#photographersguide

“India is photogenic” = lazy. *India is hard*. Dust, crowd, harsh sun 10 AM-4 PM, and “no photography” boards everywhere. But hit golden hour + monsoon + festival + off-season* = frame you’ll print. These 7 = different light, different story. Phone works, but DSLR/mirrorless + 24-70 + 70-200 = magic. *Travel Bee Rule: If a spot has 50 tripods at sunrise, you’re late. If chai shop uncle knows the shot, you’re on time. Ask locals “subah light kahan

*1. Varanasi Ghats, Uttar Pradesh – Life, Death, Fire, Fog

*Why Shoot:_Dashashwamedh + Manikarnika_ = 3,000 yrs of life/death in 500m. _Fog winter_ + _Ganga aarti_ + _boats_ = no second like it. *The Frame: 1. *Subah-e-Banaras* 5:30 AM _Assi Ghat_: Mist, boats, sadhus, chai = golden + blue hour. 2. *Manikarnika* 6 AM: Pyres, smoke, reflection. _Ethics:_ Long lens, no face, no flash. Ask if unsure. 3. *Ganga Aarti* 6:45 PM _Dashashwamedh_: 7 priests, fire, 1,000 people. _Boat_ = best angle ₹300. 4. *Alleys* 8 AM: Cows, marigold, blue doors, widow ashram windows. *Gear:* 24-70 f2.8 = ghats. 70-200 f2.8 = candids, aarti. _No drone_ = police. *Settings:* ISO 1600-3200 dawn, f2.8, 1/125. _Bracket_ for aarti fire. *When:* _Oct-Feb_ = fog + soft light. _Nov_ = Dev Deepawali = 1M diyas. _Mar-May_ = 40°C, harsh. _Jun-Sep_ = Ganga floods, ghats submerge. *Vibe:* Spiritual + “I’m in 1000-yr-old photo” + intense = respect needed. *Watch Out:* _No photo_ burning bodies close-up. _Boatman_ = ₹500/hr, fix before. _Pickpocket_ crowd. *Travel Bee Tip:* _Kedar Ghat_ 6 AM = no tourists, same light. _Rooftop_ = Hotel Ganges View ₹200 tea, best aarti top shot. *Solitude Level:* 2/10 ghats, 9/10 at 5 AM. *Best For:* Street, documentary, portrait.

*2. Pangong Tso, Ladakh – Blue That Breaks Camera

*Why Shoot: 4,350m, _134km lake_, India-China 60/40. _Blue_ changes 7x/day. _Bare mountains_ = minimalism. *The Frame: 1. *Merak Village* sunrise: First light hits lake, no crowd vs Spangmik. 2. *Spangmik* 3 Idiots point: Avoid. _Walk 500m left_ = same lake, no people. 3. *Milky Way* 11 PM-2 AM: Bortle 1 sky, no light pollution. _June-Sep_. 4. *Frozen* Feb: Lake freezes, white + blue cracks. -20°C. *Gear:* 16-35 f2.8 = wide lake. 70-200 = mountains compress. _Polarizer_ = must, cuts glare. _ND1000_ = long exposure waves. *Settings:* Day f8, ISO 100, 1/250. _Astro_ f2.8, ISO 3200, 20s. *When:* _May-Sep_ = road open, blue. _Jul-Aug_ = monsoon Ladakh = dry, best. _Oct-Apr_ = road closed via Manali, cold. *Vibe:* Silence + “I’m on Mars” + wind = therapy. *Watch Out:* _AMS_ = 14,000 ft. 48 hr acclimatize Leh. _Permit_ = ILP online ₹400. _Army_ = no photo bunkers. *Travel Bee Tip:* _Stay Merak_ = 10km from crowd. _Camps_ = heated, ₹3,500. _Shoot_ 5-7 AM, 5-7 PM. 11 AM = harsh. *Solitude Level:* 7/10 Merak, 3/10 Spangmik. *Best For:* Landscape, astro, minimalism.

