Monday, November 6, 2017

Young Student + Home, Rajasthan, India, 2017


She lives right next to Nirvanavan Foundation's Advaita Garden. Her walk to school takes less than a few minutes, and she does so with her younger brother and sister. She is at times shy and at times outgoing. When she smiles she does so completely, and when she is noticed she will usually run away in joy. 

Her independence is remarkable, for she lives in a home without neighbors. She lives with her three siblings, parents and grandparents. Every minute of her day seems busy, from helping her mother with chores to caring for her younger siblings.

Usually when I photograph her I do so alone, without help from the foundation. We communicate with a few common words, and with hand gestures. Her parents know me well enough and allow me to interact with their children freely, quite remarkable for such a society. While this is wonderful, it makes for some very difficult photography. Child psychology would have been a smart minor to have taken in college!

There are few instances when my work demands color film, and this is certainly one of them. Everyone at the foundation has noticed her beauty, and her eyes. Whenever I mention her name, the teachers nod in agreement. Hopefully in four months she will allow me to document her once again, and color film will certainly be included in my bag in case she does!


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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination.

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