Where Past Meets Present: Varanasi Photography Workshop – February 2025

Join me for a Varanasi photography workshop in February 2025. As fog takes over Ganga river to create a serene atmosphere around Varanasi’s numerous ghats, you will get exposed to various photography styles including street photography. You will be guided to develop a personal project, and learn in a discussion-based on-the field practical setup.

Nestled on the banks of the sacred Ganges river, Varanasi beckons with an ancient mystique that transcends the ages. Also known as Kashi, Banaras, and the spiritual capital of India, this city of ghats and temples is a living testament to centuries of devotion and cultural richness.

Varanasi is a place where time seems to stand still, where every sunrise brings a new chapter in the eternal dance of life and death. Pilgrims bathe in the holy waters, seeking spiritual purification, while the aroma of incense and the sound of temple bells permeate the air.

Please see the bottom of this page for total cost and payment alternate methods.

About Varanasi Photography Workshop

The photography workshop focuses greatly on observation, composition, narrative, and storytelling. You will be tasked to face challenges that will test your patience and comfort, and help you overcome hesitance while photographing in public. There will be discussions on ethics, dos and don’ts, street photography, documentary photography, and the power of photography among other things. We won’t waste time talking about equipment and post processing. We discuss photography itself.

The sacred Ganga (Ganges) river and the numerous ghats will be our primary backdrop. Additionally, we will explore Varanasi through those narrow lanes, religious sites and markets, and indulge in street food.

Participants will be assigned a project/theme on which they will have to work through the workshop. At the end of the workshop, you present your work and feedback will be provided on it. Each participant is unique and I will focus on them individually to cultivate their unique perspective. There will be a chance for one-on-one discussions.

Workshop Overview

• Duration: 4 nights/3 days
• Small group: Up to 7 participants only
• Photography styles: street photography, documentary-style photography, culture, travel photography, portraits, photo story
• No hired models/sadhus to pose for us: Designed to keep us curious and encourage genuine interactions
• Focus on discussion-based on-the-field practical learning along with some theory
• A personal project/theme is assigned to each participant
• One-on-one time given to each participant
• We don’t talk about “equipment.” We focus on “photography” instead
• Designed to foster the spirit of travelling, photographing, and exploring together

Itinerary

The itinerary is tentative, flexible, and can change

Day 0 – 3rd February, 2025

• Check-in at the accommodation ideally at 2p.m.
• Meet and greet in the evening, briefing session

Day 1 – 4th February, 2025

• Getting introduced to Varanasi’s many ghats through a long, slow walk – observe people performing various rituals
• A walk through the narrow lanes before moving in for an indoor session
• Attend evening aarti ceremory

Day 2 – 5th February, 2025

• An early morning ghat visit to observe the sunrise and attend morning aarti, an optional (not included) boat ride in the holy Ganges river
• Unplanned stroll through the backlanes and exploring markets – a chance to try some street food
• Indoor session for discussion and photo reviews
• Walk by the ghats and attend evening aarti ceremory

Day 3 – 6th February, 2025

• Visiting different ghats, religious sites
• Walk through the streets in search of interesting encounters
• Visit a market
• Indoor session in the evening

Day 4 – 7th February, 2025

• One last visit to a ghat early morning
• Indoor session, checkout, and farewell

Who should join

• If you are starting out in photography and know basic operations of your camera
• If you identify as amateur/advance amateur, serious photography hobbyist/enthusiast, or semi-professional
• You are a design, visual arts, or cultural studies student who aims to use photography as a medium to expand their scope of studies
• If you are unsure about the direction to take in photography and want to explore
• You want to focus less on “gears” and seriously learn the art of photography
• It’s ideal if you have some prior experience with unposed, unscripted photography like street photography or documentary photography, but it’s not required
• You can join even if you do not do photography but want to explore Varansi together with a group of travellers

What’s included in the fee

• Workshop fees
• 4 nights accommodation (Check-in: 3rd February 2p.m., Checkout: 7th February, 2025 10a.m.) – Twin sharing room or dormitory, per your selection at the time of booking. Preference will be given to keep same gender participants in the same room, subject to registrations received. Single supplement available on request for additional charges
• Constructive feedback on photographs
• Basic post processing
• Tips of how to organise and backup photographs
• One-on-one time to address personal queries
• Discussions on ethics, do’s and don’ts, religious and cultural understanding
• Tips on organising and backing up photographs
• Up to two weeks of personal support (online) post workshop regarding your questions and image review
• 5% discount (only on tuition fee) in the workshops conducted during the next 365 days
• Invitation to a member-only online community where we continue to get exposed to photography and photographers

What’s not included in the fee

• Your visa and travel costs to India
• Your travel costs/from/within Varanasi
• Insurance
• Medical expenses
• Meals, drinks, bottled water
• Our transport/other expense within Varanasi will be shared equally among all of us
• Entry fees/camera fees, if any
• Tips/gratuities to drivers, porters, servers, helpers etc.
• Any other personal expense

What to bring

• A digital camera. If you carry film camera, feedback will be given online at a later time only
• One wide angle prime lens like 27mm or 35mm and one zoom lens recommended but bring the kit lens if that’s all you have
• Extra batteries and SD cards (or film rolls if shooting analogue)
• A desire to learn seriously
• A spirit of community
• A refillable bottle of water
• Comfortable clothes and walking shoes
• Winter clothing
• Plastic bags to cover your equipment
• A laptop with card reader and a program like Lightroom or Capture One. You should know how to use the editor, especially in case it’s not Lightroom/Capture One

Important things to keep in mind

• You should to be physically fit and be ready to walk long distance
• You are responsible for the safety of your equipment and everything else you are carrying
• You are expected to know the basic operations of your camera/lens. At the very least, you should know how to change aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, switching between RAW and JPEG, turn on/off inbuilt flash, turning off image preview, and turning off beeps etc. sounds
• You are responsible for making your travel plans including your travel to and from Varanasi
• This is not a guided tour and there will be no paid models or sadhus to pose for pictures
• Meeting place and time may change before the commencement of the workshop. Participants will be updated accordingly in that case
• The organiser(s) reserve the right to cancel the event if the number of minimum participants is not met. An option to continue the workshop is offered to registered participant(s) with additional fees applicable
• Insist on booking refundable tickets and buy trip-cancellation insurance
• The organiser(s) are not responsible for any losses due to cancellation or changes of your travel plans

Cancellation and refunds:

If you cancel, the following amount will be deducted from the amount paid

• 50% deduction if cancelled Before 30h November 2024
• No refund if you cancel on or after 30th November 2024
• All registrations are deemed final and non-refundable from 30th November 2024
• Full refund if the organiser cancels the workshop

Alternative payment methods:

• Indian participants can use UPI and send payment to parvezish@upi
• International participants can pay via PayPal using the link – https://paypal.me/parvezish or transfer money using Wise or Revolut. Please contact me to ask for bank account details
• Please contact me via email or phone/WhatsApp after making the payment using the methods above