Pink Plankton

Back in 2012, I visited India for the first time.  This trip was especially notable for me because my father is originally from India.  So this was my first time being able to experience my heritage first hand, as well as meet much of my family on my dad's side.

I spent most of my time in New Delhi, where my father is from.  I tried to capture India through both film and photography throughout my month-long stay.  Most of the time, I found this rather challenging.  In this country Westerners stand out a lot.  A DSLR camera stands out even more!  There were times where I felt a bit unsafe pulling out my camera on the streets, even when walking with my dad, simply because of the amount of blatant stares I was getting.   This was frustrating because while meandering through the streets, there was so much visual excitement: women walking around in colorful saris, street vendors selling mysterious things, religious figurines and temples, chaos on the roads...

The Taj Mahal sideview a residential street in New Delhi with child Hawa Mahal in Jaipur India rows of clay frog figurines in market lime bottle drinks the Taj Mahal Indian woman selling toothbrushes on street in New Delhi collage of Qutab Minar in New Delhi dog in dumpster in New Delhi flower silhouette in sunset monkey and lady in sari in New Delhi man with colorful turban

These images are of the best I could gather from my time in India.  If/when you decide to go, be prepared for a challenge when outside of touristy areas.  Being an inconspicuous individual snapping shots of daily local life is simply not possible, as you will stick out like a sore thumb.  But regardless, a visit to India will leave you with a rewarding experience, and it will most certainly alter your perspectives on religion/spirituality, civilization, and the developing world.