The fringes of society are not the only point of convergence for odd characters. Least of all in India. Confronted by a foreigner with a camera, a man of modest means, excited by said foreigner’s appearance and interest in him, might act rather queerly. Although this response isn’t strictly natural in the general sense, it is by no means posed or artificial, as the subject is acting entirely of their own accord. So when they proffer bananas in shock, or hide their face behind a cup of chai or a cigarette, that’s the reaction I capture. The most frequent response is nervously calling out to friends nearby to “get a load of this”.

Sometimes the interpretation of what’s going on is difficult. Most people in the market don’t speak any English besides “hello” and “how are you”, shouted across the street. I remember this fellow actually asked me to take his photo (miming, of course) with a smile on his face, but when I looked through the lens, he looked like he was about to burst into tears. It was rather odd.

Sometimes I get beaming smiles and sometimes I go unnoticed. Either way, I generally capture something I think is worth seeing.

Occasionally, I just don’t know what to think.