2010-01-10T14:49:00.054+01:00

Photo of a woman outside Varanasi, Benares.

On the outskirts of Varanasi, Kristian Bertel searched for local captions in his pictures. The woman was preparing some food. With her red scarf around the head, she was looking anxiously and directly into his camera. Curious and aware of the presence of the photographer, her eyes were telling more than words. Obligation and motherhood are represented in this picture.
Varanasi is regarded as a holy city by Buddhists and Jains, and is the holiest place in the world in Hinduism. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious centre in North India for several thousand years.

Photo of the Varuna River. The Varuna River is a minor tributary
of the Ganges River. It is named after the god Varuna.

Colour and character
Travel photography is a passion for the photographer, whose latest portraits from the Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh region of India are published in several series online.

Boy bathing at the banks of the Varuna River.

Activities at the banks of the Varuna River.

The approach
"My generally philosophy is to strive to be original in my approach to taking pictures. My aim is to tell a story and to make the viewer connect or identity with that particular image. It could be anything, from a young woman with a striking, haunting face, to idle landscapes in remote regions of Rajasthan. I think that there is beauty in the most mundane things - it's reavealing it that's the key. It's all about making my ideas for a photo happen."

A local day worker preparing a rickshaw.

Rickshaws
Rickshaws (or rickshas) are a mode of human-powered transport: a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two persons. Rickshaws are commonly made with bamboo. The word rickshaw came from Asia where they were mainly used as means of transportation for the social elite. In recent times the use of rickshaws has been discouraged or outlawed in many countries due to concern for the welfare of rickshaw workers.

A mother is bathing her child.

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Photo by: Kristian Bertel | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh Province