India Photo Tours: Be Wary Of Slum Tourism

India photo tours can be a great way to see parts of India that a mainstream tour would not cover. However, there is a side of India that is not on the tourist brochure: slums. Despite this, movies such as 'Slumdog Millionaire' have propelled slums into places of fascination to tourists. As such, it is possible to get tours of these slums.

India isn't the only place where this happens. The townships of Cape Town and the favelas of Rio are also subject to similar tours. Whilst it is possible for operators to run such visits in order to challenge perceptions about the people who live in slums, it may not be the best place to do photography tours. There are so many photography tours Asia wide that offer a great insight into cultures and traditions, but rarely do tours expose us to the impoverished conditions of fellow human beings. For this reason, it's important to know when to turn the camera off when dealing with human subjects. While many locals may seem happy to pose for photographs, it is important to remember that they are not temples, palaces or landmarks. There is so much to see and photograph in India and the slums are just one aspect of life for many people in the cities. To photograph or not photograph in these situations depends primarily on the photographer's perspective. Will the photograph draw attention to inequality? Are you letting 'Western values' cloud your judgment? Or would it be disrespectful to photograph someone living in difficult circumstances? These are all questions that a photographer must ask themselves as much as they question which lens to use.

If you're finding it difficult to decide which India photo tours to go on, then visit Apogee Photo Magazine. We are committed to featuring only the best and most thoughtful photos tours of India and elsewhere across the world, as well as offering expert advice on photography techniques and technology. Visit us at http://www.apogeephoto.com/.