“Emulating masters is a common phase for young photographers as they embark on their creative path. However, as I deepened my connection to the places I visited and the people I met, and as I matured and gained a deeper understanding of myself, a transformation occurred.”
India has been both a classroom and a sort of a teacher for countless travel and documentary photographers worldwide. This was something I recognized even before before I had the opportunity to set foot in the country. I had come across numerous captivating images by legendary photographers. These photos served as a powerful source of inspiration, intensifying my longing to personally explore India.
It was actually in India that I decided to move away from documentary film and to become a photographer instead. In the early stages of my photographic journey, I naturally gravitated toward emulating the greats. Steve McCurry was my main influence, but I also loved the work of Olivier Follmi. Emulating masters is a common phase for young photographers as they embark on their creative path. However, as I deepened my connection to the places I visited and the people I met, and as I matured and gained a deeper understanding of myself, a transformation occurred. Gradually, I began to develop my unique vision and style and I moved away from simply emulating those legendary photographers.
In the coming months, I'll be launching an educational resource called "The Photographer's Mindset: India." It will include a digital book and podcast-style audio lessons, all centered around my experiences and photos from India. I'll analyze these images in detail, using diagrams and explanations. I’ll share all the technical data, the cameras used, the lenses, as well as the settings. You'll also get to see the photos that didn't make the cut and learn why.
I've already created a Photographer's Mindset: South America. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can check it out right HERE.
“In my view, India is the most remarkable destination for travel photographers, individuals in search of captivating visuals, and those with a deep appreciation for culture and ancient traditions. ”
From 2005 to 2017, I had numerous opportunities to visit what tourism slogans describe as "Incredible India."
In my view, India is the most remarkable destination for travel photographers, individuals in search of captivating visuals, and those with a deep appreciation for culture and ancient traditions. India's boundless diversity and rich heritage have left a deep impression on me. It’s a place I intend to revisit throughout my lifetime, continuously discovering thousands of images to capture and treasure.
In the digital book, I’ll be featuring 50 photographs. I've chosen to preview them initially through three blog posts right here. This way, if you're interested in The Photographer's Mindset India digital book and audio lessons, you can gain insight into what I'll be covering.
NOTE: This selection isn't 100% final. If you know an image of mine that you particularly want covered, please email me or comment on this blog post!
During the selection process, I faced a challenge. In my early journeys across India, I was so greatly influenced by Steve McCurry, that in many of my photographs, it's very evident that I was trying to emulate his style.
Looking back now, having developed my own voice and vision, I don't value many of those early photos as much. However, in some instances, even though the images do bear a strong resemblance to McCurry's work, I know that I injected some of my own perspective into them. These images served as stepping stones to who I am as a photographer today, and I've chosen to include them for that reason.
I will of course go into the details about developing a style and your own vision in The Photographer’s Mindset: India.
Apart from those early images, my primary objective in choosing the photographs for the book was to pick ones with an edge to them. Photos that possess a certain uniqueness. I aimed to include images that
capture unexpected expressions, offer unusual perspectives, convey distinctive body language, freeze moments that are impossible to replicate, or have a strong sense of story and mood.
I've decided to post the photographs in a more or less chronological order. So in today's post, you'll see photos from my first journeys through India from 2005 to 2008. They all come from the regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan - some of the most colorful and culturally distinct areas of the country.
Above is a photo taken in 2008. At that time, I was still heavily influenced by the more posed portrait style that McCurry had become renowned for. However, I decided to take a leap and experiment by capturing people in the midst of their everyday lives. In this particular shot, a woman is engrossed in her work, her eyes closed due to the airborne particles around her. This image was the result of following my instincts rather than planning and overthinking it. While I did take more conventional photos during this shoot, upon review, this particular one stood out as the most vibrant, genuine, and unfiltered, which is what I find most appealing about it.
As you travel for extensive periods, you naturally find yourself gravitating toward specific scenes. I discovered that I have a deep attraction to the serene beauty of rural life, the daily routines, and a restrained, organic color palette (not the bursting madness of colors you see in cities).
