In the thick of it…yes indeed!

Jain Devotee

Lanbeshwrni Poll Resident

Henry Cartier Bresson, probably one of the greatest photographers ever to shoot in Ahmedabad, India is my  source of inspiration for this photography expedition. Today we walked the backstreets, narrow alleys and ventured into the pols of the city. These small micro communities of clustered houses, three stories high, still inhabited, end in a central square with small intact Jain temples dating to the 1600's. The hanging wooden bird cages (Chabutaras), and intricately carved wooden pillars, beams and brackets really captivated me. The people live their lives in public, whether that being cooking, washing clothes and sleeping outside on heavy belt beds (Charpay) when in the warm season and constantly sweeping the pigeon droppings of the square with straw hand brooms. I felt the spiritual vibe inside of  the eerily quiet Jain temples. The cold marble floors, smell of incense and worshippers dressed in homespun cloth  transported myself and Isabella, an insightful photographer from Venezuela, back in time. When she spoke about the difference between human misery and poverty I envisioned the wonderfully taken black and white shots taken by Cartier Bresson in the 50's. I felt that I was part of the image and not an image maker. Totally surreal experience.

Walking through the streets of a country like India you meet some interesting and colorful  characters. Some don't speak English and I don't speak Hindu so it makes for a lot of smiling, grunting and pointing.  Today as we meandered  in a a Jain pol  one of the trip participants received some extra special  attention. We spent some time photographing   a  delightful  70's lady under a veranda ironing shirts and pants for the people who lived in her heavily hued, multi layered  comlex.  The iron had charcoal in it, and was really heavy, she earned 14 cents per suiting. She took special interest in Robbie who hails from Columbus, Ohio. She kept on eyeing her like a special friend, and not until we were about to leave did she tell our guide that she looked like the Indian screen star of the 50's Nirna Mala. Not knowing who she was, when I returned to the room  I googled her; what a beautiful raven haired women I saw. Robbie from Ohio being mistaken for an India screen  star, pretty special memento for sure.

Robbie "Ghecko" Sharing the Love with the Locals

Later on that day we found ourselves in a winding narrow alley  and had to dodge  zooming motorbikes, cattle droppings and the occasional woman  carrying loads on their heads. We attracted stares, no glares and  the attention of one gentleman who seemed to be amused by our photographing the walls which were brightly painted in yellow with Hindu words in red. I wanted to be friendly and attempted to get him into a conversation but our languages didn't seem to match. So in my zeal to include him in the group I positioned him next to Robbie in front  of a 400 year old wooden door. My hope was that he would smile and pose and Robbie would have a keepsake shot of her standing in front of a door with a local  guy. As soon as they both were he positioned he wrapped his arm around her neck and planted a bit wet kiss on her check. It looked like Robbies' eyes were going to pop out of her head  when he lunged at her and I almost dropped the camera laughing so hard.  She jumped  about 10 feet away and I dont know whether she was going to laugh or cry. Definitely one of those "getting to know you" moments in a palace very far from home. I wonder what Robbie's husband of 42 years will thing of his wife gallanting off Inia to get kissed by strange guys in a very strange land.