Visiting the annual Pushkar Camel Fair is a tremendously exciting prospect in itself. Just as a traveler there’s so much to explore – over four hundred thousand people from all over India coming together to celebrate Rajasthani culture at its best. Needless to say, for photographers, this is an amazing prospect. There’s simply too much to capture on a camera – Rajasthani men dressed in colorful turbans, the women dressed in wonderful dresses, and yet there are more amazing sights on offer – thousands of camels and cattle decorated with jewelry and colorful dresses. It sounds too good to be true, right? Well, the photographs you capture will be just as unique as the fair itself. So, why not go all out and prepare yourself to have the photography experience of a lifetime. Here are some crucial things to consider to visit Pushkar Camel Fair experience:
Early Rise
Early risers get to see something most visitors at the Pushkar Camel fair hardly get to see – the town coming to life at a slow but snowballing pace as it gets ready for the various events throughout the day. Whether it is seeing the camel riders dress up their camels or devotees offering their prayers and respects at the serene Pushkar Lake – the early morning sights of Pushkar never fails to amaze.
Since the fourteen-day event is jam-packed with celebrations, it is advisable to get an afternoon rest and stay up late at night to experiment with the wonderful light exposure effects the city naturally conjures as it delves into festivities throughout the evening.
Striking a Relationship with the Locals before Asking Them to Pose
Now in a fourteen-day event that hosts over four hundred thousand people, you are bound to come across some opportunistic people who will demand cash for posing. Taking that route doesn’t only make the pictures come out unauthentic; the experience of haggling with people just to take their picture also leaves a sour taste in the mouth. So, it is always advisable to strike a relationship with the locals and the visitors before asking them to pose. Be friendly and warm to the people and most will reciprocate in the same way.
Staying Observant to Every Prospect
The most crucial thing to consider to visit Pushkar Camel Fair is that you will want to be observant of the narratives and anecdotes that are constantly developing during the course of your journey. Right from where you board the train to the last day of the fair – there might be a great moment waiting to be grabbed every second. That’s the magic of Pushkar. And some clichés are too significant to discard, and one is that every now and then the trip itself can be more motivating for photographers than the endpoint itself.
Carrying Gadgets and a Range of Lenses
The mysterious scenery of Pushkar extracts itself into stunning frames. To make sure you do this stunning place justice with your camera, carrying a range of gadgets and lenses is a must as it will help you capture disparate viewpoints. Explicitly, these are the ones that should be on your priority list –
- A good wide-angle lens (10-8mm)
- A portrait lens
- Gadgets- Nikon D810, 2 bodies of Nikon D750, 1 Sony @6300
- Action Camera, Drone Mavick Air
- Lenses- Tokina- 16-28/2.8 mm, Nikon- 24-120, Nikon 50 mm 1.8, Nikon 85 mm 1.8, Nikon 70-200 mm 2.8 mm, Nikon 200-500 mm
If you have trouble working with these gadgets, it is advisable to take the trip under the guidance of experienced Photography Tour arrangers like the Photography Tours India (PTI) who conduct photography-based trips of Pushkar on a year on year basis. For determined photographers, it is an out-of-this-world chance to work under the observation of skilled shutterbugs who will back them in setting personal workspaces in the fair. Go through the trip in the most comfortable way possible.
