Overview :: Dates/Cost :: Itinerary :: Leaders :: Application
This Lumen Dei Photo Workshop & Tour combines the best of both Kashmir and Ladakh. Join Matt Brandon and David duChemin for 12 days of unforgettable photography in some of the most beautiful and diverse places on earth.
Begin your tour by arriving in Delhi where one of our local partners will help you get to your hotel and then on the flight to Srinagar the morning of September 13th where we’ll meet you as you walk out the airport.
We’ll spend the next couple days in Srinagar exploring the old city and backwaters of Lake Dal while making our home on a gorgeous houseboat. On the 16th we drive to Aru and trek to the Lidderwat valley, while your gear is taken ahead of you on ponies. We camp for two nights in Lidderwat, exploring the beauty of the Himalayan foothills and meeting and photographing nomadic Gujjar shepherds as they migrate south. On the 18th we return to Srinagar and have one last day, the 19th to photograph before beginning the next leg of our journey.
On the morning of the 20th we begin an overland journey by jeep to Ladakh via Sonamarg. On the 21st, we’ll drive up towards Lamayuru via Mulbekh. At Mulbekh we’ll visit the shrine of Maitreya, a beautiful statue of Buddha carved from a single rock. Later you will drive to the 11th century Lamayuru monastery, which is spectacularly located along the valley plain and surrounded by mountains on all sides. We’ll be there during harvest session and while those dates shift according to weather we aim to get there during harvest and photograph the villagers threshing with yaks. We stay in Lamayuru enjoying village life for 2 days before moving on to Leh on the 23rd.
Once in Leh our time is short but packed. We’ve got a scheduled shoot at the ancient Leh palace with Ladakhi models in traditional clothing and headdress. We’ll visit Thiksey monastery early the next morning for puja (devotions). Thiksey is beautiful, both inside and out. Inside are beautiful colorful murals and statues, and you’ll spend time observing and photographing the monks in meditation. The views from the rooftops are absolutely magnificent with Stok Kangri looming high above the fertile plains of the Indus River on one side and completely barren desert on the other. This is what makes Ladakh such a unique and special place! After the morning at Thiksey we’ll drive further down the valley to Hemis and spend time at this important monastery before heading back to Leh for a little shopping, packing, and one last evening together.
As with everything in India, plans are subject to change at the last moment, but above is the plan we’re working hard on. Come with us in September 2010 for an unforgettable look at Kashmir and Ladakh.
