My last visit to India included a spontaneous trip to the deserts of Rajasthan, to the furthest west of that beautiful state. We were within miles of the Pakistani border and felt an eerie silence during our time there. My companion for this trip was my dear brother Mukesh, who sacrificed so much time away from his family for the sake of work.
Instead of pure portraiture, we decided to photograph the forests and deserts. One day we were driving around and spotted this forest on either side of the road. Mukesh decided to stay in the car and get some rest while I walked around the forest and did my thing.
The whole experience was surreal. Away from the hustle of the immense cities of India, here we were without another soul in sight. The silence was interrupted only by the sounds of the most colorful birds. Now and then a blue bull in the distance would look up, before moving on.
I walked for what seemed an eternity, but was more like an hour. The play between light and shadow made me pause on so many occasions, putting the tripod down for a few exposures. During one of these times, I heard breathing in the distance and looked up.
There was a line of camels walking just past the trees. Their size took me by surprise, for this was my first time in the presence of such large animals. Time stood still it seemed, for here we were in the wild and with only a line of trees between us. It felt right to just enjoy the moment, leaving the camera on my back, and then walk back to Mukesh to share the experience.
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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad V system, onto Ilford Delta 100 film.
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