There were many photo ops in the palaces with their lacey screens which the women used to hide behind; mosaics on the ceilings and walls with glass to reflect light; fountains once filled with rose scented water and marvelous Indian architecture, especially the temples with the intricate carvings, many of Ganesh, the ubiquitous elephant-headed god, along with dancing goddesses.

To me, the countryside of India was the most interesting. Cities such as Delhi and Jaipur, having become very westernized, didn’t appeal to the photographer in me as much. We got out into the little villages and there we found camels - often decorated with paint, shaved hides or adorned with necklaces - arrogantly plodding along, pulling wagons. There were herds of sheep or goats being guided down the sides of roads, Brahman cattle munching anything available in the village streets including cardboard boxes and, of course, always the kaleidoscopic turbans and saris of the locals. It was pointed out to me that much of what I enjoyed in India was of those living in poverty, still living their lives as they have for hundreds of years.

Rumbling along the highways in the van had me sitting in the front seat along with my digital camera in hand struggling to take shots of all that I saw, even the many motorcycles with the man driver in front wearing a helmet with a woman behind in vivid sari, helmetless, and sometimes a family of three or four piled on as well. I saw round discs being made from cow or sheep dung then left to dry in the sun to later be used as fuel. People could be seen pumping water from wells with a handle or a wheel but sometimes just pulling up water with a rope and a bucket. Deep in the countryside we even passed two Brahmas going in a circle pulling a device that pulled up water for irrigation, a system that I am sure has been used for centuries.

Every village had lively markets with fruits and vegetables laid out to be sold, along with chai tea, spices, clothing and jewelry. Traffic on the highways would slow down drastically due to these markets and overwhelming number of people everywhere, and sometimes tiny carts would be set up right on the side of the highway. Being on the highways was very scary with much weaving back and forth and a lot of honking when passing, a fact of life. It made me nervous but eventually, I got used to it, realizing this is just how it is in India. It was the same in the large cities as well, with six lanes of vehicles forcing their way into three lanes of road.

I couldn’t take enough photographs. I’m not sure which are my favorites but the ones I will always be drawn to are those of the friendly faces of India; smiling, wonderful faces, only too happy for me to take their photo.

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Linda Mathieu, an American living in France, is always out and about with camera in hand. She owns and operates Paris Photo Tours while maintaining her popular blog, lindamathieu.com featuring photos and postings of France and other countries she visits.

Text and Photos copyright ©2010 Linda Mathieu.