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If you are an individual or a group planning to visit Nepal for a Photography Tour, we may just be the travel specialist you are looking for to make your travel arrangements.
Why Nepal?
Magnificent mountains View, exciting wildlife safari, thousands of year's temples, ethnic peoples and unforgetable festivals all make winning subjects. You can truly be having a heart-thumping time experiencing your trip through the lens with so much to take in.
Customise Itinerary
We prefer to customise your itinerary after we hear you out especially on your intentions, preferred subjects and more about your group members. If you would like to link up with a professional photographer based in Kathmandu for your trip, we can include that at your request. We hope to plan your itinerary such that you get much more than just a ‘photography tour’ – you get the holiday of a lifetime.
Equipment of Photography
Bringing an SLR (single lens reflex) camera involves a tradeoff between higher performance versus extra bulk and security precautions. To get the most out of your SLR you'll want a decent selection of accessories. Zoom lenses lighten your load, minimize lens changes and give you a whole range of focal distances to choose from. Two or three should do it: something in the 35-80mm range, an 80-200mm, and a wide angle (24mm or even 20mm). On longer lenses, the lower the f-stop available, the more flexibility you'll have but the greater the bulk (and price). It's also good to have polarizing or split-density filters to cut down on glare, plus UV filters to protect lenses. A flash is useful for filling in shadows, and a tripod for long exposures. And if you're carrying all that booty, you'll want to make sure it's protected in some sort of bag - either over the shoulder, strapped to the chest or around the waist - which you shouldn't let out of your sight.
If you're bringing film into the country, pack it in a lead bag (available in camera shops) or carry it as hand baggage and have it hand-checked - new airport X-ray machines are coming into service worldwide that are programmed to turn up the power if they spot suspicious-looking items, and this can fog film (high-speed film is more vulnerable).
Labs in the main cities and towns process most types of film; they usually do an okay job with prints, but can't be trusted with slides. Have important photos processed outside Nepal if possible.
All the comments about bulk and security for still cameras apply even more so to video cameras. Note that you have to pay a steep extra fee to bring a video camera into certain parks and sights. Nepal's electricity is 220V. Do bring along your travel adapters at all times.
Phototaking Etiquette
In your attempt to take good pictures, always remember to observe good etiquette.
- If you are photographing the locals, always ask your subject first. If they say no, don't press it. Try to make photography a fun, two-way process: let people take pictures of their friends, or of you with their friends. It also helps if you can show pictures of your own family or home. Take time to establish intimacy, rather than just barging in and "taking" pictures.
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- Unless you have got a Polaroid, don't mislead people into thinking they will get an instant portrait of themselves.
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- Never offer money, if someone demands for a photo, just put the camera away - this is a form of begging and should be discouraged.
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- Never photograph masked festival dancers in the face, who are believed to embody the deities they represent.
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- Don't use a flash in a temple while someone is worshipping.
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Tips on Photography
Postcard-perfect shots of scenery with clear blue skies are not always the ones that stand out when you get home. Clouds, fog and rain often add more drama. Look for unusual images, things you have never seen before. Rather than trying to make big, sweeping statements with your photos, try zooming in on details that capture something essential about the scene or culture. Go for action shots that will serve as a springboard for a story.
Light levels and contrast can be very high on sunny days in Nepal - especially at high elevations. To get around this, we usually plan on doing most of your shooting in the early morning or late afternoon. Tones are especially mellow at these times, producing the best results, and in any case some of the most interesting scenes occur just after dawn. If you can't avoid midday conditions, use a flash to fill in shadows on faces, especially if the subject is relatively dark against a bright background. To get the correct exposure without a flash, walk up close or zoom in, so the subject fills the frame, before reading the meter. For snow shots, meter off something of a neutral shade, like your hand or the darkest part of the sky.
Now, itching for the holiday of a lifetime through the lens? Contact us today! |
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