Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Shyam Prasad (London) – Ladakh in Winters (Feb 2018)

★★★★☆

Shyam-Prasad Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Ladakh in Winters with Xploring Light was the best thing I have done in recent times. Though beset with many worries about altitude sickness, sub zero temperatures and treacherous roads on high passes, none of these deterred me from going on this adventurous trip. Jassi was there through and through on this trip as a Photo mentor and a great friend. Be it- busy organising for the next days schedule or rushing to a place to catch the perfect light or sharing pearls of photography wisdom in the evenings, Jassi took the whole group along quite successfully. We bonded together as a small well knit group and enjoyed our hidden adventure in the Icy Ladakh to the hilt. The accommodation was quite decent and the food was quite awesome. Every part of the tour has been well thought through, meticulously planned and taken care of. I came back with loads of enchanting photos of Ladakh and one even made it to the Daily Dozen in National Geographic!. I would gladly recommend anyone to join any of  Xploring Light Photo tours as you would get nothing but simply the best!

Sachin Baweja (Mumbai) – Ladakh in Winters (Feb 2018)

★★★★★

Sachin-Baweja Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Jassi is a true mentor. Not only does he encourage the participants to ask queries; he is patient while responding to the most basic questions. The insights he shares while dwelling on his various past experiences really inspires everyone to do more.
I am very new to photography and not only was this trip my first outing with Jassi, it was my first photo tour. Amongst many other things I picked up on this trip, his practical insight on particular light situations that may impact the picture (granting it contrast or making it flat) was really useful.
The trip was filled with lot of fun, gupshup and adventure. While we covered much of the places as per the itinerary, the weather allowed us to experience some different aspects we didn’t plan for.
So if you are someone who shall be up for an impromptu walk on the frozen Indus or experiencing snowfall at Changla; this trip is something to look forward to.

Sachin Baweja (Mumbai) – Ladakh in Winters (Feb 2018)

★★★★★

Sachin-Baweja Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Jassi is a true mentor. Not only does he encourage the participants to ask queries; he is patient while responding to the most basic questions. The insights he shares while dwelling on his various past experiences really inspires everyone to do more.
I am very new to photography and not only was this trip my first outing with Jassi, it was my first photo tour. Amongst many other things I picked up on this trip, his practical insight on particular light situations that may impact the picture (granting it contrast or making it flat) was really useful.
The trip was filled with lot of fun, gupshup and adventure. While we covered much of the places as per the itinerary, the weather allowed us to experience some different aspects we didn’t plan for.
So if you are someone who shall be up for an impromptu walk on the frozen Indus or experiencing snowfall at Changla; this trip is something to look forward to.

Chico Kfouri (Brazil / Sri Lanka) – Ladakh in Winters (Feb 2018)

★★★★★

Chico-Kfouri Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Visiting Ladakh during winter is going to stay in my memory as one of the most fantastic experiences I’ve ever had. Being part of a tour with Xploring Light offered all the conditions to explore beautiful and remote locations. Providing good photographic opportunities was number one priority of the mentor, but always keeping the group’s well being and safety in mind. Jassi was always present to discuss photography and offer precious insights during the photoshoots and even after the tour was finished. Being a second timer, I can say that information exchange with him extends beyond the duration of tours. I highly recommend Xploring Light.

Fernanda Bayler Aidar (Brazil / Gurgaon) – Ladakh in Winters (Feb 2018)

★★★★★

Fernanda-Bayler-Aidar Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

This was my second trip to Ladakh with the “Xploring Light”. The first was in August in the summer which was wonderful !! Going to Ladakh in the winter was a unique, unforgettable experience where the climate, the altitude were really a challenge. Going with the “Xploring Light”, a group of eight people where everyone respects their space, their time … was priceless. Jassi the mentor is very careful and takes every possible second to get our photos, taking us to incredible places! On this trip due to the snowstorm that we caught during our trip to Lake Pangong, we could not finish because it was very risky … who knows next time? !!! I will make another expeditions with the “Xploring Light” !!! Congratulations on the work Jassi !!! See you soon!!

