What I share below is a comprehensive list of places and monuments that could be potential exploration sites for amateur photographers looking to tone up their photography skills. As such, the content here is specifically driven and dedicated for photography purposes. (Please don’t refer it in case you want to take your girlfriend out for a date, I am bad at that anyway).
Qutub Minar/ Garden of five senses. (Saket)
Minarets always provide cool clicks. A challenge to capture the grandeur and size of tallest minaret in India will surely excite you and keep you engrossed once you see the structure. However, since the composition will always lead towards the sky (courtesy the minaret) the place should better be avoided during noon. Late afternoon or early morning would be more apt timings. Inside the complex we have lots of area to roam about and discover a unique frame of our own.
A very short distance from Qutub Minar is a park called 'Garden of five senses'. The name is compelling enough for a first timer to visit this place. The garden is designed to stimulate our five senses with its beauty and attractions and give us a chance to touch, smell, hear and see our natural surroundings. It does not actually completely succeed in inducing these senses except during the blooming seasons.
The park is flocked by hundreds of love buds be it any time of the day. In a way it really challenges the photographers to find a descent composition inside the park ;-). Personally, I found this park not very appealing. Most of the reviews I read before going there, to my assessment, overrated the park.
Jama Masjid/Chandni Chowk -
If you are that kind of outdoor photographer who gets down from his car, takes a drag while evaluating the surroundings, pulls up the tripod, mounts the camera following up by two or three (draft) pictures to get you in the mood, then Chandni Chowk is definitely not the place for you. One of the most crowded place in delhi, people find difficult to mount themselves, let alone the tripod. However, its amidst this crowd and narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk, that delhi reflects its true culture and historical character.
Amazingly cosmopolitan, we can find a famous landmark almost every 20 steps. If you love people (well, lots of! ) and following a theme of Indianness, Chandni Chowk is a must do. A short walk will take you to Jama Masjid. You should expect to find only serious photographers here, for the reason being that they charge you a fee (200 bucks) to take your camera inside. Inside, it makes a good photowalk with elegant mughal architecture spanning all across the central courtyard. One of the two minarets of the mosque is open for public (again with a fee though) and gives a grand view of entire walled city from the top. A huge bunch of pigeons in the center of the courtyard keeps hovering around and challenge you to take a shot at them.
Old fort/ zoo (Pragati Maidan)-
One of my friends once told me that she likes to go to zoo for photo clicking because her feeling is, that she relates more to animals then human. Although, she was speaking solely in the context of photography, I looked at her and kept wondering exactly which animal she is talking about and how is she related :-p. Jokes apart, Delhi zoo would be a good mock run for a wildlife photography enthusiast. Also, its the best place to take your children if you want them to encourage them about photography. A green quiet ambiance, you would get enough good choices among animals and fauna to shoot. The best part is animals don’t mind you shooting them (Camera shooting, I mean) as long as you are not inside their cages. Just on the other side of the road from zoo is the Old Fort. Aptly named, the fort is old enough to provide any good clicking options ad might turn out to be a disappointment if we except to much out of its trip.
Humanyun Tomb/ Nizammudin dargah (Nizammudin)–
A must do. A must do for the photographers. In my photography classes, I was told that no human face is symmetrical (yes sir, the right side of your face is not exactly like the left side) and best portraits are the ones, which conceal these details to the best. Lots of work for the photographers, duh!
Thankfully for architecture photographers, Humayun tomb would not pose a challenge In terms of symmetry.
Humayun tomb could well be termed as a synonym for symmetry.
Humayun tomb and its surrounding arcitechtures in the vicinity provide a complete package for architechtural and fine art photography. Red sandstone, blue sky, green gardens and white light give you a splendid platform to unleash your creativity and experiment with abstract compositions. More play with light awaits you at the Nizammudin dargah on the other side of the road.
Connaught place/ Bangla sahib
The happening place and commercial hub of Delhi, C.P. is not best suited for photographers. Most of the time it would be crowded to the brim with cars and bikes parked all over the place. Irritating traffic and honking creates a completely anti nature atmosphere. The crowd and rush continues till late night. Meaning, People who go to C.P. sleep late and if they sleep late what happens? Simple guys, they wake up late and this is where we photographers bite on them.
The usually crowded C.P. is completely sober and peaceful in the morning. Recently renovated, the white shines in the morning light. C.P. is the best place for early morning photo walk. Nearby places like bangla sahib and jantar mantar could prove to be good appetizers in the early morning photo breakfast.
Lotus temple (Nehru Place)
If you are actually photowalking the places in the order that I include them here in this article (only if you are reading this article, in the first place) you would prefer to just go and relax in the magical prayer hall of this temple. However, there’s lots of scope for photography as well. Again, an epitome of symmetry, the white structure creates compositions with strong emotions. It’s few of the places where you don’t take photographs but actually receive them.
No list can be comprehensive for a city 500 years old and made home by at least seven different civilizations and culture. The list above is a 'to be continued' one. I am sure there would be lot of places both heard and unheard that waits to be (photo)explored. I hope it will keep me occupied in the new year.
