Need advice on photography during trip to India?

[theonlyoasis]

Hey guys! This is my first post here, and basically, I really love and appreciate photography, and have been getting into it a lot recently. I have a Nikon D40 with the 18-55 lens that it comes with. I also have a polarizing filter and a Neutral Density (ND4) filter. While I know the basics of the filters I'm not really an expert in using them properly yet.

I'll be on a plane to India in two days, and basically thought... what a great opportunity to take some amazing pictures! India is filled with culture, people on the streets filled with emotion, amazing architecture, and an infinite amount of more things to take pictures of. For those curious, I'll be going to Dehli, Kolkata, North Bengal, Agra (Taj Mahal!), Jaipur, Chitorgarh, Udaipur, and a couple other places. There will be many temples, forts, buildings, lakes/rivers, etc to take pictures of as well as people.
Its not every day that I get to go halfway across the world, so I don't want to miss this chance to get the most out of my trip.

Basically, here are a few questions I have:
Many areas may be very dusty (with dirt roads and sand), and that combined with wind can't be good for my camera. Anything I can do to prevent damage/hassle to my camera?
I'll probably want to take pictures of people in India, such as rickshaw workers and beggars on the street and whatnot. Is there a way to do this without appearing offensive? I know other photographers take pictures of people too... is there anything you usually say beforehand? I'm afraid if I consult them beforehand I won't get very candid shots.
Is there any specific way I can take advantage of the two filters I listed above, or should I just leave them at home?
Is there anything extra I should buy/bring with me to India in regards to photography that could be useful?

Those questions are just what I can think of at the moment... other than that, any advice, questions, insight, and so forth is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Robb]

What a great opportunity for you. Enjoy your trip. I've seen some articles that may be of use to you regarding shooting while traveling and getting the most out of carrying limited travel gear. The first article below also describes how to get engaged with foreign subjects while shooting.

The art of travel photography

Maybe you'll get lucky enough to be able to take a photograph out of the airplane window.

5 tips for travel with only one lens

7 travel photography tips

Enjoy, hopefully something in here helps.