By Mary Kay Seales
I traveled to the hill station of Ooty in southern India in 2011 while working as a teacher trainer with the U.S. State Department. Reaching Ooty required a journey through the lush hillsides of the Nilgiri Mountains. Tea plantations and wild untamed forests with elephants, monkeys and Bengali tigers, it’s a journey worth the 10-hour drive from Coimbatore or the historic train ride from Coonoor, a little mountain town.
Stealing their souls?
I’m always careful when photographing people in places I visit. Many people from traditional cultures believe you are stealing their souls with your camera. Taking a photograph of a person is, indeed, an invasion on the part of the photographer, and if the photograph is good, it WILL capture a piece of that person’s soul, right?
While I was taking photos in the little town of Ooty, this man stopped me and ASKED ME to take his photo. I love the accidental backdrop, his handsome and intense face and piercing eyes. I feel he is looking into my soul.
It’s one of my favorite images!
Further Reading:
Lonely Planet South India & Kerala (Travel Guide)
The Conscious Traveler 