The Concept

A land reopening. After being virtually closed to the outside world for decades, due to political changes the North East of India is opening its doors to foreign visitors. From the vast plain of Assam to the pristine Nagaland forest, to the snow-capped Himalayan summits of Arunachal Pradesh, this region offers an unmatched variety of landscapes, ethnic tribes, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, traditional activities, wildlife and climates. This land, known as the "Eight sisters" for its eight States, represents a photographer's dream.

A human and photographic adventure.

If you are a passionate amateur photographer

interested in exploring new territories, we can guide

you through an unforgettable cultural adventure.

There are no soulless five star hotels in

North East India but charming wooden lodges

set up in the plains or hill stations in a place

untouched by mass tourism. You will also be instantly

seduced by the kindness and hospitality of the

local people.

What to expect from a photo workshop in North East India?

After an initial session to refresh your technical knowledge, we will show you how to build a photographic story. We won't spend time in theory but will go straight into a practical week-long journey focused on a specific theme. We believe that you'll come out of these journeys, not only enlightened by new photographic abilities but also by cultural and social exchanges with a local population.

In order to guaranty a deep sense of intimacy between the participants, the accompanying photographer and the local population, we provide a hands on approach and thus work with small groups of six participants with one photographer and relevant guides per group.

We propose three trips, each combined with a particular festival:

The tea industry, Assam, around November

The child monks and the nuns of the Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, around January.

The Konyak tribe and former head-hunters, Nagaland, around April.

PLEASE NOTE: THESE DATES ARE APPROXIMATE, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION AND IF YOU ARE A GROUP WANTING TO TRAVEL ON A DIFFERENT TIME SCHEDULE PLEASE CONTACT US AS WELL.

The Photographer

Details about the photographer:

Thierry Falise:    

http://www.thierryfalise.com/www/resume.html

Thierry Falise has traveled and worked in these locations.

Program for a week                                   

                                                                                                   

Trips would actually extend from nine to eleven days given transportation constraints. It takes for instance a full day to drive from the Assam plain to Tawang, a large Himalayan Buddhist monastery in Arunachal Pradesh.

Upon arrival in Guwahati, the economic capital of Assam, the starting point of any trip in North East India, a dinner is organized so the participants and the photographer can meet and discuss in a friendly atmosphere.

Day 1:

Reminder by the photographer of the basic photography technique (composition and other rules, equipment, how to build a story, etc). This can be done at the hotel and will take half a day. The second part of the day will be dedicated to a practical exercise (in town or around) where the participants are asked to develop a rather easy picture story with an angle (a local market, a monument, a professional activity, a cultural event...). The purpose is to evaluate everybody's level and to give first individual advises and guidelines for coming assignments.

Day 2 and following days:

The participants and the photographers travel to a specific destination to cover a main picture story. The travel dates are set in order to match with a special cultural or religious event such as annual celebrations or a full moon festival.

After discussion with the photographers, the participants choose an angle, write a synopsis and go to the field to build their own photographic story. The photographers accompany them all the way. Every evening, back at the hotel or the lodge, the participants and the photographers review the work from the day and prepare the next day's assignment. Some time will be dedicated to a presentation of the photographer's own work through slideshows with a projector or the computer.

Three tours

It's important for participants to understand that they will have to spend some days traveling, mostly by car on bumpy roads, sometimes on foot following mountain trails.

For a detailed program visit bookings on how to find out more.

Assam, November (Reference:BTWS0601)

An exploration of the tea industry.

Assam is known all over the world for its black

tea industry developed during the British

colonial period. Photo opportunities: tea leaves picking,

tea processing, auction market, daily life of workers.

To be combined with the annual tea festival in November.

If the participants agree, this trip could be completed with

a two day visit of Kaziranga or Manas national park where

visitors can observe rhinoceros, elephants, tigers and other

wild animals from a jeep or the back of an elephant.

Arunachal Pradesh, January (Reference:BTWS0602)

The child monks and the nuns of the Himalaya. To be combined with the January Tawang festival. Participants are invited to discover the Tawang monastery, one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India with over 500 monks and novices, set up at an altitude of 3,500 meters. The road to Tawang goes through one of the highest passes on earth at 4,500 meters. Photo opportunities: daily life at the monastery and in town, religious and cultural performances during the festival, nuns and child monks living in small monasteries perched on mountain sides.

Nagaland, April (Reference:BTWS0603)

A visit to the Konyak tribe to be combined

with the Aoling festival. Amongst the numerous

ethnic tribes living in Nagaland, the Konyak,

have managed to preserve most of their culture.

For this trip, in order to reduce transportation time,

the participants will take a flight from Guwahati to

Dimapur, the economic capital of Nagaland State.

                                                                               

PLEASE EMAIL US FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION AND SCHEDULE AND HOW TO BOOK PROCEDURES. WE WILL SENT YOU A DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM AND ANYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BOOK A PLACE ON THESE EXCITING JOURNEYS: hello@bigtreeworkshops.com or visit the BOOKINGS PAGE