The People Of North India

Photographing these beautiful human beings...

Hey friends,

Greetings from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh!

I’ve just returned from the Buran Ghati trek (15,000 ft) in Himachal Pradesh. I’m spending a little time in Shimla before flying back to Bangalore. There, I’ll reflect on my experiences in the Himalayas and write about them soon. And when I get the chance, I’ll be back here.

I’m going back to Bangalore because I just finished my third year at university. Within another year, I will be done with my undergraduate degree.

To pursue my higher education, I travelled up from Bangalore to North India. Now, with my graduation on the horizon, my time in this part of the country will soon come to a close (for the time being). So I’ve been reflecting on my experience living here. In particular, I’ve been thinking about my street photography in these parts.

Put simply, travelling to North India has immensely boosted my street photography. I’ve been able to shoot in Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, with each place carrying its own charm. Since these places are so culturally different from the South, I got to photograph a variety of scenes.

In this post, here are a few street photographs/portraits from my last 3 years in North India. To keep this post short, I’ve painstakingly chosen these shots. There are so many more I could share if I wanted to write a longer post. Maybe I will do so some other day.

(PS: Not a click bait thing, but make sure to see all of them, especially the last one (in the post card section). They are all worth it :D)

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This is a portrait from deep in the mountains of Uttarakhand. I was trekking in the pine forests of this state when I stumbled into this large meadow. Here, I met this shepherd named “Ganesh” who was taking his livestock across the mountain to a settlement far away. I was huffing and puffing, but he was just warming up. There was no way I could keep up with him.

I’ve been to Rishikesh on numerous occasions. I know its roads very well. Over my visits, I continually met this man. Every time I greeted him, he flashed me the same heart warming smile. At last, on my most recent visit a few weeks ago, I asked him if I could take his portrait.

Another one from Uttarakhand. I’m apparently in love with this state, it would seem. This lady was selling “buransh juice”, a kind of tea made from rhododendron flowers. This is a local speciality, and after taking this shot, I made sure to drink a few glasses before bidding her farewell.

I will always remember the story behind this portrait. I was travelling across Rajasthan when my bus stopped at a small, dhaba (restaurant) on the way. There, I met this police man sitting a few tables away. He was twirling his moustache pensively, something even I’d do if I had a moustache like that.

I walked up to him and told him my story. He gladly agreed to pose for my camera. After bidding me farewell, he went back to twirling his moustache.

I was hitch-hiking on someone’s bike in a place just outside Jaipur when I saw this lady. I quickly asked the guy to stop the bike.

I got off, approached the lady and asked her for a photograph. She agreed, but didn’t smile which made me a bit wary. You can’t really see it in this shot, but she was carrying a sickle in her right hand. That made me a little scared.

After I was done photographing her though, she flashed me a smile as I left.

This shot is quintessential Rajasthan for me. This state is the most colourful one I’ve been to across India. Man, it is the Indian experience on steroids. It holds so much potential, and I should visit it more.

I found this man seated exactly like this while roaming through a town in Haryana. I asked him not to move as I took this shot. Even after I was done photographing him, he stayed in this position.

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This is just a sliver of the abundant beauty of this part of the world. If you’re interested, then you will like my mega-portrait project called “Heroes in a 100 Faces”. It is a compilation of portraits from across India. Check it out; you’ll see what it’s about.

Hopefully, through this post and Heroes in a 100 Faces, you’ll see that beauty is everywhere. It does not respect state borders—those are just lines drawn on a map.

We are all beautiful.

Postcard

I just had to include this image as well. I met this kind lady while out photographing in Haryana. There is something about her smile and high cheekbones that just screams “HARYANA”. She was such a delight to talk to, and I’m glad she trusted me with her smile.

Favourite Quote

“If we use busy as an excuse for not doing something what we are really, really saying is that it’s not a priority. Simply put: You don’t find the time to do something; you make the time to do things.” - Tim Ferriss

Have a creative, wild and inspiring week!

If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.

Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.

I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)