Pankaj Yadav (Gurgaon) – Ladakh in Winters (Feb 2018)

★★★★★

Pankaj-Yadav Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Ladakh should only be experienced with Xploring Light. Jassi has everything planned out from day one to the last. Right from spots where great images can be taken to visits to all the important places for capturing great images. His mentoring adds to the experience and one comes back with greater knowledge about photography than before. Looking forward to more journeys with Xploring Light.

Pankaj Yadav (Gurgaon) – Ladakh in Winters (Feb 2018)

★★★★★

Pankaj-Yadav Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Ladakh should only be experienced with Xploring Light. Jassi has everything planned out from day one to the last. Right from spots where great images can be taken to visits to all the important places for capturing great images. His mentoring adds to the experience and one comes back with greater knowledge about photography than before. Looking forward to more journeys with Xploring Light.

Georgette Mueller (Canada)Ladakh in Winters (Jan 2017)

★★★★★

Georgette Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Xploring Light has a vision statement I find particularly compelling: “curiosity (…) passions our life”. I participated in the Leh tour largely out of curiosity – not just about photography but about the people I was to meet and what life is like in the northern Indian Himalayan region. Make no mistake – Leh in winter is a challenge (high altitude, extreme cold, windy icy roads), but we stayed healthy and safe. Jassi was a wonderful tour organizer who cared for the group’s well-being. A diverse group became good friends and had great fun.
I learned a lot and got some great shots of monasteries, a festival, a hockey game, frozen mountain rivers and lakes and snow-covered mountains. Thank you, Jassi, for your professionalism, for sharing your vast photographic knowledge and best of all for your friendship!

Chaitanya Varma (Bangalore) – Ladakh in Winters (Jan 2017)

★★★★★

Chaitanya-Varma Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Ladakh in Winters turned out to be wonderful trip of my lifetime.
To be honest I’m an amateur who knew nothing about photography, literally nothing!, 1st photo tour, 1st trip to Leh.
Tour itinerary was beautifully managed by Jassi given drastic weather changes. I am very much glad that we had a chance to witness eye pleasing monasteries, jaw dropping landscapes and valuable knowledge share.Through daily discussions, I learnt a lot about basic photography stuff such as light meter, exposure, frame composition, long exposure and the list goes on…
I would like to appreciate Jassi for his patience towards my novice questions and his way of explaining various elements of photography.I am glad that we had a special member in our group, Manfred, a true photography artist. He is truly one of the guys I would look up in various aspects.
Looking back I will take this trip as an start towards my journey in the art of photography and I extend my sincere gratitude to Jassi and the group for making the tour such a pleasant experience.
P.S: I would like to do more events from Jassi in future.

Manfred Mueller (Canada) – Ladakh in Winters (Jan 2017)

★★★★★

Manfred-Mueller Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

I am slowly working my way through hundreds of wonderful images that I took last week during the Ladakh in Winters tour.  Mountains, monasteries, festivals, frozen rivers, magnificent lakes and some ice hockey to make me feel at home.  I had a great time shooting with Jassi and the rest of the group!

The weather cooperated some of the time, but given the location, flexibility in scheduling was definitely the order of the day, but we managed to cover most of the items we had set out to do.  A bit of a warning to those who have not been at altitude in winter – shooting here is physically demanding because of the altitude and cold dry air in the Himalayas.  The images that you can get will be worth that bit of effort and discomfort!

Thanks for the great experience Jassi – I had a lot of fun shooting with you.

Jayadheep Shanmugam (Chennai) – Ladakh in Winters (Jan 2017)

★★★★★

Jayadheep-Shanmugam Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

To be precise..this is by far the best trip I have even had.

I wanted to travel to Ladakh, since 2011. Even with detailed planning, I failed to take it.
This year I came across light-chasers on canon EDGE. I went through the testimonials to even consider further. Almost all the testimonials had a five-star user rating. I did not think further, I took the trip and the rest were beautiful memories.

Combining photography with travel is what attracted me in the first place. Being a novice in photography, the explanations and tips shared by Jassi helped me gain the knowledge and confidence. I felt myself improve each day, with the constructive criticism given by Jassi. I feel honoured to have learnt from a professional, talented and creative photographer.

