The Hyderabad city photo guide

Hyderabad, the largest city of India's Telangana state and today a major hub for the IT industry in southern India earned its name after the brave gallant warrior ‘Haydar’.
Meet Madhavan S, who grew up in this city of historic importance. Having spent more than 26 years of his life, in the city, Madhavan takes us on a photo tour voyaging us through the old city lanes and fast forwarding the tour into the new hi-tech city.

Charminar

When you start touring through the old city of Hyderabad, the first place that pops up on the list is Charminar. Built in 1591, the monument gains it’s literal name from four minarets which form the integral part of its structure. You could also climb up inside the Charminar as per the permissible height and enjoy the surroundings from the top view.
Reminiscing the effervescence of old days, is the busy local market surrounding Charminar. A visit anytime during the day, to this monument, will greet you with a crowded peddle, selling bangles jewellery and stuff alike.
People touring this place usually enjoy special Hyderabadi Tea and biscuits in the nearby cafes while appreciating the beauty of the monument standing right in front of it.
Photo guide - Charminar has two absolutely stunning views in the daylight and night. So it would be wise to notice how the light falls on the area you want to capture. For budding photographers I would recommend carrying a tripod stand and using a wide lens to get finesse of the picture.

Golconda fort

Golconda fort is one of the most recommended tourist places in Hyderabad. Whether you are an avid history lover or not, this fort would certainly leave you mesmerized.
It was first fortified by the Kakatiya Dynasty in the 12th century. Since then it has changed multiple hands over a period of time to get restructured and expanded into the granite fort that we see today. A real cool feature of the fort which you could witness is its acoustic design. Standing at the Apex hill, you can clearly hear the hand-claps at the entrance gate.
The other key attraction at the fort which you could enjoy in the evening is an audio-visual extravaganza as lasers and flood lights illuminate the fort against the night sky accompanied with live audio commentary in the background from the legendary Amitabh Bachchan.
Photo guide - If you wish to photograph Golconda, with your DLSR, you may have to shell extra bucks to carry the camera inside the fort. Although there are no photography restrictions and you could go ahead and click snaps as per your will and wish, one of the pro tips would be to climb up to a higher vantage point, crouch down and take some shots to see how that works out. Shift your composition to upset the balance and give it a non-traditional look. Trying different things and taking many shots of the same monument from various angles will help you create a photograph that is uniquely yours, something that you can eventually develop into a Large photo print and frame it in your room, to catch an eye of everyone visiting you.

Hussain Sagar

Hussain Sagar is the most famous lake of Hyderabad located at the center of the city. The key attraction of the lake is the gigantic monolithic statue of the Gautama Buddha, standing on the Gibraltar Rock in the middle of the lake.
Being a major tourist attraction, whether you are visiting the place with your family or friends there would be no dearth of activities for you surrounding the lake which is always bustling with people.
Just adjacent to the lake is Lumbini Park’ where you could take a ferry ride to see the magnificent Buddha statue up close or you could enjoy a musical fountain and laser show in the evening.
On the ‘Eat Street’ you could experience sheer bliss by relishing your favorite delicacies by the lake side. Head straight to Tank Bund for a captivating view of the sun set. The changing colors of the sky and the sound of water is sure to have a calming effect on the viewers. Rest assured, you will forget all your worries and just be in the moment.
Photo guide - The lake and the peripheral surroundings are a treat for the photographers. If you are keen on having glimpses of the large statue, then I would advise to play with long exposures and use side light. Another tip would be, instead of filling your foreground with water, find some point of interest on the bank of the lake or in the water which could well be a boat or ferry as well.

Ramoji Film City

This is one of the most happening destinations of Hyderabad city and if you happen to be a guest visiting some localite of Hyderabad, your host will definitely recommend you visiting Ramoji.
It is an integrated film studio complex and listed as the World's largest film city by the Guinness World Records. You could fairly call it “Filmmaker’s paradise and holidaymakers’ delight”. They have multi-faceted thematic fun parks for all age groups providing a variety of options to explore including adventure rides, gardens, bird parks, butterfly park, bonsai museum, caves, different film sets, 4-D movie and theater shows.
There is no opportunity for you to lose your energy throughout the day on the visit. Rather it is impossible to explore everything at Ramoji in just 1-day and you should surely plan your trip for an additional day.
Photo guide - Although DSLRs are allowed in Ramoji film city but you cannot carry a telephoto lens. You can only carry a standard kit lens like the 18-55mm or a 50mm which has a short focal length. Being more of an amusement park, I would recommend avoid carrying your Camera Kit. Quick selfies with mobile when you are touring through this place will help you capture all the fun you had with your friends, family and guests together. Further, if you really want to hold those memories creating a Pocketbook out of those clicks can turn out to be a nice parting gift to those friends / guests with whom you toured Ramoji film city

Hyderabadi Cuisine

A tour to Hyderabad city will be incomplete without tasting its delicacies and the first cuisine on every tourist checklist is usually it’s Biryani and Kebabs. Hyderabad is known for its “Hyderabadi Biryani”
Having grown up here, another personal recommendation would be MahaRaja Chat at Madhapur Hyderabad, where you can get amazing Pani puri.
And the next personal recommendation would be dry fruit biscuits from the popular Karachi bakery.

That was Madhavan taking us on a tour of his own city, and giving photo tips on the go. Like Madhavan, you too can create a photo tour of your own city and compile together all your city photos into a City diary which you can retain for years to come Start creating your own version of city photo guide today and do share it with us at help@gicly.com