A Photographer in Paris

 There is a lot to see at the Pushkar fair but on the first day of the fair, THIS was the big event!!!

 Gypsy woman at the fair with Rajasthani dress and jewelry.

 Woman cooking food at a “take out” place. Balls on right side are made of whole wheat and are eaten with lentils (dahl) in sauce. Very tasty and spicy dish.

 One of the purpose of the fair is for farmers to buy or sell cattle - mostly camels.

Is this camel saying good bye to his master ?

Tourist enjoying a camel ride. The Pushkar fair is a very festive event. Other aspects of the fair later.

Taj Mahal at sunrise, the way most people photograph it. This is at 6:00 a.m. when monument opens for tourists. There is a little bit of pink and lavender in the morning sky but sunrise was not spectaculat on that particular April morning.

As you get closer you can see details and use a tree to frame it. By now sun is up and you can tell that marble colors have warmed up.

Colors are getting warmer and you can see more details. You can recognize shapes of Muslim architecture.

As we are walking out, we see more ways to frame beautiful Taj.

By now it is becoming a game and we are trying to photograph Taj in VERY different ways. It is the season for wheat and we decide to include it in the photo. A tripod was necessary here but I try to travel as light as possible…

From this angle it looks like Taj Mahal in… Goa ?

From the Yamuna side, you can see scenes like this. A woman is bringing sheep home at the end of the day.

And this is my favorite… In the almost dry Yamuna river, a reflection of Taj with birds.

I find watching construction sites very fascinating.

Techniques have not changed much in many years. In India labor is also cheaper than machines.

Women do their share of physical labor

And no matter what they smile and just look great!

A photographer in Paris has  been traveling in India this January. Photos from Paris will return soon in February.

In the meantime, enjoy some photos from India.

Watching sunset from roof top is an activity that I also learned to enjoy.

Mustards fields are in bloom.

A typical rural scene with baby getting a bath.

This guy in Jaisalmer is supposed to have the longest moustache in India…

Proud hotel employee in Bikaner. Rajasthan does turbans in hundreds of ways.

Men discussing in Khuri (desert near Jaisalmer).

Market scene in Jaipur.

Bangles are a very important part of a Rajasthani outfit.

My favorite photo today: anklets on a baby girl in her father’s arms.

For more photos of India look under India in the categories section of my blog.

Or go to A photographer abroad old blog.

On the way from Udaipur to Jaipur, we stopped for Chai at one of those ”stores” you see along the way. The woman making tea told us that she had 2 sons who were going to be married within a few weeks.  Here they are!

We stayed for a while, getting acquainted, sharing biscuits and woman had tea with us.

Spending a little time together gave me more opportunities for photos.

Kids from the neighborhood joined us, after all I look a bit “different” to them as well. When we parted, we were friends!

While traveling in Rajasthan at the end of September, I met this family that my traveling companion knew. We stopped in for tea.

I was invited to admire all the animals and the baby goats were actually quite cute.

Milk for our delicious chai tea was taken right at the source. Could not have been fresher!

Kids and grandparents seemed to have a good simple relationship.

I really like this photo and the conversation that was going on (could not understand it of course but everybody was listening with attention).

At first the mother did not want to be photographed. But then she came back after making herself beautiful and gracefully obliged.

Men and children were sitting in the main room. I did not see any women join them while I was there. 

When visiting Udaipur in Rajasthan, make sure you see the Maharajah’s collection of antique cars. They are all in excellent condition and quite a sight. Especially when you remember that all cars were imported in an area that had no roads or no other cars.

Today in Rajasthan you still see few private cars and if the road system has improved, it is far from ideal.

All together there are 20 cars to be seen at this location, called ”the vintage and classic car collection of the Palace - Udaipur”.