The participants of the tour, also turned out to be exciting. We travelled together like friends and family and it was fun. Inspite of the harsh weather, most of the places mentioned in the itinerary were covered with utmost care to health, safety and comfort.

Thank you Jassi, for the wonderful trip and your mentorship. I am looking forward for many more trips with you in the future.

Jeremy Turner (Rome, Italy) – Ladakh in Winters (Jan 2016)

★★★★★

Jeremy Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

I returned to Italy yesterday from Jassi’s photo tour to Ladakh. In short, this trip provided memories for a life time: a small group of enthusiasts quickly bonding through a shared desire to be better clickers; trips to rivers, monasteries and lakes in freezing weather, crossing the highest and the third highest road passes in the world; an unscheduled tea party hosted by the tough soldiers of the Indian Army on the freezing ChangLa pass (at -38 degrees C), lots of laughter and much much more!!

Jassi was our mentor: a calm and motivated professional who could provide answers to the most challenging of questions and yet still have the time and patience to answer the simplest question about the technical or artistic elements of photography, all supported by his obvious passion for the subject. Logistics were well handled and Harish provided full support wherever needed. My main comment might be to suggest that the trip could benefit from being 2 or 3 days longer; the schedule was packed full and additional time for relaxing, for reflection and perhaps for sharing and critically reviewing each others efforts under Jassi’s eye would have been valuable. I’d also suggest the day trip to Pangong Tso could be optional – 10 hours driving was pretty tough for some of us. But all in all, my conclusion: this trip was a once in a lifetime experience. Put it on your bucket list. Thanks to Jassi and all the members of the group!!

Dr. Nafisa Shakir Batta (New Delhi) – Ladakh in Winters Jan 2016

★★★★★

Nafisa Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

I would like to express my gratitude for the tremendously impactful winter photo tour of Leh 17-21st Jan 2016. I’m an absolute novice, this is my first photo tour, first trip to Leh, and first exposure to -38C !. Although the tour itinerary was heavily scheduled, we moved seamlessly through the well-chosen locales, enjoyed the company of our group, shared travel stories and life’s philosophies, while Jassi with his upbeat demeanor and sincere patience allowed the day to end only after all questions were answered, and all queries discussed. Harish Bhargava from letsleh.com cheerfully managed the travel and arrangements.It may seem a bit cliche or formulaic, but I truly believe that these days had a deep and lasting educational value, I came back with a sense of accomplishment ( for braving out the cold with my kind of madcaps) and feel far more confident ,ready to explore and invest in my photography skills.

Lee Joshua (Singapore) – Ladakh in Winters Jan 2016

★★★★★

Lee-Joshua-1 Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

Ladakh was beautiful and deciding on a tour for it was immediate the moment I saw Jassi’s photo tour.One of the best birthday present I’ve given myself so far. breath taking views and well… literally at the top of the world. amazing logistic and well planned accommodation. Jassi was passionate about his work and he’s a very genuine mentor who shares what he knows. he would be honest about things he do not know and would make an effort to find out and share with you. he would share as much as he could so as long as you’re able to learn. he knows the place well and that’s the best part about it. you don’t have to stumble across to find spots to take beautiful images. learnt a lot from him and definitely looking forward to more tours with Jassi if ever there’s another chance for it. p/s: gear up appropriately for winter in ladakh as there’s was one spot where it was -38c. keep warm and click well.

Punkaj Gupta (Bangalore) – Ladakh in Winters (Jan 2016)

★★★★★

Punkaj Ladakh in Winters : Testimonials

I had the opportunity to attend the Ladakh in Winters tour in Jan’16. I planned this trip, much against the liking of my family and friends due to the extreme weather conditions during the winter months, as “Ladakh in Winters” was on my bucket list. If I could turn back the clock, I would still choose to go ahead with it despite scares of temperatures averaging -35 degrees Celsius and extremely low oxygen levels at such high altitudes. But I am also not sure if the tour would have been equally enjoyable and productive if not for Jassi. Jassi treated the group more like a family by taking such good care of us and trying to make sure we get more than what we came for as much as possible. Taking care of each of our individual preferences and health was always on top of his mind. I have been to several other photography tours where the mentor is “just doing his job”, but the personal touch and the huge experience which Jassi has, is unmatched.