KERALA PHOTOGRAPHY HOLIDAY INDIA CHLOE HALL PHOTOGRAPHY ITINERARY February 2017 Whether you are a total beginner or an experienced photographer there is no better way to develop your photographic skills than to immerse yourself in a place as visually rich as India
O V E R V I E W This is a journey of extraordinary photographic opportunities through a beautiful part of the world. Led by experienced professional photographer Chloe Hall with full back up from a specialist Kerala based travel company, this extraordinary two week journey takes you to the very heart of Southern India the backwaters of Kerala, the spice area of Periyar, the tea plantations of Munnar and historic colonial Cochin. We stay in 4 locations, each one completely different in both feel and photography. We will journey on boats to photograph life as it happens along the tranquil Keralan backwaters before journeying up to the spice plantations and plains of Tamil Nadu. After Periyar we reach the cool of Munnar s tea plantations, before returning to the coast to wonderful Cochin with it s colonial charm. The Keralan people are warm and welcoming, often eager to have their photographs taken (a photogarpher s dream!) and to have a chat. This holiday is much more than taking photographs from a distance, it s an opportunity to engage with the Keralan people. We ll take time to wander through streets and markets honing our street photography skills, we ll practice portraiture, we ll observe and capture daily life through the lens as it unfolds in its often chaotic Indian way, and we ll take in cultural elements and maybe a tuk tuk ride or two, and of course enjoy the wonderful mild southern Indian cuisine. We will have the back up of a local Keralan travel agency and will be assisted throughout the trip by an English speaking Indian guide, a driver and minibus. This will enable us to explore and understand the locations and culture in greater depth. On this holiday we aim to blend culture, landscape, photography, and relaxation so that at the end of the trip you have had an invigorating and restorative experience for both body and soul, and come back with some excellent photographs too.
Whether you are a total beginner to photography, or fully understand the technical aspects, your enjoyment is the most important aspect of this holiday so whether you have state of the art DSLRs or a compact camera, your photography and your style is what matters most. P H O T O G R A P H Y If you only ever use auto mode and are happy with this, then feel free to enjoy focusing on good composition. If however you would like to learn more then this holiday will both inspire and challenge you to develop your photographic skills. If you are a beginner Chloe will spend time helping you develop your compositional skills as well as gradually introducing the more technical aspects in a way that is easy to understand. Her teaching style is informal and relaxed and her aim is not only to help you capture amazing travel photographs but also help you develop your creative eye and become bolder in taking photographs of people. For those with more experience she will encourage you to challenge your photographic boundaries, explore the unfamiliar, and develop your ability to take excellent portraits. But it s your holiday anything creative goes!
I T I N E R A R Y B A C K W A T E R S Day 1 : Backwaters - Kumarakom Arrive Cochin and transfer (approx 2.5hrs) to Lakesong Hotel our base for 4 nights. The afternoon is free for you to settle in before having a late afternoon briefing session with Chloe followed by an early dinner. Day 2 : Backwaters - Kumarakom We start our trip in Kumarakom, the Backwaters, a myriad of connecting canals and lagoons. The best way to explore this area is by boat so we journey along the dreamy canals watching the world go by. Taking a relaxing pace makes it the ideal introduction to Kerala and the start of your holiday We take a leisurely morning boat ride from the hotel jetty to photograph life along the backwater canals. The lush green banksides are often hubs of activity for people washing, chatting and walking along the accompanying paths. We ll take lunch nearby before returning to the hotel for a couple of hours of rest. In late afternoon we take a second boat journey for photography in evening light. The soft yellow orange glow and long shadows gives us a different perspective as the backwaters begin to unwind into evening.
Day 3 : Backwaters - Kumarakom I T I N E R A R Y B A C K W A T E R S We spend the day in the town of Alleppey (1 hr drive) seeing a different area of the backwaters by public boat in the morning. After lunch in Alleppey we will wander the bustling streets of the town, visit a coir making factory before heading to the beach where the toddy tappers may be scaling trees collecting sap to make into an alcoholic drink, and locals come to enjoy the sea. Day 4 : Backwaters - Kumarakom After breakfast we ll wander through Kumarakom village on foot and visit a nursery school. The afternoon is free for photography tutorials and/or relaxing at the hotel.
