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This week, The Photowalk steps into another world. I’ve swapped the familiar footpaths of my English home for the rich tapestry of India, a country that stirs something profound in you from the moment you arrive. The air feels heavier with story, the colours seem to hum, and every turn in the road holds a scene you’ve not experienced before. India doesn’t just invite you in, it wraps itself around you.

In this special episode, I travel with nine curious photographers through Delhi and Jodhpur, cameras at the ready, to witness many scenes, including the festival of colour, Holi, where colourful powders of the Spring celebration hang in the air, and the streets come alive.

Alongside co-leader Jason Florio and our Indian guides Shivam and Arvind, I talk photography, travel, and the way India overwhelms every sense: the smell of spice and diesel, the sounds of laughter and rickshaws, the heat, the rhythm, the way that everyday life plays out with a sense of theatre, spontaneous, heartfelt, and unforgettable.

Part postcard, part diary, this is your personal invitation to join me and become the Other Traveller. Because next year, we’re doing it again. Photographers often talk about seeing with fresh eyes, but India doesn’t just give you that. It wonderfully demands it.

Email your stories, thoughts, and pictures to the show. If you can optimize/resize photos to 2,500 pixels wide, that’s always much appreciated. If you’d like to support this show and have access to further content and the midweek Extra Mile show, we’d welcome you as an EXTRA MILER. There’s also our thriving Facebook group, a safe place to meet and talk with photographers of all interests, the Photowalk YouTube channel, plus the show is featured on Instagram, VERO and X.

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MORE ABOUT names, words, THE MUSIC and places FROM TODAY’S SHOW

Yamuna Ghat, where devotion meets stillness, is one of Delhi’s most sacred riverfronts — a place where light, ritual, and reflection come together at dawn.

Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the Jama Masjid in 1650. It is one of the largest and most iconic mosques in India.

Delhi has been continuously inhabited for over a thousand years, evolving through layers of history to become the vibrant capital of modern India.

Traditional Indian wrestling, known as kushti, is still practiced by the ghats in Delhi, where wrestlers train in clay pits using techniques passed down through generations.

Established in 1853 with a line between Bombay and Thane, the Indian railway system became a backbone of India’s transport and economic development.

Taj Mahal, a 17th-century white marble mausoleum in Agra, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Jodhpur, founded in the 15th century, grew from a desert stronghold into a bustling city known for its blue-painted houses and rich cultural heritage.

The honku was a clever twist on the traditional haiku, born out of urban frustration and creative wit in early 2000s Brooklyn. It was the brainchild of Aaron Naparstek, who, after a particularly aggravating encounter with incessant car honking outside his apartment, decided to channel his road rage into poetry. Instead of retaliating with eggs (which he initially did), he began composing haiku about the honking — thus, the honku was born.

The tuk-tuk, also known as an auto rickshaw, became an integral part of Delhi's urban landscape after India's independence, offering an affordable and nimble mode of transportation that adapted to the city's growing needs.

In March and April 2025, Photowalk listeners have had a special offer to buy a pair of fantastic LOWA boots, so if you need NEW boots to walk that trail, then you’ll be pleased to know that using code PHOTOWALK on www.lowa.co.uk – you can receive 25% off a price of boots or shoes up to the end of April 2025. We’re also GIVING AWAY a pair of LOWAs to UK listeners who send in a great picture story from the walks you take along the trail. Due to shipping, we can only accept entries from the UK this time around - send your letters and pictures to stories@photowalk.show

Kelvin Brown’s flickr Photowalk inspired group - join by invite by clicking on to THIS LINK.

MUSIC LINKS: Music on the show is sourced primarily from Artlist and also features in Michael Brennan’s Spotify playlist GoFoto. For Apple Music users, follow this playlist.

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THE SHOWPAGE GALLERY

PETER JEHLE

So I guess the question is, ‘Why India’? Well, to answer that first let me tell you ‘Why Photography”. I remember just as if it was yesterday when my art teacher arranged for a photographer to set up a darkroom in a small room in the art department, and with two school friends, I watched that first picture appear in the tray. That was it, pure magic for me, and I was going to Photography College. That was back in the early 1970s, and that magic is still there even in a digital world.

