This was my first trip to the Northern areas of Pakistan, in sha Allah not the last. I booked 3 days 2 nights (from 20th to 22nd June, 2014) expedition from Islamabad to Aanso Lake with "Nature Explorers" at an amazing price of PKR. 10,000 (US$100), including food and accommodation (tents). My soul purpose for the trip was to capture much more photographs than possible. However, "Nature Explorers" had planed differently, to keep up with the schedule we kept moving and moving fast, our stops were to sleep and eat and once minibus engine was stopped. I shot countless blurred pictures from the window and door of minibus, from the four wheel Wrangler Jeep and from the back of the horse during the course of tour. I carried my whole Canon and Fujifilm gear along with tripods; I did not carry spare pants or warm clothes. I was accompanied by my nephew (Saad Saud) and his friend (Aaqib Chowdry), they are not photographers, but showed keen interest in learning bits and bytes of this art. I handed them my Canon EOS 100D with Canon 24-105mm F/4 L IS and Canon 40mm F/2.8 STM lenses for the whole trip; it was returned with many good photographs and few deep scratches on the front element of the 24-105mm lens.
I had my camera ready, in fact two cameras Canon 5D Mark II with 24-105mm F/4 L IS and Fujifilm X-T1 with 10-24 f/4 R OIS ready. Our four wheel drive was ascending slower than 15 KMH but the uneven road made the so called four stop image stabilizers on the lenses irrelevant; at their widest ends, with the shutter speed of 1/125 and more, 99% pictures came out blurred.
On the track whenever a vehicle came from opposite side, both the vehicles had to stop; check who can go little bit back or side way to keep the cars moving. When we stopped, that was the precious moment for a photo not blurred.
For a moment on the fairly even surface, the muddy road looked challenging to drive but not scary at all; but, we as soon we hop into the vehicle and few meters after the Siri Meadow our nerves started to unsettle. On the one side of the road there was hundred of feet tall tress whereas on the other thousands of feet of depth; one wrong steer of vehicle and then no stopping. It was the place which reminds you the fragility of life; and, the death trap can be so beautiful.
Then there was smallest ever market, three shops in fact, while shop owners sitting outside wrapped in warm cloaks and chatting. Shops had total assets of maximum 3 boxes; potato chips, imported chocolates and fruit juices were for sale. Shop owners welcomed me shooting with their usual lovely smiles; they were happy to be my models and happy in general.
I did shoot with Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 17-40mm F/4 L; however, Fujifilm X-T1 + Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F/4 R OIS suited me better. Fujifilm is a light weight setup suited for travel photography without any compromise on quality, in fact impressive lower noise performance in bad light situation. Fujifilm XF 35mm F/1.4 continued to impress me; it is good for portraits and better for panorama. X-T1 is one tough cookie, I had it hanging through the trip, banging on the objects all the time, and taking it to rain; only damage done was the paint which was left from all the corners of the camera. The biggest problem was miserable battery life, I had seven batteries which were drained by the time Canon 5D Mark II's was on half the mark. Manfrotto 4 section carbon fiber MT055CXPRO4 proven to be a good companion, though the ball head 498RC4 was heavy; next time I travel I would prefer other shorter tripod and lighter head.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 16:51 - 16:52 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F/4 R OIS Exposure F/7.1 | 1/60 | ISO-200 Panorama 7 Frames Stitched - Handheld |
The most adventurous and memorable was the short trip to Siri (8, 500 feet) & Payay (9,500 feet) Meadows, Kaghan Valley, KPK. I was too tired because of sleepless nights, continuous traveling and cold, I thought to skip the meadows but later decided to go, inspired by the fellow ladies opting for it. Nature Explorers arranged us the vehicle for PKR 500 (US$5) each; we were four in the group and the last to leave for the heights. Before we boarded the jeep, old timers told that the road is dangerous; within first minute it was obvious that they were being modest. Everyone in the four wheel drive was scared speechless (i would have used another word if it was decent) as the vehicle climbed. The road was everything but road, it was a narrow track which was muddy, slippery, steep and spinning sharply; a little rain made the drive a fearful adventure. Hence the driver, Shahbaz Khan kept smiling, I can't forget his naughty smile; he was handsome daring young gentleman, with every turn and jump oh aahs escaped our lips, he smiled wider and twinkle in his eyes went bigger. When I noticed and mentioned it to him he laughed loudly; surely he was enjoying our outbursts and ignoring advises to drive carefully. On the way up he hitchhiked few men, all of them did not sit inside of vehicle, they hung on the back of the jeep, while we prayed for their lives and ours. I also noticed few trekkers hiking to the top; not an option for my kind with scarcity of time and lots of belly weight and tons of equipment (it felt me that heavy).
