More Street Portraits from India

Religious objects booth, Madras, India.

            "Wannakil" --"hello," I said with a smile, right hand in front of my face with fingers up, palm slightly forward in the South Indian gesture of casual greeting.

            "Wannakil," replied the attractive young Indian woman, continuing to paint intricate details on a small plaster Hindu temple for her sidewalk statuary stall.  Her husband and small child watched the tall, bearded foreigner with friendly interest from a nearby tent.

            Still smiling and with a question in my eyes, I tilted my camera slightly.  With a pleased smile, she nodded as I gestured to indicate that she should go on with her work.  As she did, I began my work also, making exposures from several different angles, then changing to a second camera body with a wider lens for a few more frames.

            "Nandri" -- "thank you," I said with a repeat of the salute-type gesture.  She responded in kind, we both smiled, and I moved on down the street in search of other opportunities to make brief but no less genuine personal contacts with the people of India.

"The function of photography is to explain man to man."

            As a photojournalist, I'm always looking for opportunities to make portraits.  Strong photographs of people add power to the message I want 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" exhibit said, "The function of photography is to explain man to man." (From an article I wrote for Rangefinder Magazine in 1999.)

Fishermen, Madras Beach.

The two fishermen watched me warily before deciding that I was probably harmless. What kind of fool rambles around a beach in the early morning taking pictures of fishermen and boats?

Housewife on her front steps, Madras. 

 

 This lady was sitting on the front steps of her house in late afternoon. She was both flattered and shy, which is a condition I've often encountered. I made her picture with my Pentax 6x7 camera with the 105mm f2.4 Takumar lens (the only lens I brought with me for that camera). The film was Kodak Ektachrome.

 

 

(From the article) 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.  

The top two photos were made with Olympus OM film cameras and various Olympus Zuiko lenses. The film was Fujichrme 100D.

 See my October 3rd post for information about ordering original signed prints from the Rock City Barns book.

 If you like my pictures, visit my online gallery at https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  

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Photography and text copyright 2025 David B.Jenkins.

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

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:   photography    film photography     Olympus film cameras   Olympus Zuiko lenses        Fujichrome 100D film     Madras     India     street portraits      Pentax 6x7 camera     Pentax Takumar lenses