When the opportunity to travel with like-minded fellow travellers presented itself, I jumped at the chance without any hesitation. I always wanted to visit India but probably never would have, especially as I have never been further than a few European country destinations.

However, as the time grew near, I became hesitant and wondered if I had been somewhat hasty. I was concerned that my age may be an issue, not so much for me, but that I may be a hindrance to the rest of the group. I need not have worried; there were no issues whatsoever.

If you ever have the chance to go to India, just go. You will be overwhelmed by the colours and your senses will take a beating but in a wonderful way. The people are special and so so friendly. Photo opportunities are everywhere so expect to make many pictures. It was like that first time seeing an image appear in the tray so very long ago - pure magic.

What did I take away from the trip? First my fellow travellers and our tour guides were wonderful and helped make the experience so special, but a personal realisation for me was that it has made me hungry for more and especially the realisation that there is still life in this old dog yet.

MAT BOBBY

In the past, before a trip, as the departure date approaches, my packing ritual begins. I try to imagine the photographs I might make and I start packing my camera bag, only to unpack it and start the entire process anew. Eventually, I reach out to my friend Cory and ask something like, “Hey Cory, what are your thoughts on this camera and lens combo compared to that other one? You know, as a backup.”

So, what have I learned? Apart from comfortable shoes being a must, none of what I packed in my camera bag really matters. Before going to India, I was obsessing about gear. After I got there, I realized that this is so much bigger than making images. This is a life experience that will forever live inside me, whether I made pictures of all the moments or not.

Looking back, what stands out as most meaningful are the people I’ve met. The human connections—those fleeting friendships formed while visiting a bustling market or a mosque after Ramadan—remain vivid in my memory. The hospitality of strangers, the deeper bonds that developed over shared meals, bus rides, or the laughter shared in a tuk-tuk hurling through a crowded alley—these experiences will forever be etched in my mind.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love making photographs. Without a camera, my life would undoubtedly be less vibrant. But the experiences that I shared with you and our fellow travelers are even more precious to me than the pictures that remind me of them.

India was a trip I can’t stop thinking about: It was so radically different than anywhere I’ve ever been. I hope to continue exploring it, meeting more of its people, and making more memories there.

Oh, by the way, has anyone seen Bill?

See more of Mat Bobby’s work on his website, Instagram and on FOTO.

AMANDA WOOD

The immediate immersion into the noise of honking car horns and chaotic driving was startling and in complete contrast to the quieter open spaces we call home. I felt unbalanced with the erratic pace of traffic, of buses, tuk-tuks, taxis and trucks, motorbikes, even tractors and handcarts, as well as hundreds of people on foot. And cows! Even though I felt a buzz of excitement I was not yet making sense of anything. There was colour, blurred movements, old and new melded together, contrasts and distractions. And I had no idea how I would capture any of the street scenes with my camera in the dull, hazy light of the early morning with dark shadows made even blacker by old paint, crumbling concrete and bundled webs of electric cables, followed later in the day by scorchingly bright sunlight. In addition, the Indian complexions, dark skin tones, black hair and dark eyes - would I be able to capture expressions in the eyes and texture in the skin and hair. And, how to get separation of subjects in all this jumble?

Some of the Photowalk group had it already figured out and were off and running and despite a mild panicky feeling I could only stand still and just observe the chaos. Slowly it helped to filter different elements and there, woven into this rich tapestry, were the warps and wefts that formed the canvas, the background and the stage for the performers; the flower seller quietly threading fresh flowers onto a string to make a garland; the chai seller boiling and straining milk and skilfully pouring the hot tea into hand-made terracotta cups; the barber giving men with slightly worried eyes close shaves with his cutthroat razor. Street food vendors frying batch after batch of pakoras and samosas in deep circular kadai’s, and toasting flatbreads and stuffed parathas on tawas. Shoe cleaners squatted in that perfectly easy relaxed way next to their boxes of polish and brushes; there were makers and repairers of thongs (the sort you wear on your feet),alongside sellers of cow dung cakes (not the sort you eat!) and twig toothbrushes from Neem trees.

