Photos that capture the sights, sounds & soul of India

Photos that capture the sights, sounds & soul of India
The Travel Diary — From Rajasthan and Delhi to Jodhpur and Pushkar: In the latest Travel Diary, Barcelona photographer Olga de la Iglesia shares her colourful Indian portrait series.

There was something very special that I felt in India while I was taking these photographs. Everything I wanted to capture was there, peacefully being. I could not keep it and take it with me, I had to let the moment pass. Observe it and let it go.

During my journey around India I was able to visit a lot of places: Rajasthan, Delhi, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Deogarh, Pushkar, Ranthambore, Agra, Gwalior, Varanasi and Khajuraho. All of them appear in my photographs.

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We have been classifying everything by colours our whole lives. It is something that has been rooted in our imaginations, but we are not totally aware of it. When I travelled to India I could not believe the strong emotional reaction I had when I started seeing so many colours, so I asked myself why Indian people use them with such exaltation.

Seeing India every day felt like looking inside my own being. That is exactly how I imagine a world: cities with their streets named after colours, lilac skies, yellow and orange clothes, people wearing red spots on their foreheads, eyes painted in black, eyes painted in blue. Even food smells like colours: saffron scent, curry scent…

I’ve probably forgotten most of the moments I did not want to forget. In the end, the photograph of a distant place is just a memory captured with light.

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See more of Olga de la Iglesia’s work on her official website, or follow her on Instagram.

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