The good people of Humana People to People India were kind enough to entertain my request and we dropped by the small neighborhood in which the school was located. I immediately recognized the students and made gestures of greetings towards them. They acknowledged me somewhat and under the circumstances it was more than can be expected. Both my work and that of the foundation were at this time outsiders to the families, and we needed to regain their trust if we were going to continue with our respective work.
We called out to a few of the students and, after talking it over with their families, they came to meet us in the shade of a house nearby. The side of this home had the most incredible patterns, as well as colors. The sun was at a high position at this time and we were forced to make images in the shadow of this wall. We however had a small reflector to help us sculpt the light and my friends positioned it either above me or slightly to either side. In the image above the reflector is obviously to my right, and slightly above, to emulate a soft sun.
This young girl I had never photographed before, and she just came by to join in the activities. The colors and patterns of her dress blended beautifully with the wall behind her, and were further enhanced by the tones of her skin and hair. We made a few images with film and then switched over to the digital platform in order to provide prints to them later in the week.
Unlike my time before, the village was more subdued in its reaction to the work. It was most understandable since the school closed its doors the previous year. My experience has shown me that the energy present in a photographic session is a direct reflection of the supporting institution, the people of the foundation and the good work being accomplished by all involved. I hope to return one day and see such being done in this village.
Halim Ina Photography
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