C&T Publications Eye on Fine Art Photography - June 2014 | Page 66

Third Class on the overnight train from Varanasi to New Delhi. © Amanda Stadther

It was about 5am, about as quiet as it gets in New Delhi. There were street traders setting up their stands, street cleaners and people
on their way somewhere. I was a bit nervous taking candid photographs of people going about their business but most didn't seem to
care, they had a busy day ahead and I was just a momentary distraction.
As I became more confident I began buying train tickets, bus tickets and started
traveling around.
Before I left I did a lot of reading. The general opinion was that India was an
exhausting place to visit which was absolutely true. Getting from A to B can be a
nightmare with ever-changing schedules, ancient trains and doubtful train tracks.
It is also an experience hard to match anywhere else. Traveling around on India
Railways in third class was one of the most unforgettable...especially if you get
off the beaten track. People would stare for hours, chattering among themselves
and often a teenager would be nominated to come sit next to me and find out
why this lady was not in the first class section with the other "rich people." They
would ask very personal questions. How much money did I make? Was I
married? Why am I not married? They were fascinated by my digital camera
and how I could take their photo and they could instantly see the photo. This
would send the kids into such happy hysteria that the entire family would gather.
If the families got off before me at a station along the way they would all stand
waving goodbye to me from the platform like I was some long lost family
member.

Local man, Chanderi, India.© Amanda Stadther

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