As I alluded to previously, I spent several years in India and took lots and lots of photos. Not professionally, just for my own enjoyment. I didn’t even begin shooting in RAW until I’d been there a couple of years.

Being a basically shy person photography was a wonderful way to interact with India while hiding behind a shield (in this case, my camera). Soon I discovered that my intent was made wonderfully easy by the fact that Indians love having their picture taken. And I discovered that I loved taking photos of them in their daily lives. Young people, old people, people on the street, people at work, people at worship. Just about any activity Indians are engaged in is a terrific time for a smile and a photo. And I loved photographing them and their environment in all their colorful, joyful, thoughtful, celebratory, introspective, devotional moments.

In anticipation of my first trip to Israel in the fall, I’ve been looking over my photos from that time in order to review what worked and what did not work as far as capturing moments. The Big Dog is, in my opinion, a better photographer than I am simply because he is more of a risk taker. I hope, though, that I learned a few things from him and that this next adventure abroad – albeit a brief couple of weeks – will see me returning with a slew of photos to help me vividly remember my time there for years to come.

I will be posting photos of India here from time-to-time. Feedback is welcome.

This photo is from a mandir (temple) dedication in Rishikesh – home of the rishis (ancient sages). Indoors and not great light, but I like it.

“India is not, as people keep calling it, an underdeveloped country, but rather, in the context of its history and cultural heritage, a highly developed one in an advanced state of decay.”
― Shashi Tharoor