India (Delhi) Advise and Questions

[keith_bev]

<p>As usual, lots of good advice on the forums. Some of it is dated. I'm heading to Delhi for a week of meetings and will have a late afternoons/evenings/nights and 1 entirely free day to shoot while i'm there. A few questions for the gang:</p>

<p>1. I like street photography. Wandering, meeting people and shooting. In many places, a tip is expected. Is that the norm in Delhi or will a friendly smile and "asking for permission" suffice? (I often travel with a pocket of "tip money" if I'm in a place where I know I'll need it.</p>

<p>2. The one free day I have is Friday and the Taj Mahal is closed. Is it worth the day trip to Agra anyway? Or is the Taj something that you need to see "inside and out"? When it is closed, can you still get on the grounds, but not go inside? or is it totally sealed off?</p>

<p>3. Are there any "must see" sites in Delhi? I have a good guidebook and plan on hitting some of the markets/ bazaars. Thought I'd ask anyway.</p>

<p>I'll have 3 lenses with me, 50mm, 17-55mm, and 70-200mm. 2 bodies (d700 and d300).</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.<br>

Keith</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>I'm recently back from India, including Delhi and Agra<br>

1. "Must see sights in Delhi" For me they would include the Qutb Minar complex in the south of the city, Humayuns tomb( ideally hour before sunset) Jami Masjid (mosque- ideally early before it gets busy). Most people would add the Red Fort too (closed Mondays) though it is nowhere near as good IMO as the Fort at Agra. At a lower level, Sarfradjungs Tomb ( south Delhi) the Lodi Gardens ( which also contains some tombs) and the Jantar Mantar are OK too<br>

2. Street photography. Old Delhi- round the Jami Masjid and west of the red fort is a maze of narrow streets, alleyways and markets which get very crowded. I'd have thought this was the primary area for street photography. You are highly likely to get lost without a guide . Much of central Delhi is spacious- this area around Chandni Chowk is far from it, but there's a lot of people, traders and stalls to photograph.<br>

3. A day trip to Agra might be a bit daunting. Its at least a three hour drive on quite poor but very busy roads in each direction if you have a car/driver and not much less by the fastest trains. Then when you get there Agra is rammed and it takes a while to get around. It would be a lot better if you could leave at say lunchtime one day , get to the Taj for the last 2/3 hours , check into a hotel and then on the Friday fit in Agra Fort, Itimad-ud Daulah's Tomb (the baby Taj) and perhaps Sikandra on the northern edge of Agra on the Delhi Road. Alternatively missing out one of those and visiting Mathura for an hour's boat trip along the ghats is worthwhile. </p>

<p>To answer your question you can't enter the grounds when the Taj Mahal is closed, and whilst there are places where you can get views of sorts , it is no substitute for being there. The best of the options is if you find the boatman who will take you ( for a fee) out onto the Yamuna to photograph the Taj and its reflections in the river. You need to walk down the east side of the Taj from the east entrance to the riverside. </p>

<p>If you're going any time in the next 6 months you'll have either very hot (up to early July) or hot and humid / hot and wet July-Sept is monsoon. I mention this because it might dampen your enthusiasm for aggressive sightseeing itineraries.</p>

[richard_]

<p>Ditto: Lodi Garden and Old Delhi - a must Imo.<br>

(Lodi Garden best to go early in am.;allow at least 2 hours here.).</p>

[ron_erwin1]

<p>I'm in Rajasthan now, but flew in to Delhi and will depart from there next weekend. The street photography is great in Old Delhi, as detailed above. </p>

<p>Tips are a complicated part of it. Some people ask beforehand, but a good percentage of those will still agree to a photograph even if you say no to the money. Others will ask you to photograph them, then ask for money. Be aware that tipping one person often sets off a frenzy of attention, especially if there are kids around. </p>

<p>I do tip, and regularly, but in 6 trips to India, I've not had a single person get angry over not being tipped. </p>

<p>Oh, and if this is your first trip to India, good luck on interpreting the Indian head wobble. It can mean yes, no, I don't care, or "I'm listening". But a smile and friendly attitude will solve almost any misunderstanding. </p><div></div>

[mukul_dube]

<p>No tipping. Best to be pleasant but firm. You should be particularly careful with women and girls. If someone shows annoyance or signals a "No", quietly move on. In Delhi and in northern India generally, an up-and-down movement of the head means "yes" while a side-to-side movement (turning, not tilting) means "no". I am Delhi 987 355 3167.</p>

[anil_sud]

<p>In my experience, the expectation of tipping varies considerably. In a touristy area of Jaipur, a young girl of 9-10 years of age, hinted that a tip of 100 rupees (about 2 dollars) was the norm...she makes a living by hanging out in tourist areas and posing for photographs requested by the visiting tourists. As indicated above, once I paid her for taking her portrait, other kids nearby all wanted to be photographed. The fee seemed to be easily negotiable although I didn't haggle and met her request.<br>

