Streets of India come alive in photographer's exhibition

Dubai: From the bylanes of India's holy city of Varanasi to the Pink City of Jaipur, Dubai photographer Gary Schmid has captured the Indian common man for his exhibition titled Streets of India which was inaugurated by Sanjay Verma, the Indian Consul General in Dubai.

"I tried to avoid the main tourist areas. I was more interested in the alleys of the country," said Schmid, speaking to Gulf News during the event.

During his 16-day travel, he shot in Indian cities like Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi and Delhi. "I had more than 1,000 pictures," said Schmid who shortlisted 30 striking representative photos for the exhibition.

"I wanted to show India in its true light and through its authentic places," he said, explaining that he wasn't looking for a glamorous portrayal of the country; rather he wanted pay homage to the beauty of its people and their indomitable spirit.

Schmid, an internationally-acclaimed commercial photographer whose clients include Jumeirah Group, Corp Executive Hotels, Wafi Hospitality, Swarovski and Saks Fifth Avenue, said his profession requires him to work with staged location, controlled lighting and models.

"I didn't want that when I was travelling through India. I wanted to find out what India was for the people living there. As a result, I met people, who despite their tough living conditions were happy. I have witnessed more happiness in the alleys of Agra than in Western countries, or even Dubai. It was a touching experience."

Dignity

The Consul General told Gulf News that the exhibition captures the dignity of Indians despite difficult circumstances. "I congratulate the artist. He has photographed India with a great amount of emotion and his connection with the country comes through [his photographs]."

Describing the exhibition as "intense", Verma said that the photos capture the Indian sections that are lagging, despite the growing economy. "This is the other side of India. It is life in the backstreets of old historical towns like Varanasi, Jaipur and Agra. And yet, the subjects have a sense of pride. The photos also capture the colour, vitality, culture and festivity of the land."