Two Boys + Mansarovar Park Metro Station, New Delhi, India, Halim Ina, 2015

Seeing these images one year after they were made is a feeling almost impossible to describe. This week is being spent finishing the scans of almost 1,200 rolls, from last year's visits to India and Cuba. Long story short, it took this long because of complications arising from the manufacturing process… and so to see the portraits of these two boys come out well is an incredible feeling.

The boys live in a slum located under a metro station, and belong to a population of migrants here to do what they can to survive. As one walks along the slum hundred of flies appear in response to one's footprints. These children endure the most difficult of existences on a daily basis, yet have the strength to wake up each day. Their parents work in the neighboring areas as rickshaw drivers, as workers in factories and housemaids. As the business class uses the metro station above them to head to their air-conditioned offices, these families face the very definition of a dystopia every hour of their lives.

Fortunately Humana India has been working in this neighborhood for many years and is making an impact. They have set up a vocational training center, help the migrant community secure its right in this new environment, run a homeless shelter and pick up as many people as possible off of the streets in order to bring them back to a hospitable place. They are doing the work which the state should be doing, and ask for nothing in return.

I am proud to be associated with the team in this project, and applaud Jayanta Bhakat for leading the efforts!

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Note: These images were made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination and scanned for proofing only.

Young Girl + Shawl, Rural India, March 21, 2015

Most of the times my memory serves me well but, now and then, it also lapses. On March 21 of 2015 this young girl stepped in front of my lens and produced this exquisite image. Seeing the scan for the first time today was bittersweet, bitter because my memory missed one and sweet because the silver particles recorded her spirit beautifully!

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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination, scanned through the negative sleeve for proofing.

Young Student + Humana India, Madhya Pradesh, India, 2016

Can we imagine how difficult this young girl's life truly is? 

The region in which she lives is the most beautiful from my travels in India… but also one of the most extreme in which to live. Hundreds of meters separate the homes, and the only way to make a living is from the land itself.

Is it possible for us to understand her life even for only one day?

Some of the children in her community will walk over a mile just to make it to class, some well over two miles. Yet they do so day in and day out. The darker portion of the wall behind her also happens to be the chalkboard of her classroom.

How can we measure the courage it took for her to stand in front of strangers for her portrait?

While the children are almost without exception happy to be involved in something so different for them, it still takes a heck of a lot to stand in front of the entire class and be photographed so honestly. She and her friends were on my mind when I presented in front of my high school in Cleveland and my colleagues in Los Angeles two weeks ago. If she could do so with such calm and strength, I had little excuse to do otherwise.

This young student inspires me immensely, and helps this work to go forward. The hope is that the number of schools will triple over the next three years, and that more like her will have the chance to attend classes for the first time in their young lives.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Younger Sister + Shawl, Gurgaon, Haryana, India, 2016

From this very neighborhood comes yet another incredible face and beautiful spirit. This young girl is the sister to our star from last year. We photographed her sister last year in a hoodie, something quite rare from my experiences in India. We returned this year to find her sister, did so and walked down the alley to an open space to photograph the children.

Amazing face after amazing face walked over to see what was happening, including this young girl. One look at her, and I just knew that she was our star's younger sister. I communicated this to the team, and they then translated my thoughts to the girls. They of course smiled, and nodded in agreement.

She was exquisite, just like her sister from last year. Now keeping everyone around us calm took on more significance, since we were down to the girls with our photography. The boys had already been photographed, and chaos was taking its toll on me. Thanks however to the team, and to two young men from the neighborhood, we were able to maintain some calm until her portrait was finished.

We ended the visit by speaking to her and her sister, standing nearby with some friends. Instead of just packing our gear and walking away, we made the time to speak with them directly. Through my translator my thoughts were communicated. They heard that we returned just for them, that their faces were etched in my mind, and that we hoped they were attending the school funded by Humana Indiain a nearby temple.

They had never been spoken with directly by someone outside of their community, even less so by someone from another country. Their expressions made me truly appreciate the bond formed since last year, and the incredible trust they had placed in me. It is a truly humbling experience to be associated with these girls, to know that they give selflessly. It's time to step up this project, and to fund dozens rather than a dozen schools.

