Madras Street Photography

Looking out through a courtyard gate in Madras

 

Much of life in Madras is lived out on the streets in a kaleidoscope of constantly swirling colors and movement.

I was sheltered from the view of passersby in this photo, but usually I'm out on the street in the midst of the action.   

An American with a camera in a third world street or marketplace is conspicuous and there's nothing I can do to change that.  Everyone knows I'm there, so I don't try to sneak shots. If I'm furtive, if I try to hide in the shadows and pick off shots with a long lens, if I appear indecisive or uncertain, I will be greeted with suspicion.  So I accept the fact that I'm not going to get fly-on-the-wall candids and go with the flow. I work in an open, straightforward, and businesslike way and concentrate on what I can get. Which can often be pretty good. People in other cultures are usually gracious, hospitable, and patient with strangers who observe the basic courtesies.

 

(Olympus OM camera, 85mm f2 Olympus Zuiko lens, and Fujichrome 100D slide film.)

 

Blog Note: Sorry to miss Monday's post. Last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were unusually difficult days.

Photograph and text copyright 2022, David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone

My book, Backroads and Byways of Georgia, is now out of print, although copies are apparently still available from Amazon, and possibly other sources. The second edition is now in the editing stage and is scheduled to be released on December 6th.