It was the middle of October when I was sent to New Delhi on assignment for Everlane. I hadn’t been to India for some years, and I hate making such long and infrequent trips just for one day of work and home, so I booked an extra day to catch up with a local friend and see what else I could get into, ie make some images for myself!
I was staying at a very nice hotel, yet not really in a great location near anything I knew in Delhi, so I just went exploring nearby. Walking out of the hotel and down a main road, I started snapping a few things. Not exactly what I had in mind, but we always have to get warmed up on something. Off of the big road, down a smaller road that seemed to be a market of sorts, I thought I was starting to get on the right track. A few more random right turns and I’d found a fairly busy street with lots of people, action and the light was decent. I was drawn to the guy on stilts, selling hair oil, I found out, and figured this was a good subject to keep warming up on and try to make something. Focusing on shooting for a minute, the next thing I know, I turn around and there are about 20 people behind me looking over my shoulder. “Hello” I said cheerfully. I’m always keen to interact with the locals, but I wasn’t sure if this was going to help things or not.
This is where everything sort of changed. As I was shooting and chatting to some kids around me (and trying to get a drunk guy to leave me alone!), I hear in fluent English “Hello, what’s your good name?” Rather formal I though, but I was intrigued. I turned around to find a young man smiling back at me. I answered with my name and he introduced himself as Ajeet. We chatted in place for a few minutes, and then asked if he could show me around his neighborhood. Absolutely I said!
We started walking around (he finally got the drunk guy to leave me alone too!), and a colorful maze of alleys with some interesting light appeared. Can we go in there I asked? Sure he said. This is what I thought I was looking for, but wasn’t super confident about venturing in on my own. But with Ajeet’s local passport and knowledge, it was on!
We started to navigate the labyrinth of colorful walls, homes and shops, all with the most perfect afternoon light piercing in and bouncing around. I was a pretty happy photographer at this point already just having the chance to be there.
Around one corner, a boy played on a metal stairway set against a beautifully aged and textured wall, probably not knowing he was also smack in the middle of an amazing piece of light. I fired off a few frames, working through the initial shyness followed by a big smile, and then in a fraction of a second, I think I made my favorite frame of the whole afternoon!
Appeased even more by a multitude of smiling and curious local faces, we wandered on for a few more hours, until the sun fell and they alleys succumbed to shade and evening.
Here are a few more images I made on this short, but unforgettable wee walkabout in New Delhi.
A big thanks again to Ajeet for your kindness and time showing me around your neighborhood for a few hours. Until next time…!
