I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to quite a few countries over the years, but (with the benefit of this being my second time) I can categorically say there is nowhere quite like India. The noise, the smells, the organised chaos - it hits you as soon as you make your way into Old Delhi, and is an ever present presence throughout your time there.
For two weeks I travelled with Guille Ibanez and Jure Matičič, with the sole purpose of exploring, taking pictures, and immersing ourselves in the Indian culture. We got up for sunrise most mornings (apart from a couple when a very bad case of ‘Delhi Belly’ finally struck all three of us), and would continue till sunset, stopping every now and again for a chai, a Starbucks (I know, I know…) or yet another selfie with a curious local.
We started off in Delhi, took an overnight train (an experience in itself) to the spiritual city of Varanasi, before taking another train to Lucknow, where we then flew 1000km to Amritsar, near the Pakistan border, and soaked in the quite incredible atmosphere at the Golden Temple. It’s fair to say we were guilty of trying to fit too much into our time there, but that’s the ‘problem’ with India - there are just so many interesting places you want to visit. You really need a number of trips to do it justice, and we’re already thinking about our next one - an exploration of the south next year…
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY + GEAR
Unlike the two weeks I spent in Ethiopia, India was a much more enjoyable place to shoot in. It’s still a challenging place, in so much as you’re having to deal with getting sick, the awful air pollution, and the incredible amount of unnecessary beeping. There’s also a heart-breaking amount of poverty as well, something you never quite get used to seeing, nor should one. But people were very friendly, welcoming, and inquisitive, with many of them asking ‘Which country?’ as we walked through back-roads, temples, main streets, parks and piazzas.
Varanasi in particular really is a photographers playground with so much going on along the Ganges throughout the day, and plenty of fun to be had using all the steps to create complex, layered shots.
Having said that, with street photography, you’ve got to be in the right mindset, and I’d say for the first few days I was putting a surprising amount of pressure on myself, constantly stressing that I wasn’t taking any great pictures, and doubting whether I still had ‘it’. A part of this could be down to the fact that I’ve not done any street photography since 2019, when I travelled to Mexico for the Day of the Dead with the 8Street crew. But after a few days I started to settle, and began enjoying the process and not really giving a shit about the outcome.
Because that’s what it’s all about. For the last couple years in particular I’ve been so engrossed in my wedding work, that I’ve forgotten how much fun it is to shoot completely for myself. Walking out the hotel to a new day, being on the hunt for an interesting scene, finally finding one, and then the thrill of being completely lost in capturing it. This is what brings me the most joy and satisfaction in photography, and perhaps one could say in life as well.
All photos were taken on the Fuji X-T3, with the 23mm, and some with the 16-55mm.
Stunning work!!