Women in vibrant saris sweep the streets with brooms made from dried grass and shop for the freshest of bitter gourds and leafy greens. All sorts of items are repaired on the streets - parts of motorcycles and helmets are patched and glued, and tailors with treadle sewing machines mend and alter clothes. Cycle trishaws ferry goods as well as people around the city - sometimes having to jump off to haul the trishaw when the pedalling gets too hard.

It’s all a riot of activity.

Black masks and bundles of lemons and green chilies hang above doorways to ward off negative energies and evil spirits. Puja offerings of flowers and burning diyas float on the river from religious rituals and the silent prayers of Hindu worshippers. And as we were in the period of Ramadan we witnessed many thousand families gathering to break fast at Jama Masjid.

All these scenes were vignettes that could be woven into that canvas to create a storybook - and photos were definitely bagged. A few thousand of them! Our guides, Shivam and Arvind, and mentors, Neale and Jason were invaluable. As were the encouraging words and enthusiasm from everyone in the group. Did my photography change? Yes. It did. I was no longer disappointed when my composition got photo-bombed or I got nudged or I underexposed. Instead I embraced the extra element as the suggestion of something or someone moving in or out of the frame and that the image could benefit from the unexpected inclusions. I think India might look slightly unreal with the perfectly focussed, perfectly aligned and perfectly exposed image.

And so back to those cows!! I never got over my surprise and amusement to see cows in the central reservation of the expressways, in the streets, camped outside shops and homes, and life just manoeuvring around them - it became quite the enduring memory of India.

JOHN BASELEY

You will not see this in a curated podcast or YouTube upload. You meet, talk and share with the real people who you hold in such high regard and know them at the same understanding in life. By paying for my photography adventure, I bought it with my own intent.

It was my significant commitment in approaching my own honesty to what photography meant to me and it took a trip to India to do this. I truly had my doubts and didn't know my own path in where my own photography would lead me. Many choose photography, but photography chooses few. By making this commitment, I knew.

My time with Jason Florio taught me not to look at a situation by simply taking a pleasing image, but document it as an observer for others.

With Neale James, it consolidated an experience that created a path I didn’t know I needed to travel.

Shivam Pandey, A Leica ambassador, it gave me the guidance to frame the vision I had and made it true.

The situations photographed were more valuable - they became something I had never created before. Surrounding yourself with people who inspire, drive and support you is more valuable than any photography equipment you will ever purchase. This possibly was the most profound, unexpected and needed “Upgrade” in the journey I needed.

I will forever be grateful that there are people who can come together and create an opportunity for such an experience.

BILL MARRIOTT

Some places you visit engage you with it’s history, others engage you with it’s beauty, others with architecture, still others with cuisine, geography or culture. But for me, India engaged me on all fronts and fully captured my heart and my soul!!

Three words come to mind when I think about my experience in India. Energy. Authentic. Dynamic.

From the minute you land in India, you can feeI the energy and that energy stays with you. In fact, I felt alive, excited and engaged every hour of every day. I was present throughout, and that can be struggle in my usual routine. This is likely due to the fact that India engages all five senses. You can see, hear and feel India and you can even taste and yes, smell it.

Authentic. When I returned home, I began reviewing all of the various portraits of the people I met and photographed. I realized I could see a realness that I don't often see in other portraits. In the US and in many western cultures, people are very aware of their appearance and what we call our personal brand. They often feel compelled to flash a big smile, regardless of how they are actually feeling. But I noticed that every person I photographed in India looked squarely into the camera and didn’t feel compelled to smile or put on airs. No need to straighten your clothes or fix your hair in India. The people in the portraits I shot projected a strong sense of dignity and pride (not arrogance) that conveyed genuineness and honesty. They are beautiful people!

Dynamic. India is a dynamic place where things happen quickly; very quickly. In fact things can and usually do change on a dime. I’m reminded of the time we were in our van driving through a small village and suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, we were surrounded by a parade of people playing instruments and waving multicolored flags and banners as they made their way to a temple to worship. Our driver and the other cars, Tuk Tuks and motorcycles didn’t skip a beat, but rather simply adjusted to the new traffic patterns. You never know what to expect from minute to minute in India, but it always delights and entertains.

