Portrait of a Hindu Woman

Hindu woman, Madras

I don't do much foreign travel these days, but I've done a lot over the years and loved every minute of it. The Hindu lady in Madras was sitting by a construction site, perhaps the wife of one of the workers. She regarded me with great seriousness and dignity as I made her portrait.

As a photojournalist creating magazine features and audio-visual programs to help Christian and humanitarian agencies communicate their mission, I always looked for opportunities to make portraits.  Strong photographs of people add power to the message I sought to communicate because people are interested in people.  That's why we call it "human interest."  When someone from another culture is portrayed in all of his or her humanity, dignity, and individuality, both the subject and those who view the photograph are served.  As the great Edward Steichen, creator of the landmark "Family of Man" photography exhibit said, "The function of photography is to explain man to man."

            Photography bypasses the logical centers of the brain and communicates directly to the heart.  When the subject is someone from another culture, an incisive portrait can arouse in the viewer a deep awareness that this also is a person, a member of my species.  Different from me, yes, but part of my family.  More than 50 years have passed, but I still remember the first time a photograph connected with me in this way.  It was an Emil Schultheiss portrait of an African girl in the old Modern Photography magazine.  Her face plastered with ceremonial paint, she peeked at the camera from the corners of her eyes.  I looked into her soul and was hooked for good.

(Olympus OM camera, 85mm f2.8 Olympus Zuiko lens, and Fujichrome 100D slide film.)

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.