Landscapes of Ladakh

I happened to visit Ladakh in the last week of September this year.  I had strong desire to be in the mountain ranges of Himalayas at least once in my life time.  When Nikon School of photography announced ‘Advanced Landscape Photography workshop in Ladakh’ I grabbed the opportunity to visit the place.  Though I was meddling with the basics of DSLR I decided to join the group to travel through picturesque Ladakh and pick up few tips from some of the best photographers in India working with Nikon School.

The mentors team was good and helpful.  There were four of them.  They were all friendly, helpful and enthusiastic in teaching the techniques of photography.  I did grasp few points and understood how manual settings in photography can help towards becoming a better photographer.

Here are few photographs of travel through Ladakh.

Though the greater part of journey was on well laid road

occasionally we had to travel on rough terrain

At Khardung La

This is supposed to be highest motorable road in the world

                         

Nubra valley - Cold desert with sand dunes and water bodies

formed due to melted snow

Photographers trying to capture landscapes in twilight

Shyok river

Kids waving as we are passing from a School in

Nubra valley

Maitri Budha at Diskit

Diskit Monastry

A scene in Turtuk village, the last village in India bordering Pakistan 

Pangong Tso lake

The mystic lake between India and China

Night Skies at Pangong Tso

Trying to capture morning colors

A restaurant at Pangong Tso

Clear waters of Pangong Tso

On the way from Pangong Tso to Tsomoriri

through Tsagala and Chusul

Black necked crane

The only shop seen on the way to Tsomoriri

Tractor with a flour mill at Tsomoriri

Early morning view at Tsomoriri

Tsomoriri lake in dawn

Tsomoriri village

Marmot native to mountain ranges of Himalayas

At Tsokar Lake

Photographers trying to capture Nature, Wild life and Landscapes

The person lying down is one of the mentors. 

May he wanted to capture some unique feature of horses!

Army memorial at Chusul

Last capture with NikonD on the way back to Leh

Nikon Basics Workshop

Recently I was gifted NikonD5200 D-SLR by my husband.  This is the second camera he has gifted me.  The first digital camera presented to me by daughter has ignited my childhood interest in photography.  The digital camera allowed me to take loads of photos, check them on computer screen and delete the worst ones, store not so good ones on CDs and share on net with family, friends and public on different sites those I thought were good.  I would take pictures of the places I travel and use them in my blogs.

Observing my interest in photography my husband presented me Samsung Galaxy EK-GC 100 two years ago, and now to improve my skill further NikonD5200 is presented.  I was happy clicking my Samsung Galaxy, but with D-SLR I found it bit uneasy.  I read the entire manual, watched the video tutorials.  Camera was heavy (compared to digital camera that could be held in one hand and click!) and there was no zoom.  So I got another lens with zoom.  It required some practice to hold the camera in right hand, view through the view finder and adjust the lens to focus objects sharply with left hand.  I felt the need to have advice from a professional photographer on proper use of the camera. 

Along with the camera the Nikon Company had given their website address nikonschool.in.  I logged on to the site to know and learn what the school teaches about its camera and photography.  Fortunately I found that Nikon is holding a workshop on basics of D-SLR and also photo walk in Hyderabad on 5th and 6th of December.  I had to first register on Nikon School by giving them a serial number of my camera.  There was difficulty in registering as camera was purchased in the name of my husband and there were two warranty cards with serial numbers as I had two lenses.  Finally I could register online for the walk but not for workshop as on line enrollment is closed.  The toll free number and another number that was given to enquire were not working.  The Nikon Hyderabad services office responded and gave me a number.  That man responded and told me to come to the venue and can have spot registration.  As he quit his job a day ago he said he does not know the venue, but gave a clue how to get it.  Following that clue I could know the venue of workshop.  This made it possible for me to attend the basic workshop and photo walk.

I was at the venue in time, spot registration was allowed.  The workshop started on time.  The workshop was useful.  Mentor was friendly and cleared all the doubts.  Snacks at tea break were delicious.  Overall the workshop was excellent.  Many of my doubts were cleared.  Mentor welcomed us all for the photo walk the next day.  He also said we can come with family members, so that we can enjoy our day at Zoo after the photo walk.

I was very eager to attend my first photo walk.  We were asked to come to Nehru Zoological Park by 6.45 AM.  I reached there by 6.10 AM itself.  Zoo gates were locked and I did not see anybody.  As we (my husband, niece and her father) had time we went to a nearby hotel had tea and got our breakfast packed.  By the time we returned I saw one guy with Nikon bag.  It was 6.40 AM.  We have seen a security man behind the zoo gate.  We went and asked him if he would allow us in. 

As the photo walk venue is at Zoo I presumed that the photo walk organisers will take permission from the Zoo authorities to enter before the regular time of 8.30 AM.  The security guard denied any such knowledge, but still enquired his higher authority who spoke to us and said nobody had taken any special permission and we can enter only after the official time of opening of the Zoo gates.  Meanwhile the organisers have come and told us that we had to walk to a lake nearby and come back by the time the gates are opened.  Just then Nikon mentor had come, after exchange of greetings he took a photograph of a boy waiting at a closed stall.  He showed the picture and explained about composition and lighting.  We started walking.  As we walked Mentor showed some interesting things alongside the road and how to frame them.

  All of us moved forward clicking pictures of objects and persons of interest.  It was partially like street photography with persons missing as it was Sunday early hours.  After walking about a kilometer we reached a spot, open area with a grave yard at one side.  Then the organisers told us we cannot go further as gates to go towards lake are closed.  So we all had to walk back again to Zoo.  It was past 8.30 AM and Zoo gates were open.  The organisers took entry and camera tickets.  All of us moved in again Mentor gave few tips about photographing animals.  All along as we took photos and showed to him.  Positively appreciating our skills he explained us how that photo could have been better. 

I am glad that I attended the workshop which was excellently organised, and photo walk which was interesting, making us apply the knowledge gained in the workshop.

  I am looking forward to attend advanced workshop and also a well organised photo walk in future.