India Holi Festival

Workshop Details

India Colors of Devotion:Holi Festival Photo experience New Delhi-Taj Mahal-Varanasi

Prepare for a journey unlike any other—where color, spirit, and story collide. Our 12-day Holi Festival Photography Tour invites you into the heart of India during its most dazzling and soul-stirring celebration. It is renowned for the riot of colored powders that fill the air and cover every participant by day’s end. It is one of India’s most cherished and exuberant celebrations, Holi is more than a festival—it’s a living expression of joy, mythology, and renewal. For photographers, it’s a dreamlike canvas of motion, emotion, and vibrant light, and we invite you to experience it firsthand through your lens.

Our journey begins in Delhi, where the pulse of modern India meets centuries of layered history and from there we dive to Barsana, Vrindavan and Mathura where temples host Holi festivities on a different day.

In Vrindavan, the sacred city where Lord Krishna is said to have spent his childhood, pilgrims gather from across India and beyond. We will be there absorbing the sunrise glow and the buzz of anticipation in the crowd. Just as the celebration begins, we’ll step into the ancient Banke Bihari Temple. The temple erupts with rose, petals and prayer, then bursts into a kaleidoscope of powdered pigments. You’ll photograph faces glowing with anticipation, laughter erupting through color, and fleeting moments of stillness in the chaos—each frame a piece of visual poetry. From children laughing and playing to elders chanting and dancing—each moment is a visual story waiting to be captured in vivid pinks, emerald greens, and golden yellows.

From Vrindavan, we journey to Barsana, the birthplace of Krishna’s beloved Radha and home to Laddu Holi, a sweet tasteful tradition, to witness other unique expressions of Holi. We’ll experience Laddu Holi, where instead of pigments, celebrants toss Laddus—round Indian sweets—into the crowd as offerings to the gods. The temples and streets come alive with joyous revelers, their hands and faces sticky and sweet, their spirits high. These are the candid, unexpected moments we’ll chase with our cameras.

Our adventure continues to Nandgaon, where Holi takes a mischievous turn with Lathmar Holi—a lively reenactment of Radha and Krishna’s divine romance. Here, women in traditional attire “playfully” strike men with bamboo sticks, as the men attempt to shield themselves with padded shields. The energy is explosive, the emotions run high, and the visual spectacle—combined with myth, love, and laughter. This is Holi at its most intense and theatrical—raw, playful, and deeply human.—is unlike anything you’ve photographed before.

Amid the frenzy, we’ll pause for a visit to the Taj Mahal, the world’s most iconic ode to love. A moment of calm and elegance between the vibrant chaos of the festival. Its soft white marble architecture is reflected on its pools and along the Yamura River—tranquility after the festival’s joyful chaos.

Our last day in Agra we will have a special treat for our participants. Then the next day we will fly to Varanasi.

When I first arrived in Varanasi—whose roots trace back to the 11th century B.C.—I felt as though I had stepped into George R. R. Martin’s medieval fantasy world of Game of Thrones. The city, with its more than 2,000 temples, is alive with religious ceremonies, offerings to Shiva, and the ever-present fragrance of incense drifting through its labyrinth of narrow lanes, spilling into open courtyards, and cascading down the steep stone ghats that lead to the river.

Known as India’s spiritual capital, Varanasi rests along the banks of the sacred Ganges. Each day, thousands of Hindu pilgrims bathe in its purifying waters, while others arrive to perform funeral rites for their loved ones. The cremation ceremonies I witnessed were both strange and profoundly moving fires burning continuously, as they have for centuries. Once a body is consumed by flame, the ashes are gathered and released into the Ganges, believed to cleanse the soul, end the cycle of reincarnation, and allow passage into Nirvana.

To Western eyes, it may seem like a grim or unsettling ritual. Yet here, death is not feared but embraced as a sacred transition—a joyous celebration of life’s impermanence. For Hindus, to die and be cremated in Varanasi is the ultimate honor: a way to achieve Moksha, the liberation from rebirth and the final proof of one’s earthly existence.

During this workshop you will witness and capturing what is perhaps the most unique and profound celebration of death anywhere in the world.

Workshop Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival and Exploring Old Delhi

• At a designated time at our Indian hotel  lobby we will have a meet and welcome opportunity. We will go over our itinerary and answer any photo questions or goals any or our participants wish to accomplish. Throughout our time together I will always be available to help you, so each day you feel your natural growth as a photographer.  

