Photos from the Pushkar Camel Fair, Part 2
There’s more to the Fair than just camels. Most every night you’ll find music, dancing and ceremony at many of the temples scattered around town. This procession was circling the Old Temple, complete with a band and a hundred dancers. Hundreds of people joined in the fun.
Ironically, having thousands of camels standing around doesn’t make for good photography — there’s just too much going on. It wasn’t until the majority of villagers had packed up and headed home that I was able to take more than snap shots.
These two were adorable and insisted I take their photo. The girl is making the universal hand sign for ‘photo’, something I saw a lot in Asia as well.
Building a camel dung fire in the early morning light.
Fancy a tattoo? You can get one on the street for less than a dollar. I had a five-year-old boy plead with me for ten minutes, wanting me to buy him a 20 rupee tattoo on his hand.
All good things must come to an end. The day after the fair ended, the last stragglers were packing up and heading back home. This shot looks posed but it wasn’t — I was walking by and someone waved me over. Thirty seconds later, everyone had found their spot. I spent more time showing the photo and shaking hands than I did taking the shot.
Heading home until next year…
{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
Really great shots here. Good job on getting up close and personal with your subjects!
Thank ya, Kelsey. It’s easier here than anywhere I’ve been before — people love to have their photos taken. Now, getting a ‘candid’ shot is a different matter — they tend to pose very stiffly…
The lighting in the first shot is great!
Thanks, Sherry! That was one of my favorite nights of the entire Fair.
Great shots!
Fantastic photos Wes!
Thanks, brother.
Fantastic shots! That tattooist’s needle looks kinda steampunk. I love the riot of colour in the last photo!
Man, you don’t get anymore ‘low tech’ than that!
oh these are fantastic! great captures :)
how many days did you spend at the fair – or where you there for the entire thing?
I was there for the whole thing. If I had to do it again, I think I’d cut it to about 3-4 days max. Pretty exhausting stuff…
Great stuff! Love the posed/non posed photo! Seriously, can I take these guys to weddings with me to show people how it’s done??? Some people are naturally good when it comes to having their photos taken and some people are naturally good at taking them – like you! :)
Thanks, Bethany! I’ll see if these guys are interested in doing a little contract work re: posing people for photos. They certainly know their stuff!
What fantastic pictures. I really wish we were able to make it to a big fair like this while we were in India. They really know how to do it right, and you captured it perfectly. Beautiful!
Thanks, Adam. Yeah, they put on quite a show in these parts.
These are insanely gorgeous shots!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My favorite photos you’ve taken thus far.
Thanks — my faves too, I think…
Wes those pics are brilliant
Thanks! :)
Nice album :)
Mate at some stage your going to teach me how to take shots like this, brilliant.
You buy the beer and we’ve got a deal!
Oh, to be able to take photos like these. Beautiful!!
Wow you really know how to capture a moment.
Thanks, Ayngelina!
wowo some great shots in there, especially luv the tree backlit by the sun
Thanks, Greg — that’s one of my favorites as well. Lucky shot :)
Some fantastic shots. I love the first one and the camels look great too. You must have had an amazing time. Can’t believe the tattoos are so cheap! Don’t think I could get one though!
These are fantastic! I love the tree and how it’s a silhouette, but still light enough to make out all the little bits of junk happening on the ground. Please though, someone wipe that kids nose!
Inspiring! Thanks for sharing!
you my friend are one awesome traveler with an eye for killer pictures. Just discovered your site and am eating it up!
Thanks, Joshy! I remember your video post from Nomadic Matt’s Costa Rica contest — that was good stuff :)
Wow a camel fair o.O?? Is he really touching Camel Dung ?? i herd it makes an interesting fire.
These are AMAAAAZING shots. I just bought a DSLR and I’m psyching myself up to use it.
I know where you’re coming from with the “too much going on”. Tried photographing a cattle market in Tana Toraja, as well as buffalo sacrifices at a funeral, and it was really, really hard to get any shots at all… Keep the pictures coming…
Thanks so much. What camera did you get?
It’s ironic that there can be so much to photograph in a given spot that it’s impossible to take a good photo. Weird, but true…
Wes, great stuff man! Boy does that tattoo gun look scary… I still haven’t decided if getting a tattoo in this side of the world is a good idea.
Doesn’t it?! No way in hell would I get a tattoo like that. Real tattoo shops aren’t as scary but you’d still want to ask a lot of questions about their procedures.
Your pictures are really beautiful.
Hi Wes!
I love the Pushkar mela, its such an unusual place and seems far removed from the things that people in the city are obsessed with. Thanks for the pictures!
Thanks, Priyank. I have to say that mela is quite unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Amazing event…
Darn, I wish I had known you were there. I was there for a couple days, and yes 3 days would be more than enough. Especially since it is a “dry” town, and beer is hard to find.
Sorry to have missed you :(
I love your blog! Your photos really touch the outhere world and my inner world.
Thanks, Frank! Very kind of you.
Enjoyed this post and photographs tremendously. Camels are very interesting animals, very colorful with the decorations their owners put on them. Wonder about building fires with dung but guess it is a natural source of energy, why not? Very interesting and educational, thanks for sharing.
What a lovely article. well described by you and the pics are superb. As I am a photograher I personally like the photographs. I eagerly want to go Pushkar fair.