Through the looking glass

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Monday, November 7, 2011 | 5 photos

I learned photography by taking pictures long before I ever bought my first camera. ?It is instinctive, an extension of my understanding of the world around me.

From my previous travels and self-funded projects I’ve come to appreciate the value of experience and practical wisdom more than rigid instructions from a textbook. I’ve come to enjoy the thrill and satisfaction of hunting for the perfect picture, waiting sometimes for hours at end for the right conditions.

??For close to a month, I traveled through the peaks of the Himalayas, the dusty streets of Delhi and the kingly states of Rajasthan.??Of all the wonders that India had to offer, it was the rustic charm of Udaipur that captured my heart. Even as I stood facing the Taj Mahal, I longed for the quiet evenings I spent by the Gangori Ghat, at the shores of Lake Pacholi. Sunrise, midday and sunset each had their own stories to share with the keen observer. Seated on a wooden bench facing the setting sun, I watched the local women wash themselves and their clothes in the lake while village dancers prepare for a traditional performance in the aged mansion behind me.??

The photographs seen here were selected from a pool of images for their clarity and honesty in presenting the subject as they truly are. There are no illusions in my photographs; only an accurate narrative of my experience.? This is my guiding principle regardless of which corner of the earth I may travel to.