I have been going to Pushkar very regularly over the years. It is one of my favourite places to shoot in India.

You can find all the information about the Pushkar In my other blog here. if you are going to Pushkar I am planning to do some photography, this blog will be very helpful.

Here are my top 5 Photography Tips for Pushkar

Reach the mela ground an hour before sunrise.

It can be difficult for many of us to get up really early in the morning, but that's the best tip I can give you. When I look back at my pictures, the shots that I got in the morning and in the evening are the best of the whole lot.

Be ready to walk for at least 10 kilometers a day.

In Pushkar, you just have to keep walking in the Mela ground and in the bazaars. The more you walk, the more opportunities you will get to take pictures, so keep walking. Dont stick to one place unless you know that you are going to get a great shot after waiting.

Choose what to carry

Walking for long hours with heavy hear might not be possible for many. So, choose what to carry. If you really want to carry heavy gear, you might light to hire a help which will not be very expensive here.

Gear does matter

Shooting in low light means you need to have a camera which delivers great quality with less noise in the dark. Also, fast lenses can be helpful. Changing lenses might be difficult at times, especially if you are walking in the sand dunes. Having an extra body might be of help. 

Sometimes, you might like to shoot from far without making the subjects aware of your presence. In that case, having a telephoto really helps. 

Take rest in the afternoon and review your pictures.

Taking rest is very important when you are going to walk for long hours. So, take proper rest. Afternoon is a also a great time to see your pictures, analyse on what went wrong and how much you were able to achieve compared to what you expected to capture. 

Bonus Tips

Carry a lot of Rs.10/- notes

Carry water, keep yourself hydrated.

Carry a hat

 

Initially, I had a DSLR within an 18-55 kit lens. Eventually, I acquired more gear and used to travel to Pushkar with full-frame bodies and a couple of lenses.

A tour to Pushkar can be very physically strenuous. How to take good pictures you have to wake up early in the morning and reach the Mela grounds. after you reach the Mela grounds, you have to keep walking and walking and walking. that is the only way out. the more you walk, the more opportunities you will get to take pictures.

As I was telling you till 2018, I was carrying this heavy equipment and walking all the time. Sometimes you have to walk on sand dunes which is even more strenuous.

After I came back home last year I had a severe backache. Also while shooting I realised that walking with so much gear when actually stop you from taking great pictures.

So last year, I went to Pushkar with only a Fujifilm XH1 and the 18-55 kit lens. It was a risk that I took. It made me really uncomfortable.

I was a little skeptical that I would miss a lot of opportunities but I thought of giving it a try.
I didn't want to get another nasty back by the end of the trip.

New Possibilities

It opened up new possibilities for me. Since I was light, I was more mobile. Also, the camera was less intimidating to my subjects.

This camera had a swivel screen and I could lift my camera or put it very close to the ground and take pictures from unique perspectives.

It was a life-changing experience for me.

Did I miss my super Wide Angle and telephoto lens?

The answer is no. In fact, I was really happy to try out a lot of different things with the limitation I had. In fact, I got freedom, freedom from the burden of carrying my equipment.

So have I stopped using my telephoto lens?


Well, no. If I am going in the wild to shoot tigers, I definitely need my telephoto lens. but A place like Pushkar, you should be happy with just the kit lens. that is my personal opinion, based on the kind of photography I do now.

A telephoto lens in Pushkar is actually very helpful if you want to take some candid portraits from a little far without their knowledge. But I have enough of those pictures and didn’t want to repeat them.

JOIN ME FOR A PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR TO PUSHKAR

Please go through the pictures and let me know what you feel about it.

Enjoy my Pushkar Images

My Pushkar Pictures

See my pictures of Pushkar in better resolution here .

(for computer users)

PushkarCamelFair_018

PushkarCamelFair_049

PushkarCamelFair_059

PushkarCamelFair_070

Do read my original blog on Pushkar Camel Fair Photography Tour information and pictured


This post is written by Saurabh Chatterjee. He is a travel photographer and a photography trainer.He strives to make every camera-owner a great photographer through his Photography workshops and Photo Tours and Photowalks.
All rights reserved. No copying without permission of the author Saurabh Chatterjee

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