India
India is a country of extremes, dynamic with a booming tech economy at one end and a poor and impoverished society at the other, both rubbing up against one another. However, what India has in abundance are some of the most beautiful souls I have ever met. Wherever you go you are greeted with warm smiles and generosity. This is my second visit to India and it never disappoints. From the crowded hustle and bustle of Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur, to the spiritual vibrance of Amritsar and Varanasi, from the clean air high up in Shimla to the grandeur of Kolkata and down to the quieter south with its lush tea plantations, India has a lot to offer. Only when you have been there can you understand why people fall in love with it. From a photographer’s perspective it is a goldmine of opportunities. For me it is the people of the places I travel to that I like to capture in my images. Here is a selection from my recent month’s tour around the country.
A person holding sparklers in the dark, creating streaks of bright orange sparks and glowing fire.
A man with dark hair and a mustache peering through a partial opening of a red, metal, worn-out roller shutter.
A young boy with dark hair and braided eyebrows sitting outdoors behind a rusty metal fence, looking left. He's wearing a plaid shirt with rolled-up sleeves.
A person with dark hair looking into a reflective surface, possibly a mirror, with a focused expression, surrounded by dark and bluish lighting.
An elderly man with a white beard and face paint, dressed in orange robes and a matching hat, sitting on a small platform outside a weathered yellow wall with peeling paint and a black doorway.
A person wearing underwear is watering plants in a small, outdoor space with a textured wall, a window with bars, a metal shelving unit with clothes and other items, and various containers on the ground.
A young boy with curly brown hair wearing a white shirt with colorful letters is cleaning or polishing a black motorcycle with a yellow and red cloth, while looking at the motorcycle.
A yellow box with Hindi text written in red and purple on its side, placed outdoors on a sandy ground with some green leaves hanging in front.
A man wearing a blue plaid shirt and an orange headwrap, seen behind blue metal bars, with a striped wall in the background.
An elderly woman with gray hair and tan skin, wearing a yellow scarf and floral traditional clothing, sitting on the ground against a wall with painted text, with her hand touching her head and her face showing a concerned expression.
An elderly man with a gray beard and dark skin, wearing an orange turban and a plaid shirt, sitting outdoors against a corrugated metal wall, looking directly at the camera.
Close-up of an elderly person's hands weaving or working on colorful threads or yarns on a white surface, with additional weaving or craft materials visible.
A man walking along a busy street with large sacks of goods on his back, surrounded by parked motorcycles and shop fronts, with other pedestrians and vendors in the background.
A person practicing a martial arts move with a sword in a dojo with orange walls and a wooden floor.
An elderly woman with dark skin, wearing a colorful headscarf and traditional clothing, looks through a metal cage at a copper pot she is holding.
A young boy with short, messy hair and a serious expression looking directly at the camera. He is wearing a light-colored shirt and the background is blurred with indistinct shapes and people.
People gather around a large bonfire at night, with flames and embers illuminating the scene as they participate in a traditional ritual or celebration.
An elderly woman with gray hair, wearing a pink and black patterned dress, sitting on a step outside a worn, blue metal door in a weathered, beige and pink wall with peeling paint, and a black circle drawn on the wall to her right.
A man with long dark curly hair and a beard, dressed in a white robe, standing outdoors with a tree in the background during daytime.
The Taj Mahal during sunset with a purple sky, featuring its large central dome, four minarets on each corner, and a reflecting pool in the garden in front, filled with tourists.
A man kneeling on a prayer rug inside a mosque with his hands raised in supplication. He is wearing a pink shirt, brown pants, and a white cap. Other worshippers are visible in the background.
A woman covered with a blue scarf sitting on the ground near a large brick and stone structure, with a hut made of straw and plants nearby.
Person wearing a white and yellow outfit sitting near a large fire on a street at night with other people in the background.
Yellow auto rickshaw with four young men on top, one waving, on a rural road surrounded by green trees and electrical poles.
A woman in a green and red saree standing at a doorway decorated with red and yellow marigold flowers, looking at the camera.
A man sitting on a stairway outside a building, with his arms crossed and holding a mobile phone, wearing sandals, a white shirt, and dark pants, against a backdrop of worn metal and concrete surroundings.
Four children standing on the back of a green vehicle with yellow license plate, surrounded by shop walls, with one waving, one making a peace sign, and one holding a toy car.
Three women dressed in traditional colorful Indian sarees, smiling, standing outdoors with a blurred background.
A woman dressed in a colorful, patterned traditional outfit standing in a stone archway with her arms crossed, smiling.
A young boy with dark hair and light skin, dressed in a light green suit jacket over a white shirt, standing outdoors against a textured, off-white wall with some peeling paint, slightly looking up towards the camera.
A man with a beard and a headscarf standing on a city street in black and white. The street appears busy with buildings and objects in the background, and there are several vehicles and pedestrians in the distance.
A tiger lying down and resting among trees and bushes in a forest.
Two smiling children, a girl and a boy, leaning on a metal railing outside.
The Taj Mahal shrouded in fog, viewed through trees in the foreground.
