The Light Within: A Photography Adventure
in the High Himalaya ~ AUGUST 2025

Contact me to get on the wait list below

Ladakh + Zanskar, India

Experience 10 days photographing and exploring one of the most beautiful environments in the high Himalaya with adventure travel photographer Sarah Waters.

Ladakh has enormously interesting visual environments that offer an amazing experience for the photographer and explorer. This high-altitude slice of the Himalaya is sparsely, yet colorfully populated, with its long history of Buddhism reflected in remote monasteries and small Tibetan villages.

The opportunities for image making exist virtually everywhere—from dawn to dusk and beyond—in the people, the faces, and the intense daily energy. It can fairly be said that this piece of India is superbly active, with a wonderful elegance of light, color, and humanity.

The goal of this adventure is twofold:

1) To unplug and uncover the inner creativity you didn’t know existed. Photographers and non-photographers become a much better photographer through learning from a professional life-long photographer and entrepreneur.

2) To enjoy and experience this fascinating part of the planet.

Participants will come to understand the culture through the use of cameras and video recorders. At the end of most days, depending on travel schedules, we will examine and discuss each other’s images. We will assess and critique what is learned throughout the workshop.

This adventure isn’t about equipment; rather, it is about learning how to see. If all you have is a point and shoot camera, that is fine. Cameras do not take pictures; people do.

This trip and the process of learning isn’t about the longest lens or the most expensive camera, but rather the fundamental feature of image making . . . that is, YOUR eye on the world.

Gallery Photos ©William Thompson ©Sarah Waters

What’s Included

All expenses for in-country travel, lodging, and meals are included . . . and we WILL travel extensively.

Travel recommendations and costs: Our travels will take us to altitudes generally above 11,000 feet, so to be reasonably fit is strongly advised.

To acclimatize to the altitude, it is recommended that you arrive in Leh a few days early and wander around and explore this small capital city and its extraordinary monasteries.

As noted, this is an adventure, given the somewhat rugged nature of this part of the world, but all accommodations are safe, clean, and comfortable.

What’s Not Included

Costs for insurance, laundry, liquor, gratuities, visas, and airfare are not included. We can help you find flights to Leh through our contacts.

Accommodations

Accommodations on our journey are the best available, including a very lovely, tented camp in a high valley; the accommodations are not 5-star (as I doubt any such thing exists in our travel areas).

Pricing

$6900 per person, Maximum 6 Participants.

Exclusive of airfare and other expenses as noted above.

Itinerary

*Subject to change

Day 01: Arrival. We will spend the day hiking & walking around the beautiful city of Leh to acclimate to the 11,000 foot elevation. Our Indian guide will help us explore the treasure of the city.

Day 02: Day trip to Monastery in Leh. The evening we will stay back in our hotel. Two sisters own this beautiful hotel. It is clean, comfortable and well cared for with wonderful buffet breakfasts and dinners.

Day 03-04: We will drive to a Village and spend the night at a local home. Home stays are instrumental in immersing ourselves in the culture of the area, exploring, making images, eating and relaxing in the Shangri-La like surroundings.

Day 05: Drive back to Leh with evening accommodations at our hotel.

Day 06: Now that we are acclimatized, today we begin our adventure to the high Himalaya, reaching 16,000 elevation, Nomads’ area in two days. We will spend the first day driving to Korzok via Chumathang. Here our guide(s) will set up our individual camping tents prior to our arrival and we’ll dine on a beautiful meal they prepare!

Day 07: Second day after breakfast, we’ll drive to Kharnak. Camping overnight near the Nomads we’ll have the chance to see their daily treks with hundreds of goats and yaks. The thundering hoofbeats are such a beautiful sight in the deep valley.

Day 08: Day two at Kharnak valley we’ll visit the Nomads as well as the nuns in a close-by monastery. Camping overnight once more.

Day 09: Drive back to Leh via Taklang La.

Day 10: Return to Leh for relaxing and shopping with evening accommodations at the hotel.

Day 11: Departure from Leh

Your Guide

These trips are by no means cookie-cutter travel journeys. Each is edifying, fascinating, and has a goal—not of just travel, but also of coming to understand another culture through photography.

Transformative, you will discover your inner creative gifts through the transformative power of photography.

I have over 25 years of photography experience, and have been nationally recognized for equine and humanitarian photography. Mentored by my father, who was an instrumental colleague in pioneering the career of Ansel Adams, I’ve been told I have a keen eye for light and depth in my work.

Spending many days on the road, or in my Airstream I focus on photographing and supporting leaders with integrity who are doing good for the world. Especially women, people of color and those who support them.

Unleash your inner creativity using the art of photography as we discover hidden cultures in the High Himalaya.

You don’t need to be a photographer or have a fancy camera. I’ll show you how to make beautiful images, with simple tools.