• For those tired of jetlag we will take a break and those with energy can go out and catch some images.

• A welcome dinner at a chosen fine restaurant later in the evening. 

📍 Focus: Low-light indoor shooting, cultural emotion, motion capture

📸 Photo Tip: Capturing rhythm and intimacy in movement

Day 2 –New Delhi Landmarks

• After breakfast we will head out to visit Old Delhi. 

• Visit the India Gate and capture its grandeur

• Photograph the President's House (Rashtrapati Bhavan) and the Parliament House

• Explore the beautiful Lodi Gardens and capture its serene atmosphere

• Visit the iconic Qutub Minar and capture its stunning architecture

📍 Focus: Low-light indoor shooting, cultural emotion, motion capture

📸 Photo Tip: Capturing rhythm and intimacy in movement

Day 3 –Temples and Spiritual Sites

• Visit the Akshardham Temple and capture its stunning architecture and beautiful gardens

• Explore the ISKCON Temple and capture its vibrant atmosphere

• Photograph the beautiful Lotus Temple (Bahai Temple)

• Visit the Nizamuddin Dargah and capture its spiritual atmosphere

📍 Focus: Low-light indoor shooting, cultural emotion, motion capture

📸 Photo Tip: Capturing rhythm and intimacy in movement

Days 4-6 – Agra Fort and Local Markets

        Depart for Agra Early Morning

         Taj Mahal and Surroundings

• We will meet at the hotel and leave right at 8am. Then we will visit Taj Mahal to capture the breathtaking beauty of this historical place and its

• the intricate marble work, arches, and domes

• Take a stroll along the Yamuna River and capture the Taj Mahal's reflection

• The group will take off riding tuk-tuk ride and explore the majestic Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Photograph the fort's imposing walls, gates, and palaces

• Visit the Jama Masjid, a beautiful mosque within the fort

• Wander through the bustling local markets, like the Sadar Bazaar and the Kinari Bazaar

• Explore and capture the vibrant colors, the local streets and alleys, capturing the daily life and culture of Agra

• Visit Fatehpur Sikri, an abandoned Mughal city and UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Photograph the stunning architecture, including the Buland Darwaza and the Jama Masjid

• Explore the ancient village of Abhaneri, known for its stepwells and temples

• Capture the unique architecture and rural landscapes

• 📍 Focus: Low-light indoor shooting, cultural emotion, motion capture

• 📸 Photo Tip: Capturing rhythm and intimacy in movement

Days 7-9 –Depart Via Train/Plane for Varanasi

📍 Focus: Low-light indoor shooting, cultural emotion, motion capture

📸 Photo Tip: Capturing rhythm and intimacy in movement

Day 10 –Depart for New Delhi 

• After we arrive the participants will go out and explore, with the local photographer and two assistants, a near section of Delhi. You will search for dynamic backdrops for street portraits, natural images-inspired editorial, and also go for abstract frames. Also practice respectful photojournalism with the photographer’s local insight.

📍 Focus: Working on your own. Search for the right images.

📸 Photo Tip: Capturing rhythm and intimacy in movement

Day 11 –Editing Session & Group Review + Personal Project Day + Farewell Dinner + Slideshow Presentation 

• Morning group breakfast then leave for New Delhi

• Group review of your top five images from the trip and will have slideshow of your best work

• Final editing session & story-building exercise

• Free afternoon with local photographer and assistants

• Celebrate the conclusion of our unforgettable journey with a festive group dinner. We'll share stories, laughter, and reflections on the moments, experiences, or photographs that made this workshop truly special for each participant. The evening will culminate with a slideshow presentation showcasing everyone's best work—a powerful visual tribute to the creativity, connection, and growth we've shared together.

📍 Focus: Vibrancy, contrast, character-driven photography

📸 Photo Tip: 

Day 12 – Farewell Breakfast 

• We'll gather one last time for a group breakfast before everyone heads to the airport and onward to home sweet home.

• If you're able to extend your stay in India, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so. There's no better time to put into practice the photographic skills and cultural awareness you've honed during our IPW adventure.Go out, explore, connect—and keep telling beautiful stories with your camera.Safe travels, and until our next journey together!