The spontaneous, unpredictability of life in India can be unnerving for some people, but to me it was exhilarating and engaging. A quick story to illustrate this, I lost my suitcase at the Delhi airport. I was totally at fault. I foolishly left it on the kerb as we lined up to enter the air terminal and didn't realize it until inside.

Ordinarily, this would upset or disturb me, but somehow in India, I felt differently. Rather than worry or complain, I immediately accepted the reality of the situation, like all of the other spontaneous things that happen every day in India and made plans for buying the new clothes and toiletries I’d need to carry on with the rest of the trip. I’m not sure I would be quite as accepting and flexible had I not been in India.

I’ve travelled to India 5 or 6 times now and each time brings me one step closer to the essence of India. The things that made me frightened or worried on earlier trips now delight me. This made me more open and willing to reach out to people and participate in their lives. From joining into a cricket match with young boys in a park to spontaneously dancing with my fellow photographers and locals on the streets of Jodhpur, I tried to be open to every generous opportunity afforded me in this culturally rich landscape. And I feel that this resulted in some of my best and most satisfying photographic work ever. And I should also mention that the unusually quick bonding of our merry band of photographers, guides and leaders made the trip even more memorable and rewarding. I feel I made friendships that may well last a lifetime.

In short, the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells along with the people I met and lived with for 14 days in India, had a lasting impact on me. As I review the photos I took it makes me thankful for the India Adventure and eager to embrace the next adventure on the horizon!

LYNN FRASER

It’s always interesting trying to put into words the impact a place has on you, and I’m not sure those that follow will convey the effect India had on me.

It was, as anticipated, an unforgettable assault on the senses—vibrant, chaotic, noisy, but utterly captivating. Everywhere was a whirlwind of colour, sound, and scent. Delhi pulsed with life: honking tuk tuks weaving through a never-ending stream of traffic, street vendors calling out to passersby, fireworks lighting the night sky to celebrate yet another Indian cricket win. Every corner held something unexpected—ancient monuments tucked beside modern skyscrapers; offerings to the god Ganesh around the base of a tree; a sudden splash of colour in a sari shop; the tangled, knotted power cables that seem to decorate all Asian streets, complete with bird feeders. The past and present seemed to live side by side, layered into every surface.

There was a rhythm and flavour to each place we visited whether that was the relative tranquility of sunrise at Yamuna Ghat, the slow awakening of daily life on the streets, the vibrancy of the vegetable and flower market, or the hustle and bustle of the train station. In Agra, the Taj Mahal stood serene and luminous within the constant stream of chattering tourists. Jodhpur was a dream in blue—its maze-like alleys revealing friendly faces and impromptu conversations. A stark contrast to the harum-scarum tuk tuk ride that got us there; white knuckles, blaring horn, dodgy manoeuvres, and an airborne hat.

And then there was Holi. The wild, joyous madness of it—colours flying, music blaring, strangers smearing gulal on your face with grins and laughter—was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It wasn’t just a festival; it was a moment of pure, unfiltered celebration, shared by everyone around. ‘Happy Holi’ was the soundtrack of the day.

Saving the best to last: the people. Everywhere we went, we were met with warmth, curiosity, and generosity. Strangers would stop to ask where we were from, offer advice or directions, or simply start a conversation. There was an openness and genuine interest in connecting, not to mention a burning desire to have their photo taken with a foreigner. By the end of the trip I was beginning to wonder whether I would go viral, although hopefully not given the number of startling Snapchat filters that were applied to these phone selfies. Even without a shared language, smiles and gestures bridged the gaps, along with Google translate at times - often a few words were all it took to spark a connection. For me, travel is about people, and India is full of people who make you feel seen, welcomed, and, somehow, at home.

I haven’t just brought back a hard drive of images, but a feeling. A sense of warmth from the people, an appreciation for beauty in both order and mayhem, and a better sense of seeing stories in layers. There is history beneath modern life, joy within chaos, and stillness within disorder. India didn’t just offer images; it offered, or even demanded, immersion. And I think that’s why the trip will linger with me. Namaste, Lynn.

DAVID WOOD

India…one BIG regret… that we left it soooo long before we visited and experienced what it had to offer. The fact that we had lived on its doorstep for almost five years but never took the time to visit…even a lifetime might not be enough to uncover all of its hidden gems. The country’s spiritual heritage is as vast as its geography, with many sacred sites offering profound experiences.

