michali Posted February 23, 2012 Share #1 Posted February 23, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I’ve recently returned from a 3 week trip to India visiting Kochi, Goa, Mumbai and Rajasthan. As many have commented in the previous India thread, the photographic opportunities are simply endless. A large amount of invaluable information was contributed by Forum members on that thread. My last visit was 10 years ago and I found that there’s been a big change in the country during this time. Globalisation has well and truly wrapped its tentacles around India, however the country still manages to retain its old world feel and chaotic charm. To many people India can be a full-on sensory assault, coupled with the most dazzling array of colours on display, more so than any other country I’ve ever visited. In terms of personal security India is one of the safest countries to visit, however one must always use common sense and be sensitive to your surroundings and the local people. I spent a day (with guide) walking around parts of the Dharavi slum, one of Mumbai’s largest slums which is home to about 1 million people with over 5, 000 small businesses and about 15, 000 one room factories with a total estimated annual turnover in excess of $650 million. I never once felt threatened or intimidated, unlike similar places I’ve visited in other parts of the world. Airport security is very tight, overall though no hassles. A word of advice, make sure you have a hard copy/printout of your e-ticket or boarding pass or the security wont allow you into the airport building, mobile boarding pass version is not accepted. I found this out the hard way. Additionally it’s always a very good idea to check-in online beforehand, it saves a great deal of hassle at the airport. Being someone who plans his life around meals and his stomach, I found the food absolutely delicious and outstanding! In several towns and cities I ate at local restaurants where I was the only westerner. I never ate on the street and managed to avoid the dreaded “Delhi belly”. On this trip I took two M9s with the following lenses: 2 Tri-Elmars- WATE & MATE 50mm Summilux 90mm Elmarit. 8GB Sandisk cards. The cameras performed flawlessly and no issues whatsoever. For more than 90% of my shots I used the MATE, followed by the 50mm Summilux. I carried the equipment in my well-worn waxed Domke F803 satchel bag, it’s inconspicuous and discreet. Based on what I experienced on the streets, things happen fairly quickly and in close proximity, the MATE proved invaluable in these situations. NEVER point a camera at someone without first asking if you can take their photograph. Some confusion arises here, YES is an up and down movement of the head. NO is a sideways movement of the head. When asking someone if I could take their photograph they invariably responded with a circular motion of the head??? Overall though, people are quite unfazed about having their photograph taken. A selection of images from this trip can be viewed here: India M9 January 2012 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/173401-india-trip-feedback/?do=findComment&comment=1935622'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 Hi michali, Take a look here India Trip Feedback. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stuny Posted February 23, 2012 Share #2 Posted February 23, 2012 Mike - I'm glad to see you return and posting again. Our India experiences track yours very closely, and we've found Indians to be more willing to be photographed than people anyplace else we've traveled. Lovely shot, and I look forward to seeing many more. Welcome home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jneilt Posted February 24, 2012 Share #3 Posted February 24, 2012 A trip to india and you were not robbed! I made it to Rome equally as lucky;) I just flipped through your photos...they are good. The laundry shot I would put in a great category. I know, boring laundry...but you nailed it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted February 24, 2012 Share #4 Posted February 24, 2012 Fantastic stuff. I love the shot of the mother and little boy in the green shirt in the Dharavi slum. Very powerful. Also I like your perspective of shooting from raised walkways in several shots, as it shows people relaxed and in context. Closer is not always better, and in some cases this is a good way to capture more candid images in an unfamiliar location. I'm glad that your adventure was safe and rewarding!!! Welcome home!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdtaylor Posted February 24, 2012 Share #5 Posted February 24, 2012 Thank you so much for sharing. Much appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravinj Posted February 24, 2012 Share #6 Posted February 24, 2012 NEVER point a camera at someone without first asking if you can take their photograph. Some confusion arises here, YES is an up and down movement of the head. NO is a sideways movement of the head. When asking someone if I could take their photograph they invariably responded with a circular motion of the head??? Overall though, people are quite unfazed about having their photograph taken. [ATTACH]302020[/ATTACH] In South India, the "up and down YES" is often indicated by a mix of sideways NO and circular motion (hard to describe, you have see it to understand it). A physician friend of mine who often goes to India with Doctors Without Borders, always has this problem in South India where he can't understand whether it a YES or a NO in response to the questions he asks the patients. Disclaimer: I lived in North India so I may have a bias! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deliberate1 Posted February 24, 2012 Share #7 Posted February 24, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Mike, I am the OP for the India thread that had legs. Agree that the collective wisdom here is splendid. My wife and I are anxiously awating our departure just six weeks from now. I am in the process of organzing my gear and innoculations. Lovely images. So full of color and life. India is the Magic Kingdom. I can not wait. In hindsight, was it worth shlepping the 90mm? Mine is on my "not sure" list. I agree that universal courtesy means asking permission. But there are those circumstances when a posed shot just will not do. And that is when I suspect the 90mm would come out. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted February 24, 2012 Share #8 Posted February 24, 2012 Wow. I love your work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michali Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share #9 Posted February 24, 2012 Mike, I am the OP for the India thread that had legs. Agree that the collective wisdom here is splendid. My wife and I are anxiously awating our departure just six weeks from now. I am in the process of organzing my gear and innoculations. Lovely images. So full of color and life. India is the Magic Kingdom. I can not wait. In hindsight, was it worth shlepping the 90mm? Mine is on my "not sure" list. I agree that universal courtesy means asking permission. But there are those circumstances when a posed shot just will not do. And that is when I suspect the 90mm would come out. David Thank you David. In hindsight and given how little I used the 90mm I probably wouldn't have taken it. The 2 Tri-Elmars basically covered everything I needed. On second thought the WATE was probably also superfluous. On the whole, India's really crowded and busy and you end up picking up too much stray stuff in your images with a super wide, there's just so much going on. If I were limited to 2 lenses only, a 28mm and 50mm would do it. This is where the MATE is the best travel lens IMO; you've got a 35mm focal length thrown in as well! The MATE's image quality is right up there with the primes. Ultimately lens choices are obviously determined by each individual's style of photography. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanetomlane Posted February 25, 2012 Share #10 Posted February 25, 2012 Mike, really enjoyed your India photo's, they're great. I go to India often, was there in January and going again in April and agree that it has some great photo opportunities. I also agree that the MATE and WATE are a great combination for travel, I usually take both, or just the MATE. Regards, Tom Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil U Posted February 25, 2012 Share #11 Posted February 25, 2012 Wonderful photos and glad to hear you enjoyed your trip! You have captured the spirit of this wonderful country very well. My personal favourite as a photo is the Piano Tuner, a really beautiful contextual portrait. As an aside, I would just like to put forward an alternate view to street food. I think often street food is delicious and sometimes can be the safer option. The advantage with a lot of street food is you actually get to see the kitchen, the chef's hygiene standards, the ingredients and how they are cooked. Whereas with most restaurants you only get to see the finished dish!! In any case, I am glad to hear your precautions worked and that you enjoyed the food and avoided any food poisoning and such like. Indian food is some of the best in the world - for flavour, possibly_the_best (subjective, i know!) Thanks for sharing your excellent photos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted February 25, 2012 Share #12 Posted February 25, 2012 These images are really excellent. My respect for your portrait taking abilities. India is fun. When we were in Kerala we ate pretty much everything while paying attention to, either top of the range restaurants & hotels (still very cheap by EU/NL standards) or "high throughput" (basically the germs have no time to develop). This gave 0 problems. Possibly our stomachs have gotten "travel worn" as this is our standard mode of operation (we also tend to drink tap water, unless foul tasting/murky). Also, I found travelling by 2nd-3rd class trains in India really fascinating. People were very open, friendly, interested. A wonderful place basically. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnloumiles Posted February 25, 2012 Share #13 Posted February 25, 2012 Really great work. The portrait with black face paint and the laundry shot are award winning type. I imagine the wide shots from above would look excellent blown up as big as possible. Sometimes those kind of shots lose their grandeur when only viewed small on a computer screen. Thanks for sharing! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted February 25, 2012 Share #14 Posted February 25, 2012 Mike, although it is unlikely to be of direct use to me, I do appreciate your generous feedback of experiences in India. Looking at your picture show I am pleased to see how much use you made of your MATE lens, even at the 28mm setting which I avoid if possible. At 35 and 50 settings, even at full aperture which you must have used often in some of the low-light settings, the results are exceptionally good. I noticed that you did use the 90, very effectively, proving that there is a place for a good lens in that sector. I was fascinated with the island palace (?) surrounded by water. A balloon flight aerial platform? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manolo Laguillo Posted February 26, 2012 Share #15 Posted February 26, 2012 Very nice photos! It's obvious, you enjoyed your time! Thank you for sharing! Cheers, Manolo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michali Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share #16 Posted February 27, 2012 I was fascinated with the island palace (?) surrounded by water. A balloon flight aerial platform? Thank you David. It was taken from a helicopter. The "Island Palace" believe it or not is a duck hunting hide, built by a maharajah. Thanks to everyone for the comments, and thank you all for taking the time to view them. I'm really pleased you enjoyed the images. Best M9 &Tri-Elmar @ 50mm Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/173401-india-trip-feedback/?do=findComment&comment=1938430'>More sharing options...
leicanet Posted February 27, 2012 Share #17 Posted February 27, 2012 [ATTACH]302640[/ATTACH][quote name= Lovely images. So full of color and life. India is the Magic Kingdom. I can not wait. In hindsight, was it worth shlepping the 90mm? Mine is on my "not sure" list. I agree that universal courtesy means asking permission. But there are those circumstances when a posed shot just will not do. And that is when I suspect the 90mm would come out. David[/quote] Agree on the lovely images, and beautiful India. When I last went there (Xmas 2006...time flies!), all I took with me was my M7 paired with a Macro-Elmar 90mm f4 and a Noctilux f1. It was the perfect kit for me. I am going again sometime this year and my choice will be the same (perhaps I'll take the Summilux 50mm f1.4 ASPH instead of the Noctilux). I believe a 90mm is very useful in a place like India. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/173401-india-trip-feedback/?do=findComment&comment=1939178'>More sharing options...
payasam Posted February 28, 2012 Share #18 Posted February 28, 2012 To those who come to India. I am Delhi 987 355 3167 and uthappam at gmail dot com. Moderately resourceful and always willing to help polite people. Good coffee and a tolerable meal will be provided to visitors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deliberate1 Posted February 28, 2012 Share #19 Posted February 28, 2012 [ATTACH]302640[/ATTACH] I believe a 90mm is very useful in a place like India. Wow, exceptional image. Was that the 90mm? David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicanet Posted February 28, 2012 Share #20 Posted February 28, 2012 Wow, exceptional image. Was that the 90mm?David Hi David, thank you. It was indeed taken with the 90mm f4 Macro-Elmar-M, a very versatile lens, one of my favourite M lenses. IMO, if you can live with its f4 low light limitations, it is perfect for a trip to India and beyond...;-))) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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