Day 5 : Periyar We leave for Periyar taking lunch en route. Mid afternoon we will have a portraiture tutorial before heading out in afternoon light to photograph in the town, enjoying both street photography and portraiture. I T I N E R A R Y P E R I Y A R Day 6 : Periyar Life in the backstreets we ll take an early morning slow wander around the backstreets of the town to see local homes, children playing and getting ready for school, people chatting and going about their chores. Late morning we ll head to Chellar Kovil for a home-cooked lunch in a quiet lush area 30 minutes drive, with views over Tamil Nadu plains. After a couple of hours rest back at the hotel we ll drive down to the plains of Tamil Nadu to photograph late afternoon in the vibrant bustling streets of Theni.
Day 7 : Periyar free day We will offer suggestions including a tour of the spice plantation, elephant ride, ayuverdic massage on a direct payment basis, or you may prefer to relax in the hotel or take in some shopping for fabrics and spices in the town. We will arrange a meeting point for lunch (included) I T I N E R A R Y P E R I Y A R Or focus your day on practicing your street photography skills or portraiture in a set project for the day. Evening we can see traditional Kerala Martial Arts show (price included) before taking dinner in the hotel
Day 8 : Munnar We leave for Munnar which sits at 1500m; taking the beautiful drive up through tea plantations with a few stops on the way to see the landscape. We ll lunch en-route before checking into Hotel Silvertips. In the afternoon we ll walk into bustling Munnar town to photograph around the streets and in the market. I T I N E R A R Y M U N N A R Day 9 : Munnar Jeep tour up through the cool tea plantations to Kulukkumalai view point followed by a visit to the working tea factory where we can see the process of tea being made and photograph the factory at work. We ll arrive back to Munnar for a late lunch and the rest of the afternoon is free for rest/tutorials.
I T I N E R A R Y M U N N A R Day 10 : Munnar Out in the landscape we ll drive out towards Top Station stopping at various locations on the way. We ll pass terraced agricultural areas, tea pickers homes, and may see tea pickers at work. We ll arrive back to Munnar for a late lunch and the rest of the afternoon is free for rest/tutorials.
I T I N E R A R Y C O C H I N Day 11 : Cochin On to our final location we drive down to the coast to Cochin, taking lunch en route before checking into beautiful boutique Fort House Hotel located in the heart of this charming colonial town. In late afternoon light we ll go on foot to visit the wholesale activities on Spice Street as lorries arrive with rice, spices and other goods and traders offload and bargain with the wholesalers.
I T I N E R A R Y C O C H I N Day 12 : Cochin Around the town we ll visit Jew Street with it s shops full of wonderful antiques (also a chance for a bit of last minute shopping) before moving on to see the fascinating Dhobi washing (laundry house). In late afternoon we ll visit the Chinese fishing nets and promenade before an evening Kathakali dance show and dinner in town. Day 13 : Cochin In the morning we have a short public boat ride to Vypin Island to visit the fish market and watch trawlers offloading their night s catch at the local market. In early evening we ll enjoy a sunset boat cruise around the harbour before enjoying our final dinner on the atmospheric hotel pier. Day 14: departure day In the morning we will be transferred to Cochin Airport for our onwards flights.
I T I N E R A R Y In India sometimes the unexpected happens. This can be an adventure, and delightful, when something random occurs on our journey and leads to an unexpected photo opportunity or interaction. However in India, as well as encountering the excitement and challenges of a different culture, we may encounter the unexpected. Sometimes external events may require us to alter our itinerary. We will try to manage these situations the best we possibly can, and make you as comfortable as we can throughout the trip, but please realize India may not be quite like home! IN ADDITION THROUGHOUT THE TRIP WE WILL HAVE AFTERNOON TUTORIALS, GROUP REVIEWS OF IMAGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONE TO ONE SESSIONS TOO. EXACT TIMINGS AND CONTENT OF THESE WILL BE DECIDED ON THE TRIP DEPENDING ON GROUP INTEREST AND THE OTHER ACTIVITIES EACH DAY.
