JOSÉ JEULAND | My Very First Time In New Delhi
From the very beginning, street photography has always been a massive part of my journey for the reasons that I did not have much gears on hand or any specific subjects and projects in mind to photograph. For these reasons, I was very involved in street photography when I traveled or had some time to spend.
I must say, the experience over the years trained me well as a photographer to work on my composition, speed, and taught me to explore what’s beyond. In all honesty, I haven’t been able to pursue street photography in a while due to commercial photography and my ongoing projects these days.
I have been out and about on the streets snapping pictures, but I just haven’t had the time to work on the images – but I do know that when I do, it will be a complete joy.
The following series was taken in 2019 in New Delhi – my very first time visiting India. I arrived on the Republic Day, and it was a trip that will forever be etched in my mind.
Here is a series of photographs taken during two days in New Delhi.
It was indeed a beautiful experience to get lost in the streets, to meet people and see things that I do not usually see. My memorable experience allowed me to witness goats fully dressed up, shaving businesses in the streets, as well as both stray dogs and goats around every corner. I walked with no plan or direction and just took on streets after streets, even crossed a Christian graveyard, Muslim and Hindu vicinities. The activities were low due to the National day and the Sunday; during my journey, I experimented food market, tiny shops, cut my hair for less than $1, street food, etc.…
Here are some of the greatest highlights of my trip:
THE WHEELCHAIR
One of my favorites is the one taken in the Christian graveyard near a major train station.
An empty wheelchair was seated right in front of a portrait painting of Jesus with two sheep.
I have full respect for all religions and admire people who sincerely believe, even though I’m an atheist.
When I took this shot, there were so many stories that came to mind or at least could be easily crafted based solely on this picture. I fell in love with how a picture so simple, could trigger emotions and imagination.
Firstly, I found the scene aesthetically pleasing with its color tone, the balance of elements, and how the landscape in the painting brought out Jesus’ face. In my mind, the story could be that someone came in the wheelchair and had some dedicated time spent with Jesus. The story then ends with him regaining his ability to walk.
A second variation that came to mind was one of a deeper meaning. To me, it was of someone joining Jesus in the afterlife, leaving his wheelchair as a memory.
If I’m real though, chances are was that someone simply left the wheelchair there by accident.
THE LITTLE GIRL WITH INDIA’S FLAG ON HER CHEEK
I was casually taking pictures of various people on the streets and had some meaningful conversations with them.
It then came to mind that I should take some shots with my FUJIFILM Instax (similar to a polaroid).
I did so for a couple of ladies against a purple wall and a few more people. When others saw it, it got pretty crazy really quickly, and everyone gathered around asking me to take pictures of them with the Instax, and so I did – finishing a whole pack of films!
It then became an issue for others who were waiting for their pictures to be taken. I tried to explain the situation in the hopes they would understand, but no one did. In that instance, I knew I had to escape the street immediately as they were following me continuously. At one point, this little girl did not want to let me go and hooked herself onto my clothing and bag. I found this behavior to be really interesting and whipped out my GFX medium format to shoot these moments. I love this image of her with her piercing eyes.