On a side excursion to an extremely rural farming area, I ventured into a local community, and photographed several women posing with their young children and the farmers (usually male) working in the fields or posing with their farm implements, or animals. No fee was ever asked for and no one refused to pose. Mostly, people were thrilled to have the opportunity to be photographed and enjoyed the fact that someone was genuinely interested in their lives and livelihood. There were a couple of young teenage mothers who were reluctant to be photographed either due to shyness or cultural differences. (Several kept their face covered while in the presence of a male foreigner).<br>

While waiting at a bus shelter, I ran into a group of about 10 children and they all wanted to pose for a photograph one by one. It seemed that showing them their portrait on the back of the lcd monitor was reward enough; the candies that we provided them after for their time and effort was an added bonus.<br>

If you should gain access to the Taj, you may want to make arrangements ahead of time to use a tripod. The gate attendants and security will forbid you from using any kind of 'stand' on the Taj grounds, but I had determined several years ago, that special permission can be obtained from an office in Delhi for a permit to use a tripod at select destinations where tripods are normally forbidden. As I recall, it will run you about $100 US for the permit, and must be done at least a couple of days in advance. I don't remember the specific office where the permit is given.<br>

Good luck!</p>

[witold]

<p>I recently came back from India where I did quite a bit of street photography during the 4+ months I was there. My thoughts, <br>

1. The only places in the world where local people expect tips for photos are tourist trap epicenters. Same in India. If people are asking you for 'tips', get out of the tourist trap and go somewhere else. Vast majority of time there is no expectation of 'tips'. It's a horrible habit to continue and creates an industry of beggars and scammers in other countries. Take photos of people who don't mind. Don't take photos of people who charge for photos. Isn't street photography about authenticity? <br>

2. Taj Mahal is just a pretty building surrounded by the typical Indian trash and filth on all 4 sides. It's a nice building with interesting history. I felt I had to check it out given it's notoriety and I found it quite pleasant, but it's not much different than going to any big building or monument anywhere else. Some people are really into it, and others are less than impressed. Whether to go there will depend on you alone and what you like. I wouldn't really want to steer you in either direction. <br>

3. Delhi is a gigantic sprawling city and it depends how long you will be there. Presumably, Chandni Chowk and similar are already on your list. Work with your hotel manager to hire someone to show you around and drive you around different areas. Delhi has a ton of different specialized districts that make for good photo opportunities. (motorcycle/spice/textile/jewelry/tech/etc districts) <br>

Enjoy the trip and good luck... </p>

[keith_bev]

<p>Thanks everyone, I'm hear now. I did a Leaders Quest trip Tuesday but was underwhelmed by our site visits. Tomorrow and Friday, I'm heading to Old Delhi. We found a walking tour led by local youth online. If it is worth it, I'll post the link. Helpful advice though from everyone. Much appreciated.</p>

[proy]

<p>Go around Chandni Chowk!!! Magical, chaostic place!!!</p>

<p>I've spent about 3 months in India and can honestly say people love to get their pictures taken there!! A world of its own!! Hope you enjoy!!! And be zen :)) </p>

[proy]

<p>Oh and as for the Taj, try to take it in a different view! It's such a tourist place that its hard to get something different!!! Perhaps go behind it, from the other side of the river? i've seen some interesting shots from that side... ;)</p>

[keith_bev]

<p>Thanks all. A month later, I am finally back and done editing. I only had 1.5 days to wander and shoot, but I think I got a lot of great shots.<br>

Old Delhi >> New Delhi for photography... My favorite spot to sit and shoot was at Jama Masjid. We got lost wandering Chandni Chowk and spilled out in front of the mosque, so we went to check it out.<br>

It was closed for visitors until 530 prayer ended, so we had to wait 45 mins on the West steps/ entrance. The light was perfect and we had tons of people dressed for worship walking by. It was awesome. Afterwards, I went in and sat on the ground in the courtyard with my Telephoto and enjoy the hundred of people walking around and socializing. </p>

<p>If the link works, the set of galleries is here: <a href="http://www.kbevphoto.com/share/fmlVptarBVBO2">http://www.kbevphoto.com/share/fmlVptarBVBO2</a><br>

I created ones for: Kids, The Mosque, People working, People on the street, and Buildings/ Sights...<br>

Thanks for all the advice. Old Delhi = great photo stop.</p>

<p>Next time, I'll make sure I can get to the Taj. <br>

<img src="http://www.kbevphoto.com/Travel/Asia/Jama-Masjid-Mosque-in-Delhi/i-26dsrV8/2/L/DSC1824-Edit-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" /></p>

 

[singhstylestudio]

<p>Well, glad to see the interactive interaction on Delhi, India.<br>