About stops of light
Since 2004, we've been ensuring that our guests experience - and make images of - the best that India has to offer...
WE STILL LOVE EVERY MOMENT OF IT!
Our Story
Passionate to a fault – both about India, and photography – our mission is simple: To help you see, understand, experience and make outstanding images of the best that India has to offer. To share our knowledge and understanding of the art and craft of photography with those eager to learn, and to enable visitors to our site see India through our eyes.
Our Philosophy
First things first: Photography for us is almost a Way Of Life in that it has actually helped us understand ourselves, taught us to look at the world around us in new ways, and better understand the people that inhibit the regions we frequent on our photography tours and workshops in India.
Based on our experience, photographers who wish to embark on a photography tour (which is very different from a tour with photography thrown in), are primarily looking for seven things. These considerations along with two more (and it is these two we believe that truly sets us apart from the rest) form the bedrock upon which our photography trips to India are built.
Our 'Core 9'
- Location: The destination / choice of location must offer an abundant range of photographic opportunities characteristic of that region, preferably not available elsewhere.
- Knowledge of location: We do not believe in the “let’s wing it” approach to photography. Yes, much of photography is chance, but chance does favor the prepared mind. We’re intimately familiar with the regions we visit, having been there innumerable times in the past. This not only guarantees that we’re at locations at the best times of day to get the light, but also results in us having a deep understanding of the region, its people, their culture etc. All this ensures we’re uniquely posited to help you get the shots of a lifetime.
- Time Of Day: This should be a primary consideration, but you’ll be surprised just how many ‘photography’ tours ignore this. Being at the right place, at the right time of day, in the right light is crucial to making good photographs. Our photography tours emphasize on-location shooting during the golden hours (and often, twilight) so as to enable you to make the best use of light.
- Time at location: Photography isn’t about tripping the shutter; it’s all about seeing & experiencing , and both these involves slowing down, identifying what catches your eyes, and then going through the process of making the image in your mind before actually tripping the shutter. It’s impossible to do this if you’re pressed for time and need to hurry on to your next location. This, reflects in our itineraries – they’re designed so as to give you ample time at each location (in the best light, of course); naturally, we presume that it’s a photography tour you wish to undertake, not a tour with some photography thrown in!
- Group Size: Photography, by its very nature, is a solitary activity. One does not make an image in one’s mind by committee. While a larger group size may help bring individual costs down, it also quite often results in chaos that does not contribute to the photo making process. Larger groups also result in less personal space per photographer (a common symptom of which is tripping over the other guy’s camera bag or tripod) at locations.We keep our groups as small as possible – usually no more than eight participants. This allows for greater flexibility in schedules, allowing an intimacy with fellow photographers and photographic subjects that won’t crowd out your experience.
- Spontaneous Social Interactions: No staged encounters, we’re afraid; this is the real stuff! As experienced travel photographers we understand the value of social interaction with the subjects we chance upon. We frown on the act of pointing a lens in someone’s face, taking a shot and scurrying away. We value the need for social interaction of the people we photograph, while being aware of their need for space and privacy. We delight in our interactions with the locals we choose to photograph on location – it makes for such a rich cultural exchange of viewpoints and knowledge. Not only does this lead to a great travel experience, but also results in far better intimate portraits of our subjects with their full and hearty cooperation!
- Knowledge: Apart from our knowledge of locations, customs & traditions, the land and the people, we really do know photography (spend just half a day with Neville and you’ll be blown away!). And, we excel at communicating our know-how.
- A Genuine Respect for Tradition, Culture, People, and The Land: If we cannot leave a place in a condition better than we found it, the least we can do is not leave it in worse shape. That, for us, spells being respectful to tradition, culture, people and the good earth. While we always strive to support the local economy of the places we operate our Photo Tours and Photography Workshops to, we frown on activities that are exploitative in nature. As for example, we do not advocate tipping for portraits of locals, as we believe that in some ways it encourages begging; it’s better by far to actually engage with people – a process that leads to voluntary, joyous portraits.
- Insights: To know of is one thing, to understand another. As for insights – they’re in a league in their own. It was Ansel Adams who said that “you don’t take a photograph, you make a photograph. And you don’t make a photograph with a camera. You bring to the making of a photograph all the books you have read, the pictures you have seen, the poetry you’ve read, the people you’ve loved.”
Or as Neville likes to say, “You bring to the making of a photograph (and anything else) the sum total of the experience of your life!”It follows that the deeper your knowledge of both yourself and what’s playing out in front of you, the better and more meaningful will be the photographs you take.
That-there insight was from Neville – he’s full of them. Insights about photography, India, culture, the humanities and life itself. He’ll be happy to share them with you, the better to help you truly understand and photograph India.
Our Photography Tours, Workshops & Expeditions
While the terms “Photography Tour“, “Photography Workshop” & “Photography Expedition” are often (practically always!) used interchangeably, we believe that in the truest sense there is a considerable difference between them. Our TL;DR version is this:
Tours emphasize place (location). Workshops emphasize learning. Expeditions emphasize exploration.
It follows that the scope for learning photography is far less on a Photography Tour or Expedition than it is on a Workshop.
These may seem to be mere semantics, but as should be obvious by now, there is a difference. Considerable at that.
Our Photography Trips to India come in two avors: (a) Private, customized photography workshops, tours & expeditions, and, (b) Scheduled Group Departures.
Group photo trips have a preset itinerary, and need a minimum number of participants to run. Our customized, private photography workshops, tours & expeditions can run with as little as one participant; you let us know your preferred destinations, your photography interests, preferred dates etc, and we can put together a custom itinerary for you.
More details about the difference between Tours, Workshops & Expeditions, along with that of Group Departures / Private Trips can be found on our Photography Workshops & Tours page.
Neville Bulsara
Light Chaser, Light Warrior, Light Painter, Visual Storyteller… Neville Bulsara is a professional travel photographer based in Mumbai, India. While not shooting on assignment, Neville leads photography tours, workshops and expeditions to some of the most beautiful locations in India.
Neville’s work has been extensively published in both the electronic and print media. His clients include Jetwings, Spenta Multimedia, Burda Yukom Publishing GmbH, Outlook Traveler, Ogaan, Better Photography, Indiawali Brides, Roche Pharmaceuticals and many more too numerous to name here
Neville is passionate about India… thorough knowledge of locations, history and culture!
– Alan & Susan Mann,
Boston, MA
AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING EXPEDITION with locations very well thought out… always at choice locations at the best time, and your knowledge of each location was invaluable & the resulting images are amazing!! I don’t think this trip can be duplicated by any other photography workshop, tour or expedition!
– Len O,
NY
.. cannot be more pleased with every aspect of Neville’s planning, preparation, implementation and follow through… Neville brings to the table a wealth of information… his deep understanding of India’s culture and astute analysis of current affairs gave our visit the added breath and depth that one always wishes for, but rarely if ever gets, from “tours” of foreign lands. Tours is in quotes here because it is not accurate to categorize our trip only as a “tour” . From our arrival till departure it was really an extended visit with a friend, albeit a new one… All details of our visit reflected our wishes as expressed in our pre-trip planning – were in place and carried out just as promised. Additionally as our trip progressed Neville massaged our itinerary to add extras (at no cost) to further enhance our experience. Wonderful photographic opportunities, both on but mostly off the beaten path, were for all practical purposes unlimited…
Neville, who obviously is a terrific photographer in his own right, was always ready with helpful, but never intrusive, suggestions and advice appropriate to our individual level of expertise.. To anyone considering a similar visit to India we give Neville our unreserved “stamp of approval”
– John & Carole Carlisle