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Note: This portrait was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Ancient Temple, Virat Nagar, Rajasthan, India, 2015

Having some fun scanning the negatives from my last visit to India, the first time seeing the negatives in over a year!

This timeless temple happens to be within walking distance of the two schools in Virat Nagar, Rajasthan. It sits exactly in between the two villages, a most magical place. It will remind me of the children in the schools, as well as the advances being made thanks to the wonderful teachers dedicated to the cause.

I am honored and privileged to have witnessed such change, and hope for much more on their behalf.

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Note: This frame was exposed with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination.

Elder, Humana India, Madhya Pradesh, India, 2016

With gratitude to Humana India, this image is being shared.

Perhaps the most beautiful landscape from my travels through India, this incredible region also had one of its kindest communities. We spent about one week documenting two dozen schools, and with each experience my impression of the communities was enhanced.

When we began our photography this morning a few elders gathered to watch. I looked their way a few times and saw this beautiful man wearing the most beautiful fabrics. Without translation we looked at each other and agreed on making his portrait. He walked over as a few of the children giggled, and stood poignantly for his photograph to be made.

The landscape was just as beautiful, and complimented the colors on his skin perfectly. He stood at this spot for less than a minute, then walked away quietly to sit alongside the other elders. I so look forward to seeing his portrait on film hopefully soon.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Campesino + Manos, El Campo, Cuba, Verano de 2015

Last year Alejandro was able to fix his car during our second month and we headed out to the countryside more frequently than our first four weeks. We would photograph our families in the morning and then head out to the countryside for the afternoon. We did this because our afternoons were never very predictable regarding the weather.

We ran across the most wonderful people, and slowed the process of photography down quite a bit. This was a relief actually, and allowed me to reflect much more so on my vision. It also allowed us to speak with the people much more, and select the moments when we wanted to photograph.

This wonderful man lived in a town east of the capital by at least one hour. We were on our way back from the far side of the island and decided to take an exit and explore. We saw a home and decided to photograph it. As we finished we noticed this handsome man sitting next door. We walked over and asked to make his portrait, and he responded most eloquently and positively.

We talked for some time while he enjoyed his cigar, then made our way to the back of the home for his portrait. His demeanor won my heart immediately, and I am overjoyed to see the success of his portrait in these two samples from the proof just scanned last week!

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

Landscape from Temple, Virat Nagar, Rajasthan, 2015

This weekend has been spent scanning the film from my l art trip to India. The recent film was dropped off to the lab in D.C. and the processed film from 2015 was picked up.

In this image we were visiting a temple near the three schools located in Virat Nagar, Rajasthan. This is the view from above, and is typical of the region. This is where my photography in India began, and where it continues to this day.

When the schools we had documented closed in 2010, we found the support to begin the rebuilding process. Now Nirvana Bodhisattva and his team at Nirvanavan Foundation have taken the lead and helped restore our initial three schools.

I look forward to more than just the three schools, and to restoring the faith these families had in us prior to the closure of the schools!

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

Ballerina + Racquetball Court, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2015

Then we have this incredible setting, and the most perfect light. Just as we can depend on clouds forming in the afternoon on the island, we can almost depend on having the most exquisite light in the morning. While it is frustrating at times depending on the weather, it does make the photographs the much more meaningful.

So when we arrive at this racquetball court and see clear skies, we pinch ourselves. This young dancer has blossomed during our time with her family, and has now become one of our 'veterans' barely out of her single digits. She goes from one position to another without reservation, and almost always says 'yes' to our collaborations.

Her family lives in the city, and we pick them up thanks to Alejandro an hour before sunrise. She is always perfectly ready, and a professional in every way. She is still of course a young girl, and treats this racquetball court as important as any stage in the world. The sunlight hits each surface differently, giving us three beautiful tones in monochrome to compliment her multiple facets.

Her attitude in this image specifically left me speechless!

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2.

Riverbed, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2016

As we went home after making the previous portrait, this was the scene we witnessed. At almost its lowest point, the river soon will regain its strength from the monsoon rains. We hope that this time next year the river will also witness a new school in one of its neighboring villages… and that this week's presentations contribute immensely. 

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3, hand-held and with available light as the sun set.