India - Kashmir & Zanskar Photography Tour.

The Tour.

Join us for a photographic journey through the beautiful Indian lands of Kashmir and Zanskar, offering a perfect blend of natural beauty, culture, and adventure. We have designed this exclusive new tour for photography enthusiasts who want to capture the breathtaking landscapes and portraits of the local people.

Starting in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, we explore the famous Dal Lake. We'll take a traditional shikhara ride, capturing the vibrant life of the locals as they navigate their floating gardens and markets in wooden boats. The lake comes alive at dawn when vegetable growers converge at the floating market, creating a photographer's paradise of color and activity.

From there, we embark on a remarkable road journey in search of the Bakarwal and Gujjar nomadic tribes who travel yearly from Jammu to the Srinagar Valley. We'll have the privilege of witnessing and documenting their daily life and culture, from their traditional dress to their methods of herding sheep and goats across the mountain terrain.

Along the way, we pass through the picturesque town of Sonamarg, aptly known as the 'golden meadow' for its stunning vibrant grasslands set against snow-capped peaks. In the valley of Naranag, we'll explore and photograph the huanting ruins of a 5th-century BC temple, its ancient stones telling stories of a bygone era. The journey takes us across the challenging Zojila pass, one of the highest and most dramatic mountain passes in the world, before reaching Kargil.

From Kargil, our route winds through the beautiful Suru Valley, where we'll photograph dramatic landscapes punctuated by the towering peaks of Nun and Kun. We continue onwards to Padum, the main town and administrative centre of the Zanskar Valley, one of the most isolated regions in Ladakh. While in Padum, we'll visit the ancient Sani Monastery and Karsha Monastery, one of Zanskar's largest, housing over 150 monks and a Buddhist school.

From Padum, we journey to the mystical Lamayuru, crossing the high-altitude Sirsir La pass at 4500m. Along this spectacular route, we'll make numerous stops to capture the breathtaking landscapes. In Lamayuru, we'll photograph its ancient monastery in the early morning light before continuing to Temisgang. Here, we'll explore the historic Temisgam Palace and the traditional Tia Village, offering unique insights into local culture and architecture.

The adventure culminates in Leh, the ancient capital of Ladakh, where we'll witness and photograph the morning prayers at the renowned Thiksey monastery, its white-washed walls rising dramatically in multiple tiers up the hillside. We'll explore the bustling local bazaar with its traditional mud-brick houses and narrow lanes, and end our days at the Tsemo gompa, perfectly positioned to capture the golden light as it bathes the town and surrounding mountains.

This is truly a rare opportunity to photograph one of India's least-travelled regions, where ancient Buddhist culture thrives in a landscape of extraordinary beauty. The adventure will be led by Ashfaq Rah, a native of Kashmir who is not only a seasoned photographer but also a second-generation tour operator with a deep understanding of the culture, history, and traditions of the region. He'll provide valuable insights and guidance to help you capture the essence of Kashmir and Ladakh through your lens, and ensure you return home with a portfolio of images to make anyone proud.

Tuition.

On any of our tours, our primary objective is for you to go home with a collection of images that anyone would be proud of. In fact, many of our past participants have gone on to win awards and competitions with photographs taken on our tours.

Ash’s teaching approach, like Nathan’s, is very hands-on, as he believes in learning by doing. He will guide you through technical challenges, provide artistic inspiration, and lead by example in approaching locals for great portraits. You'll be amazed at the striking and authentic images you'll be able to capture.

We also offer Lightroom workshops during our tours, where we cover workflow management and picture processing. We'll show you the tools to take your travel photography to the next level and provide tips on saving your pictures for various outputs like social media, e-books, and printing.

If this is your first tour with us, you can also join Ash’s pre-tour workshop, designed to equip you with essential skills for travel photography. Covering technical competence, creative observation, and ethical responsibility with a focus on people and culture, this workshop is perfect if you’re new to travel photography or need a refresher. The workshop runs on the first day of the tour from around 2-5pm. Enhance your photography skills and capture breathtaking moments to treasure forever. Apply via our tour request form and prepare to take your photography skills to the next level.