Varanasi blew me away the minute I stepped out of the train. I honestly think it is probably the most amazing place on earth. It is hard to describe the crazy cycle of life and death that is on every corner in the city. It is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on Earth and it probably is. On top of that it is every photographer’s dream – strolling the steps (ghats) around the Ganges river will transport you back in time and will leave a lifetime lasting impression in you. If I can quote Lonely Planet’s travel guide – Varanasi is the India of your imagination.

Photo: Fujifilm X100S

I spent a few days there and got back home with a mountain of photos. But not just a small mountain – imagine something close to the size of Mont Blanc 🙂 The photo above is one of my favourites from the trip. It was early morning and I was strolling along the river for a hundredth time in searching for interesting photos, when I saw these man wash their clothes in the river. I wanted to get a photo with a nice angle, something interesting to tell the story and started walking around them. I tried a few photos, but wasn’t satisfied by the result and decided to sit down and observe a bit. After a few minutes I realised it will be really cool to try and frame them using the clothes line they were using. I climbed a bit higher, waited for a few more minutes and suddenly one of the men made my wish come true 🙂

Moral of the story: Slow down, observe and always try to get an even better shot!