Student, Rajasthan, India, Humana People to People India, 2008

We arrive in the middle of the day to photograph this school and have another to visit later in the afternoon.  The teacher is missing and the children are therefore unaware of our desire to photograph them.  They are nonetheless excited and we move fast to find a place for their portraits.

It's the middle of the day and my typical arrangement is impossible.  We stand in the path and look around, realizing that the house behind us has a wonderful courtyard. We are given permission and find a small chair for the children to rest upon. For the very first time, a reflector is used to direct the light of the sun onto the subjects.

It works beautifully and we make wonderful images, all the children enjoying the experience as witnessed by their smiles. The older women also want their portraits made, with their smaller children as well.

This session changes my view of photography in India and will provide me with a wider window of time on the next visit. Arriving early and photographing later in the afternoon will certainly continue. However, my hope now is that the foundations will allow me to photograph during the middle of the day while they have their lunch and get some rest. 

I hope that their respect for the guest will be secondary to their hunger and need to rest.