Rajasthan - a photographer's paradise

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Rajasthan, episode 1

Sometime in 2009, Caroline Moorey asked if I would like to go the Rajasthan, India and photograph the Great Britain team in the 81 km endurance race during December 2009. I knew Caroline from previous equestrian events.

The following transpired: Caroline was one of a team of four riders who won the endurance race for Great Britain in Rajasthan in 2008, and the team had been invited back in 2009 to defend their title. Caroline, who I knew to be an exceptional horsewoman and organizer, got my interest. She had provided the pictures for last year's event, but had some difficulty riding and taking photographs at the same time – I am not sure why!

As someone who does not even eat curry, and with many friends who had returned from India with upset tummies, it made good sense to stay away. How wrong that turned out to be!

I came to learn that Caroline is the UK representative of Friends of the Marwari Horse Society. Marwari is the name of a particular breed of horses indigenous to India, the state of Rajasthan in particular. The horse can be identified by their distinctive ears that touch each other at the top.

Marwari horse, with both ears touching, being washed down to reduce body temperature before a vet inspection.

As I photograph a lot of horses, how I could resist the invitation to photograph these special horses in their natural environment? Decision taken; we were off to India!

What camera equipment to take?

The next step was to decide on what camera equipment to take and how best to get on and off the plane. After many trips to Africa and the USA, I considered myself quite adept at packing cameras and lenses into suitable baggage for ‘carry-on’ and ‘checked’ luggage. With continuing restrictions on passengers for weight and size of carry on luggage, I have developed a system that works for me.

My present camera bags are: a Tamrac roller suitcase that complies with the restrictions for ‘carry-on’ (just), that houses my Nikon gear; my second carry-on bag is a ‘duffle’ type soft bag that holds my Nikkor 500mm AFS f4 telephoto lens. The remainder of my photographic gear goes in my checked luggage.

One of my checked bags showing the Lowpro mini trekker with other equipment plus a batch of baseball caps for the grooms

Tamrac ‘carry on bag ‘showing the Nikon cameras, lenses and accessories.

I usually fly British Airways because their Economy and Economy Plus allow two carry-on bags. Other airlines are more restrictive and do not allow two carry-on bags unless you travel Business Class.

All my cameras and lenses are Nikon; the only changes over the years I have made are upgrades to new digital camera bodies and lenses. I pack my roller bag with a full set of cameras, lenses, filters, leads, battery charger, back-up drives, various accessories and, recently, a small laptop computer. As my wife (Memsahib) travels with me most of the time, the laptop, or an extra lens is often placed in her carry-on bag too.

I ensure that I have a full range of equipment in my carry-on bag so that, in the event of my ‘checked’ luggage going astray, at least I have some camera bodies, lenses, back-up drives, a battery charger and a few accessories so I can carry on taking pictures.

The following is the minimum amount of equipment I pack in the carry-on bag:

• Nikon D3 camera body
• Nikon D700 camera body & power grip
• Nikkor 300mm f2.8 AFS VR prime lens
• Nikkor 80-200mm AF f2.8 telephoto lens
• Nikkor 24-85mm AFS f3.5/4.5 lens
• Nikkor 20-35mm AF f2.8 lens
• Nikon SB800 flash gun
• Dell laptop computer
• various accessories (battery charger, spare compact flash cards, polarizing filters, cleaning cloths, batteries etc)
  

My checked bag(s) include:

• a Nikon D2x camera body (back up)
• Nikkor 85mm f1.8 prime lens
• Nikkor 70-300 f3.5/4.5 AFS telephoto lens
• Lowpro Mini Trekker bag
• Nikkor 50 mm AF f1.4 prime lens
• Artic Butterfly sensor cleaning pack
• plastic bags etc.
  

The next stage of the plan is to book the flights and organize transport and accommodation in Rajasthan. I seldom use travel companies to arrange my trips, not because of the cost, but because I customize my trips and so have a better control of events – most of the time.

However, as this was my first trip to India, I sought advice. Caroline, the GB team rider, has been in and out of India for about ten years on a regular basis and advised me to use Royal Expeditions, an Indian-based company. (See the Rajasthan - 81 km Endurance Horse Show Championship section on this page of my website for more information about Royal Expeditions. If you ever go to India, use Royal Expeditions - they are the best!)

I prepared an itinerary and sent it to Royal Expeditions and obtained a price, booked the flights and waited for the day of departure.

Following our arrival in Delhi, we spent a few days doing the tourist thing - visiting Agra, Bharatpur, Ranthambore and Jaipur before spending our last week at Roop Niwas and Dundlod for the 2nd International Invitational Endurance Championships.

We spent most of our time on the road travelling between towns and cities. What an experience! A few words cannot describe my feelings and impressions of Indian life on the street. It was wonderful, amazing and spectacular to say the least. The colour, smells, sheer volume of people intermixed up with camels, cows, donkeys, horses, cars, motorcycles and bicycles are a site to see. The impact totally blew my mind away – a photographer’s paradise.

Reference sites:

• http://www.friendsofmarwari.org.uk/
• http://www.endurancegb.co.uk/html/item.asp?ItemId=1795
• http://www.endurancegb.co.uk/html/item.asp?itemId=1791
• http://www.royalexpeditions.com/
• http://feeds.endurance.net/news/2010/01/india-marwari-horses-succeed-in.html
• http://www.michaelhuggan.com/news.php?pg=1

Rajasthan, episode 2: From Delhi to Roop Niwas by road and by train
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