India: An Exhibition Of Our Beautiful Differences & How We Are All The Same

As I continue to experience the corners of our earth, what I have discovered more than anything is the common thread that we all share. My love and respect for nature and its inhabitants is what drives me to share my experiences through photography. My images of India are simultaneously unique yet universal and above all representative of our shared existences here on earth.

As film photography allows me to connect more deeply with my subject, I made the decision to only take one camera, a Hasselblad Xpan that uses 35mm film, and one lens. My desire to pack light enabled me to immerse myself in the culture without the barrier of heavy equipment. The importance of timing and precision in my work is demonstrated by the uncropped images that were framed and shot in the moment. All of the images in this exhibit were only shot one time. Since I’m shooting on film, the 21 frames of each roll force me to carefully consider each shot as I snap the shutter. Working with film both deepens my love for photography and expands my understanding of how to capture the essence of what I experience.

My wish is to leave the viewer with an inspiration to fearlessly seek the beauty that surrounds us.

Each image in this series is part of a limited edition of 8. I chose the number 8 because of its’ prevalence in the Hinduism tradition which holds the belief that 108 is a significant and holy number. Ancient Hindu sages believed that the number 108 represented the distance from the body of the devotee to the god situated within. This is why all mantras are chanted 108 times as each chant represents a journey from our material self toward our highest spiritual self.