I had my camera ready, in fact two cameras Canon 5D Mark II with 24-105mm F/4 L IS and Fujifilm X-T1 with 10-24 f/4 R OIS ready. Our four wheel drive was ascending slower than 15 KMH but the uneven road made the so called four stop image stabilizers on the lenses irrelevant; at their widest ends, with the shutter speed of 1/125 and more, 99% pictures came out blurred.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 15:28 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 10mm Exposure F/ 6.4 | 1/125 Sec. | ISO-200 |
Narrow path, sharp turns; Shahbaz Khan (driver) said the natives work hard to keep road better. After winter when the ice starting to melt they clean and try to keep it drive-able every year; driving tourist to this place is their source of income. He also mentioned that jeeps need special care and daily maintenance keep the vehicle ready for the challenging track.
On the track whenever a vehicle came from opposite side, both the vehicles had to stop; check who can go little bit back or side way to keep the cars moving. When we stopped, that was the precious moment for a photo not blurred.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 15:28 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 10mm Exposure f/4.5 | 1/60 Sec. | ISO-400 |
As soon as Shahbaz Khan stopped the vehicle in front of Khoka hotel (Tourist Cafeteria), opposite Siri Lake, I randomly made few bracketed shots from distance; most unfortunately, it was drizzling and way too cold for me at that time, my hands were freezing and body shivering, I did not have heart to walk to the Siri Lake and capitalize the chances.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 15:54 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 10mm 3 Exposure Blend f/4 | 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 Sec. | ISO-400 |
The owner, the cook and the waiter of Tourist Cafeteria stands next to the window after serving us food and tea, gorgeous smiling man; beautiful light was falling on the left side of his face. I could not resist the urge to make his portrait, initially he was reluctant when I asked for his head shot, but, I kept insisting until he agreed. Meanwhile, his friends joked and asked me to make him famous / infamous.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 16:06 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 35mm F/1.4 Exposure f/2.8 | 1/60 Sec. | ISO-800 |
Tourist Cafeteria offered food and tea, room was full of the delightful aroma of tea mixed with rain water pouring from the sky onto the sand. The ambiance demanded Tea, Samosas and Pakoras, but, we had to settle for tea only; which, was delicious and helped my senses to stabilize. Pleasant warmth was spreading from the wood fire, it also helped my body temperature to settle. Slowly sipping and enjoying through my tea, I made few quick snapshot inside the Khoka as well. I did not want to get out of the warmth until Khan told its time to leave.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 15:57 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 10mm Exposure f/4.5 | 1/30 Sec. | ISO-1600 |
I, with my nephew Saad, his friend Aaqib and one more (I forget his name, in the middle of above picture holding tea cup) relaxed till Khan finished his lunch, "Maash Daal & Boiled Rice"; he finished it fast and proceeded to the jeep immediately. We had to leave the comforting warmth of the cafeteria and head to Payay Meadows, speaking of tight schedule.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 16:02 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 24mm Exposure f/4.5 | 1/60 Sec. | ISO-800 |
On the hills of Siri Meadows, natives have made huts from rocks, hides and dried bushes; natives are nice, honest and simple people. Their income depends upon tourism and animal farming.