There's an inherent visual harmony in these settings that resonates with me. My desire to capture such scenes through photos was almost instinctual. With time it became increasingly more intentional. I began traveling the countryside on my motorcycle, actively seeking out locations where these picturesque moments might come to life. Sometimes they did, and when I was really lucky they’d take place amidst a dramatic interplay of light.
I was deeply fascinated by India because of its diverse cultural tapestry, which was clearly visible in the everyday clothing and adornments of certain ethnic groups. This strong curiosity led me to start a photography project focused on the Rabari people, a once-nomadic tribe of animal herders. Their unique sense of style and appearance inspired me to capture it through my lens.
The pictures you see here on one hand, are conventional portraits, yet on the other hand, they’re something different. They don't follow the classical style of gradually transitioning from bright light to darkness (known as chiaroscuro lighting). Instead, they have a sense of dramatic intensity because of the interplay of stark shadows and radiant light.
“There were times when things didn’t quite click. Even an exceptionally interesting character doesn’t always guarantee an exceptional photograph.”
As I was photographing the Rabari people, I met many fascinating individuals. These were the kinds of people who often added a significant impact to the photos taken by my favorite photographers. I quickly realized that, just like a star actor in a movie, a strong character in a photo plays a crucial role.
Whenever I encountered someone with a unique presence, I made an effort to take a photo or a series of shots. There were times when things didn't quite click. Even an exceptionally interesting character doesn't always guarantee an exceptional photograph. However, there were those rare moments when these individuals gifted me with something extraordinary—a striking gaze, an expressive face, or pose full of swag, as exemplified in the image above.
Here's another remarkable character I came across in a Rabari village. India stands out as one of the very few countries where ‘regular’ men frequently appear entirely at ease and untroubled when facing a camera, even in relatively intimate settings. The Rabari men, in particular, consistently radiated a profound sense of self-assurance. This quality made me appreciate them, resulting in some compelling portraits.
With the case of the image above, I followed the subject over a few days. I wanted to photograph him taking out the sheep in the morning. My aim was to capture a completely unposed moment, a moment that was real, yet beautiful and compositionally clean.
After completing the five-month-long project of photographing the Rabari people, I found myself with a multitude of diverse images of the Rabari and their animals. Picking the most captivating shots was a process that often required time and the advantage of using a computer screen. It was only through this medium that I could closely examine the finer details and subtleties in each photograph. For example, here, I could see the fabric gently swaying in the wind. I could also notice the distinct body language of the man, with the 'lathi' wooden stick resting on his shoulders, which is a characteristic feature of his role in herding the animals.
During my time photographing the Rabari and creating numerous posed portraits, I discovered a valuable lesson. It was not just the initial pose itself, but rather the moments that followed, or the fleeting in-between instances that often produced the most captivating photographs. In stark contrast to the static, planned poses that sometimes resembled statues, these in-between moments exuded a greater sense of dynamic and authenticity. To me, such images simply felt more alive.
As I started to come into my own, I became more conscious of cultivating a unique vision that was mine. I was determined to produce the photographs that I felt were absent from my photographic heroes' collections. I moved in closer, right into the thick of events. I focused on seizing those dramatically potent moments, as above. After all with a digital SLR I had virtually unlimited attempts to capture such moments.
Looking back at the journey, we can see that how you naturally react to the world around you plays a big role in shaping your unique photography style. As people get older, like Steve McCurry, they might not take extreme actions like jumping into an ox cart to get the perfect photo, but those spontaneous reactions were central to how I approached capturing a photographic moment.
Your personal quirks and the special skills you have all come together to make your own, one-of-a-kind style in photography. Your unique way of reacting to a situation is what sets you apart and defines your artistic expression. It's like your signature in the world of photography.
After spending months working on my Rabari project, I started to feel a bit bored with some of the kinds of photos I was taking because they were coming too easily. My ambition changed, and I became really interested in capturing the everyday moments of life from unique angles. I became totally focused on this goal and started valuing these scenes more, especially when they were bathed in the kind of light that made everything appear more beautiful and somehow more poetic.
That concludes the first of three blog posts on my photos from India. I hope you’ve enjoyed them as well as the insights that I’ve provided you. Stay tuned for the next blog and remember, if you have any specific images in mind that you’d like me to break down for you, please tell me in the comments!
