A review Managing the settings manually comes ing. Hellmuth is a little more critical now. fully choose our frames. It ensures that we session begins after dinner and goes on till more easily to me now and I try unusual He wants us to go out and shoot every day. try to get everything sorted out in our heads well past midnight. Hellmuth insists that frames as we walk through the main bazaar “There is no better lesson,” he insists. Two years later, I attend another work- This is a scene shop, this time in Varanasi. I am here not from Tulsi akhada so much to go through the basics of pho- capturing a small part of a wrestler’s exercise tography again but to discover and shoot regimen before he the many small secrets this town contains. gets into the main There’s an early morning boat ride followed I am more relaxed. I take in the sights, I call this photograph wrestling arena. It by a couple of hours by the ghats watching sounds, and smells and capture some of “A coracle takes a is a quiet moment he walk”. While one has to himself while the world wash away its sins in the Ganga. them with my camera. I photograph kids lies unused on the other students and Another morning, at the Tulsi akhada, I diving into the river, as corpses burn behind shore, the other is the masters are busy shoot a dozen young men twisting them- them, Benarasi sari looms in the narrow being carried by its either doing their owner, whose head is own warm up or selves like pretzels as a workout before lanes, Westerners meditating by the water, completely covered wrestling sessions. I wrestling in the mud, unaffected by our spicy puri-sabji for breakfast and banana by it. This image is a shot with a forward intrusive cameras. lassi at the famous Blue Lassi shop. In result of Hellmuth’s tilt to make the frame Varanasi’s evenings are dominated by Varanasi, everything seems photo-worthy advice to stop and more interesting notice the little things and to emphasize the the Ganga arti, which attracts hundreds and all of us are here with our cameras, so that would make feeling of motion. of locals and visitors. Then there is a quest the real challenge is to find our own unique an interesting shot, And I also like that for the town’s famed street food and a boat perspectives and frames. instead of clicking this kushtiwala is away in hundreds. totally oblivious to ride to Ramnagar, on the way to which a Could I have learnt all these new things the photographers dozen old men grind ingredients for bhang. about photography without visits to places swarming around him. While in Hampi, I was thoroughly focused like Hampi and Varanasi? Sure. But they on learning a new craft; here in Varanasi, wouldn’t be half as much fun. n

2 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | OCTOBER 2012 OCTOBER 2012 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 3 GET GOING Learning Holiday

The guide

travel Photography Western Ghats surrounding phy offers courses on various tography curve, there is a lot to Workshops Coimbatore, and to Masai Mara aspects of photography from learn from both, your instructor Amoghavarsha is known for in Africa (www.kalyanvarma.net) basics to advanced post-pro- and colleagues. Make a note of his nature and wildlife photog- cessing. They also have courses which aspects of photography raphy. In the past, he has been Photography On The Move for children and use different you find tricky or need more a naturalist and is interested in Bangalore offers workshops instructors for each kind of advice on and discuss these with in conservation issues. He now for beginners and the option workshop (www.toehold.in). the instructor and the team. conducts workshops both in In- to go just on the tour if you are It might even be a good idea dia and Africa (www.amoghavar- comfortable with your camera. Note Costs and duration of each to email your expectations or sha.com). There are several workshops workshop varies. When booking, specific queries to the instructor, through the year which are inquire about what is included in perhaps with a few samples of Darter Photography invites planned around cultural events the fee and extras. your work before the workshop. enthusiasts to embark on and festivals such as the Goa photography day-trips around Carnival, Alleppey Boat Race and What to expect WHAT TO TAKE Bangalore, as well as longer the Nagaland Hornbill Festival Evaluate your skill levels honest- • Camera, charger and ad- tours to Bhutan, Rajasthan, the (www.photographyonthemove. ly before you enrol and be very ditional memory cards. Andamans, and other Indian com). clear on what you want to learn • Different kinds of lenses that locations. They also conduct from the workshop. If you are a you may have or want to experi- workshops in Bangalore and Sephi Bergerson If you have beginner or just want to learn ment with. Hyderabad (www.darter.in). already been a photographer how to get the best out of your • Data storage device like a for long enough and know that camera, you are better off at- thumb drive, transfer cable and Kalyan Varma conducts photog- wedding photography is your tending a workshop that orients laptop. raphy workshops in Bangalore interest area, then look out for you to the basics. If you know • Weather-proof gear for the for novice and intermediate Goa-based Sephi Bergerson’s your specific area of interest and camera photographers, with a focus on advanced wedding photography want to enhance your skills, look • A comfortable pair of shoes wildlife photography. He also workshops (www.sephi.com). for specialist courses. since you’re going to be on your organises photo tours to the Toehold Travel and Photogra- Wherever you are on the pho- feet most of the time.

Here I have tried to capture the mood of a typical morning by the ghats in Varanasi. The steps are crowded with pilgrims, priests, and vendors of all things that people use in their search for salvation—from incense sticks to sandalwood. By keeping the frame tight, I portray how people are squeezed together, but also how there is space for everyone to do his or her own thing.

4 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | OCTOBER 2012