Young Student, Humana People to People India, Chota, Rajasthan, India, November 15, 2008

I have loved her features ever since first seeing her almost six years ago. One can sense the inner woman, as one friend puts it, within this small frame. Her cheekbones highlight a maturity behind her years, and her smile shows that she knows it.

Her hair, like so many others, is cut short and so fine to the touch. While her arms hint at a nervous posture, her facial features look incredibly relaxed. She shows one face to the village and an entirely different one to the viewers of her portrait.

The background of this image is the wall of her teacher's courtyard. In front of her is a wall perhaps two meters tall, blocking the view of people walking by during our session. The sun was non-existent during the first half of the session and just came up for her portrait, as well as for that of her older sister. We usually use the white wall of the house behind her, but decided to photograph within the courtyard for more privacy.

Later we did have a session outside, and she was just as magnificent. Her village has been documented by me over a span of four years, perhaps over eight sessions. They are very familiar with me and my collaboration with Humana People to People India. The school is quite successful, and will reopen this year with the generous support of donors here and the people on the ground in Rajasthan, India.

I do hope to see her and her sister later this year, and to document them much more intimately with their families, within their homes and outside during their chores. This is the next phase of my work with the foundation.

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Halim Ina Photography