But for this visit anyway the one stand out for me will always be the moment we walked through the main gate arch and took our first full view of the Taj Mahal. Millions upon millions of photographs have been taken of this wonder of the world…. but up close and personal….it simply is the most outstanding piece of architecture….breathtaking.

And also, and probably most importantly, being part of a group of such wonderful folks dedicated to their passion. There are no barriers when you find passion in what you do. The real secret lies in keeping your curiosity alive, continuing to learn, and not letting the fear of time stop you from enjoying life. Every day is a new opportunity to create, to laugh, and to show that it is never too late to move forward with enthusiasm and joy…. this group certainly achieved that!"

MICHAEL ASSMANN

There are a number of things that made the India trip special for me:

First thing to mention is that I had not expected to experience such a vibrant life of the local Muslim community there. Breaking fast with them in the largest mosque of Delhi was certainly one of the highlights of the trip. Seeing the people stream into the place and prepare for that special moment of the day offered lots of opportunities to talk to them and to document this process through the eyes of an outsider. Many of them invited me to sit with them, and I ended up celebrating “the moment” with a group of young language students.

This interaction with the locals continued as we visited a Muslim neighborhood and especially the shops there. As in the markets we’ve seen it was not always easy to communicate in English, but I greatly enjoyed the openness towards foreigners who were interested in their work.

One thing we definitely had to do in India was a train ride as this had been one of the original ideas for this trip. Spending a whole day with the railway provided so many photographic opportunities, especially when our first train was delayed and we had more than enough time to explore the area. This way I had the chance to talk to many people in the station and the rolling stock maintenance shop nearby, including various workers and an Amazon team leader who handles customer complaints. This was unplanned but wonderful.

Speaking of highlights: Buying our clothes for the Holi Festival in a local shop in Jodhpur was certainly another. Not just for us, because how often can a shopkeeper see ten Westerners preparing for the festivities?

As easy as it was to engage with people, it was way more difficult for us - photographers from Australia, UK, US and Germany - to remain unnoticed, even in larger crowds, as we tried to document everyday life. Many people asked us for selfies with them, which was unexpected. At the same time, this made it easier for us to make their portraits later. And after a while, when we stayed longer in a place, people got back to their activities which allowed us to make the documentary-style photographs we really had in mind.

I am happy with many of my images from the adventure in India. Not surprisingly, and despite all the country's beautiful colors, some of my favourites are black & white ones, as this is a wonderful medium for documentary photography. This is my favourite genre of photography and I learned so much again during the trip, not least from the exchange with my fellow photographers and our guides.

As Jim Richardson said in one of the recent shows: "the story begins once a photograph is taken". India is a place that I would return to in a heartbeat to delve even deeper into some of the stories I discovered there.

NICOLA ELLIOTT

There were a few reasons I joined the adventure to India - a return to the country I visited at the age of 18 and because I was heading towards a significant birthday of 70 in August which I will say, seems absolutely ridiculous. I had my memories of India although I knew the two visits were going to be very different and that’s exactly how it turned out.

Obviously India had changed over the 50 years since my original trip. It had modernised in many ways but it was in many ways the India of my youth. One of the first things I remembered was the traffic and this was as crazy as before, with the horn being a necessary part of each journey. The smells, both good and bad, assaulted the nose as we walked and all life could be seen in the markets and streets, and roadside barbers conducted their business as bicycles, mopeds, tuktuks and other vehicles passed with their cacophony of engines and toots. The one aspect of the trip that will stay with me forever was the friendliness of complete strangers, the desire to welcome us. Most people we met wanted to engage with us and often invited us to take their photograph - they loved it and so did we.

The Holi festival was even better than I had hoped. We were welcomed and were genuinely encouraged to be part of the celebrations. I will never forget the joy happiness and colour that it spread through the streets.

It’s impossible to describe the whole experience and memories that India has given me to say nothing of the friendships gained. Our Indian guides, Shivam and Arvind were totally part of the experience and were amazing and generous in sharing their country with us. I left India with so many memories and a renewed belief in living life to the full and meeting new people. I hope that our wonderful group will keep in touch for many years.