Tessa Cunliffe

The Villagers of Bharatpur

India | Monday, July 1, 2013 | 5 photos

It was two years ago that I fell, quite by chance, into the wonderful world of photography. Since my mother's death, her outdated photography gear had been collecting dust in a storeroom and as we were moving house it was finally time to decide what was to be done with it. Being a sentimental soul, I couldn't bear to see the old equipment go and on a whim volunteered to offer it a home.

This was the last gift my mother ever gave me and it changed my life forever, sparking a photographic love affair and igniting a deep-seated passion. A writer by trade and wanderlust junky at heart, photography allowed me a new way to tell my stories and capture my experiences of different places, cultures, and people. I was hooked.

My love of travel recently led me to India, where these pictures were taken at a small urban village in Bharatpur. Armed with my camera and a sense of adventure I explored the village, greeted at every turn by smiling faces and inquisitive eyes.

To visit Greenland under the mentorship of Jason Edwards would be a dream come true for me, as never am I happier than when I have a camera strung around my neck and unknown lands beneath my feet.