*3. Hampi, Karnataka – Boulders + Ruins + Coracle

*Why Shoot:* _UNESCO_, 14th century Vijayanagara, _boulders_ + _paddy_ + _Tungabhadra_. _Golden hour_ = orange granite. *The Frame: 1. *Matanga Hill* sunrise: 550 steps, 360° ruins + boulders + river. 5:45 AM. 2. *Vittala Temple* 7 AM: Stone chariot, _no crowd_. Backlit pillars. 3. *Sanapur Lake* sunset: Coracle, boulders, reflection. ₹500 coracle. 4. *Hippie Island* Virupapur Gaddi: Paddy, palm, boulders, sunset silhouettes. *Gear:* 24-70 = temples. 70-200 = compress boulders. _Drone_ = permit, but sunrise = empty. *Settings:* Golden hour f8, ISO 200. _Blue hour_ f2.8, ISO 1600. *When:* _Oct-Feb_ = 15-30°C. _Nov_ = Hampi Utsav, lights. _Mar-May_ = 40°C, harsh. _Jun-Sep_ = green paddy, rain = dramatic. *Vibe:* Surreal + “Flintstones movie set” + history = explore. *Watch Out:* _Monkeys_ = gear snatch. _Climb_ = boulders hot 10 AM. _Entry_ = ₹40 Vittala, rest free. *Travel Bee Tip:* _Rent scooter_ ₹400/day. _Matanga_ = tough climb, _Hemakuta_ = easier, same view. _Stay_ Virupapur = sunrise walk. *Solitude Level:* 6/10. Tourists day, empty dawn. *Best For:* Architecture, landscape, silhouettes.

*4. Meghalaya – Living Root Bridges + Clouds + Waterfalls

*Why Shoot: _Wettest place earth_, _bridges_ = 200 yrs old, _Nohkalikai_ = 1,115 ft drop. _Clouds_ = below you. *The Frame: 1. *Double Decker Bridge* Nongriat: 3,500 steps down. _Blue pool_ + bridge. Stay 1N, shoot 6 AM. 2. *Nohkalikai Falls* Cherrapunji: Monsoon = full, mist. _Viewpoint_ 7 AM before clouds. 3. *Mawlynnong* = cleanest village, bamboo bridges, sky walk. 4. *Dawki River* Shnongpdeng: _Crystal_ water, boat “floats air.” Nov-Feb. *Gear:* 16-35 = bridges/waterfalls. _Rain cover_ = must. _Tripod_ = carbon, light. _Polarizer_ = water. *Settings:* Waterfall f11, ISO 100, 1-2s. _Low light_ forest f2.8, ISO 3200. *When:* _Sep-Nov_ = post-monsoon, green + clear. _Jun-Aug_ = peak rain, bridges best but tough shoot. _Dec-Feb_ = dry, falls thin. *Vibe:* Avatar + “rain never stops” + green 100 shades = lush. *Watch Out:* _Leeches_ = salt + socks. _Steps_ = 3,500 one way, knees. _Network_ = zero Nongriat. *Travel Bee Tip:* _Stay Nongriat_ Serene Homestay ₹1,500. _Shoot bridge_ 6-7 AM, tourists 9 AM. _Dawki_ = 8 AM, no boats yet. *Solitude Level:* 8/10 Nongriat, 4/10 Cherrapunji. *Best For:* Landscape, long exposure, green.

In the book “Think Like a Freak”, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner are writing about their meeting with the eating champion.

Kobayashis success was mainly built because of his way of thinking different from his competitors. When all the others tried to solve the problem, “how can I eat more hotdogs?”, Kobayashi realized that maybe that wasn’t the best question to ask. He re-defined the problem and asked himself “how do I make hotdogs easier to eat?”. 

He completely redesigned the technique of wolfing a hotdog. Instead of eating it end-to-end, he broke it in half and stuffed it into his mouth. Instead of eating the dog and bun together, he realized it would go faster to eat them separately.