Saturday, September 15, 2018

Young Student in Madrasa, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2018


We visited her school at least four times this year to attempt a documentation of the entire school. It is but a few minutes away from Nirvanavan Foundation's newest school, and we hope to include it in our efforts as the work develops.

Many of her friends remembered us from last year, and smiled as we walked through the classes trying to organize the photography. The brick wall behind her was the same brick that was used for last year's portraits, and this may be the last year that the bricks will be visible since cement was being placed on the walls as these images were made.

We selected one class at a time, with two classed being too large for one session alone. So we returned several times to include everyone, and the headmaster was more than willing to allow us the necessary time to make everyone's portrait.

She and her friends amazed me in that they were able to keep their eyes open even in the bright sunlight, and while standing in a very public space. Their composure in such a setting impressed me deeply.

It is their ability to look into the lens which makes these portraits so powerful to me. The fact is that very few of them have been photographed before these sessions, certainly out in the open while classmates and villagers witness the magnificent spectacle.



Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

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