THE BACKWATER: LAKESONG HOTEL Lakesong Hotel Resort is set in the tranquil picturesque backwaters of Kumarakom overlooking the water. It is a peaceful retreat within lush gardens and attractive traditional Keralan architecture. Lakesong has a swimming pool, bar, wi-fi, money change, laundry services and spa. Enjoy the afternoon breeze in the tropical gardens or a cool beer as evening falls this is the perfect location to unwind after your flight. H O T E L S PERIYAR: GREEN FOREST HOTEL A short walk into town but set back from the busy streets Green Forest Hotel is a comfortable centrally located hotel. It has a swimming pool, spa, and spacious rooms, making this hotel one of the best in the area. MUNNAR: SILVERTIPS HOTEL Munnar is a hectic vibrant town so our hotel is a short mini bus ride or approx 10 minute walk from the centre in a quieter location which is preferable when the Hindu temple and the mosque and the traffic all start up at once! The décor is a slightly interesting movie theme (!), but the rooms are large, clean and cool and our location allows us to access the town easily. COCHIN: FORT HOUSE HOTEL Our final hotel is a beautifully atmospheric boutique style hotel with colonial elements to the architecture, simple but beautiful rooms, a lovely tropical garden and a pier to sit out and breakfast on which fronts onto the estuary. Little touches around the hotel like hanging lanterns, bowls filled with flowers and water, create a charming tranquil oasis, with Cochin itself only a short walk away. ENSURING THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE ON THIS HOLIDAY IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. EACH HOTEL HAS BEEN CAREFULLY CHOSEN SO THAT YOU HAVE AN OASIS TO RETREAT TO AND CAN RELAX IN PEACEFUL ATMOSPHERIC SURROUNDINGS.
Chloe has been a freelance professional photographer for 14 years. She trained at the London College of Printing and now combines commercial photography in the UK with travel photography, photographic tutoring holidays, and commissions for nongovernmental organisations abroad. A B O U T C H L O E Her aim on this journey is not only to share with you a part of this amazing country, but to help beginners grasp the fundamental aspects of good photography both composition and technical aspects and guide more experienced photographers to push their creative boundaries. For several years Chloe has tutored on photograph holidays for a UK specialist travel agency both in Europe and further afield in Morocco, Nepal and India. This will be her third visit to Kerala to run this holiday. please visit www.chloehall.co.uk to view her work
TRIP PRICE 2450 (excluding international airfares). Early bird discount of 150 for bookings made and 800 deposit paid before 6 May 2016. Single Supplement Hotel Rooms 350 Recommended flight: depart UK Sat 4 th February (Emirates to Kochi/Cochin) arrival Cochin 5th P R I C E S A N D B O O K I N G Price includes: Photographic tuition throughout the trip (except on the free day) 13 nights superior hotel accommodation on twin sharing basis with all breakfast, lunches and dinners included for the duration of the trip Airconditioned minbus and driver to accompany us for all transfers and excursions English speaking Indian guide throughout the trip Entrance fees, boat rides, jeep travel and cultural events as per itinerary Unlimited bottled water Price excludes: Personal expenses e.g. laundry, soft drinks, alcohol Client's insurance (mandatory) and Indian Visa (mandatory) Tips - tipping is customary in India as tips form a part of annual incomes that are often low paid in the service industry. We will create a tips kitty for porters, restaurant staff, and if you feel appropriate after the trip, our guide and driver please allow approx 40 for this Suggested photography kit list and packing essentials will be sent out nearer the departure date. For bookings or enquiries: please email Chloe for more details: chloe@chloehall.co.uk
TO BOOK contact Chloe chloe@chloehall.co.uk www.chloehall.co.uk