For a moment on the fairly even surface, the muddy road looked challenging to drive but not scary at all; but, we as soon we hop into the vehicle and few meters after the Siri Meadow our nerves started to unsettle. On the one side of the road there was hundred of feet tall tress whereas on the other thousands of feet of depth; one wrong steer of vehicle and then no stopping. It was the place which reminds you the fragility of life; and, the death trap can be so beautiful.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 15:54 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 10mm 3 Exposure Blend f/5 | 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 Sec. | ISO-400 |
As Shahbaz Khan stopped in Payay Meadows, 9,500 feet above sea level, he told that we have only one hour to come back; I thought that's a fair time to have few shots, but, soon I realize, how wrong I was, a day or a week or a month for that matter is not enough. All of my stress and fatigue was forgotten as I put my feet on the Payay grounds; I was gone mad by the sights and the environment. I did not know where to aim and what to shoot, where ever I stopped to click, my friends told me to move telling me it will keep getting better. Meanwhile, we were persuaded by the "horse rental services" to get the horse; I did not want to make same mistake as I did at Lake Saif Ul Malook, I had to refuse, a compromise, so I could shoot few pics, I ended up half way before I had to turn back.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 16:37 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 10mm Exposure f/8 | 1/60 Sec. | ISO-200 |
Horse owners walks pulling reins while tourists sit on the horse back through the meadow appreciating what nature has gifted Pakistan. It is bit scary at start for those who sits first time on the horse back, but, you get used to it fast; these horses were trained well and were not very big. It is common sight in all the famous tourist spots through the Northern areas of Pakistan.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 16:49 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 10mm Exposure F/7.1 | 1/125 Sec. | ISO-200 |
It was getting colder as the sun dipped behind the mighty mountains; however, I started to sweat, I was walking faster than the horses out there, hoping to make as many shots as possible. As we walk through the natural beauty of Pakistani North, it was sad to see lot of trash thrown on the lush green grass, empty water bottles, food wrappers and left overs and I see it in all the North, plenty of trash, all to pollute the rivers.
Then there was smallest ever market, three shops in fact, while shop owners sitting outside wrapped in warm cloaks and chatting. Shops had total assets of maximum 3 boxes; potato chips, imported chocolates and fruit juices were for sale. Shop owners welcomed me shooting with their usual lovely smiles; they were happy to be my models and happy in general.
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Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 16:42 PST
Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 10mm
Exposure f/5.6 | 1/60 Sec. | ISO-400
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I could not reach to the Payay lake in limited time, I walked fast, I ran, and sweated heavily in very cold of 9,500 feet Payay Meadows; however, I took what I can, I had breathtaking view of Siri Lake, Makra Peak, Malka Parbat, Moosa da Musalla and the Mountains of Kashmir and an unforgettable wild drive through the swirled and whirled tracks. It was already darker and the track was muddier after rain. We started to descend to Shogran at around 5:00 PM before finally going back to Kaghan and then to board minibus heading Islamabad.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 15:25-15:28 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 Exposure f/4.5 | 1/180 Sec. | ISO-200 Panorama 10 Frames Stitched - Handheld |
Overall trip to Siri & Payay Meadows was utmost pleasure, we stopped for lunch at Shogran; Nature Explorers arranged for it in the Pine Park Hotel, Shogran, tasty Chicken Kadhai, Chana Daal and few other dishes were on the table. However, we were the last pack to come back and it was very late for their schedule, we stuffed as much we could but not enough. Nature Explorers being wonderful hosts, almost provided what they promised; I am not complaining but they were not organized enough, or, I was not good enough to challenge the opportunities. One thing disturbed me through the North is the way rubbish and waste is managed, actually there is no waste management; everything is destined for the rivers, too bad. In the end, I would say the trip was more of an adventure than a photo walk.
I did shoot with Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 17-40mm F/4 L; however, Fujifilm X-T1 + Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F/4 R OIS suited me better. Fujifilm is a light weight setup suited for travel photography without any compromise on quality, in fact impressive lower noise performance in bad light situation. Fujifilm XF 35mm F/1.4 continued to impress me; it is good for portraits and better for panorama. X-T1 is one tough cookie, I had it hanging through the trip, banging on the objects all the time, and taking it to rain; only damage done was the paint which was left from all the corners of the camera. The biggest problem was miserable battery life, I had seven batteries which were drained by the time Canon 5D Mark II's was on half the mark. Manfrotto 4 section carbon fiber MT055CXPRO4 proven to be a good companion, though the ball head 498RC4 was heavy; next time I travel I would prefer other shorter tripod and lighter head.
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| Date Taken: 22 June, 2014 | Time Taken: 16:14 PST Camera Fujifilm X-T1 | Lens Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS @ 10mm Exposure f/6.4 | 1/60 Sec. | ISO-320 |
Very special thanks to Aaqib Chowdry and lots of love for my nephew Saad Saud for being wonderful travel partner and providing assistance during whole trip.
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| Aaqib Chowdry |
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| Saad Saud |
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| and, this is me... Photo courtesy: Saad Saud |
