Paharganj, Delhi, India

Here I am in Delhi on my third day in India, I've discovered that I can pick up a wi fi signal here in the hotel from the internet cafe next door so I thought I'd use the opportunity to post some images from my first few days.
I'm staying in the Paharganj area which is a bit of a tourist hub due to it's proximity to the station and like most people I'm spending a couple of days here before continuing my trip.
First impressions are that Delhi and especially this market never stop moving, there is a constant swirl of people, dogs, rickshaws, cars and yes cows all moving within about two inches of each other (and yet somehow never managing to collide). Apart from the sights, the sounds and smells are also continually bombarding your senses - It really is quite like nothing else I've seen before


The images above were taken on the main street in the Paharganj which really seems to come alive in the evenings, lots of people light little fires and huddle round them for warmth as it is still quite chilly here in the evenings. The street during the day is no less busy and the image below was taken near my hotel in the direction towards New Delhi train station. The street can feel a bit exhausting at times but the numerous local street dogs seem to take it all in their stride



It's nice to have some light to play with, the early morning light here is fantastic and seems to soften everything giving it a diffused glow. In contrast the midday sun is quite harsh and is tricky to meter for - as can be seen in the second image of the street vendor. As I'm editing the images as I go along the trip I plan to base my workflow round these conditions, shooting in the morning and late afternoon and editing during midday



Horsepower and peddle power are still very much in use here and this adds to quite a bizarre mix of the the modern and the ancient - note the girl on the rickshaw in the foreground using her mobile phone. The extremes of poverty and wealth are really apparent here


Just after taking the picture above a little shoeless street kid came up to me and offered to take my photo, the poor little scamp could hardly hold the camera in his wee hands so I gave him a bit of help by supporting the lens, not a bad shot for a novice


Afterwards I returned the service by taking a shot of him, I showed him the image of himself on the back of the camera and his face cracked into a smile, I then handed him a few rupees and he wandered off to continue his uncertain little future - be thankful for what you've got.