Photos that capture the sights, sounds & soul of India
- Text by Olga de la Iglesia
- Photography by Olga de la Iglesia
There was something very special that I felt in India while I was taking these photographs. Everything I wanted to capture was there, peacefully being. I could not keep it and take it with me, I had to let the moment pass. Observe it and let it go.
During my journey around India I was able to visit a lot of places: Rajasthan, Delhi, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Deogarh, Pushkar, Ranthambore, Agra, Gwalior, Varanasi and Khajuraho. All of them appear in my photographs.


We have been classifying everything by colours our whole lives. It is something that has been rooted in our imaginations, but we are not totally aware of it. When I travelled to India I could not believe the strong emotional reaction I had when I started seeing so many colours, so I asked myself why Indian people use them with such exaltation.
Seeing India every day felt like looking inside my own being. That is exactly how I imagine a world: cities with their streets named after colours, lilac skies, yellow and orange clothes, people wearing red spots on their foreheads, eyes painted in black, eyes painted in blue. Even food smells like colours: saffron scent, curry scent…
I’ve probably forgotten most of the moments I did not want to forget. In the end, the photograph of a distant place is just a memory captured with light.
See more of Olga de la Iglesia’s work on her official website, or follow her on Instagram.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
The heady bliss of Glastonbury Festival after the music
Not Done Yet — While the weekend’s headliners and stacked line-ups usually draws the majority of the attention, much of its magic occurs after the music stops. Mischa Haller’s new photobook captures the euphoria and endless possibilities of Glasto’s “in between” moments.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Confronting America’s history of violence against student protest
Through A Mirror, Darkly — In May 1970, two separate massacres at American college campuses saw deaths at the hands of the state. Naeem Mohaiemen’s new three-channel film memorialises the brutality.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The cathartic roar of Vietnam’s hardcore punk scene
Going hardcore in Saigon — In a country that has gradually opened up in recent decades, a burgeoning youth movement is creating an outlet for youth frustration and anxiety. Frank L’Opez reports from the country’s biggest city’s underground.
Written by: Frank L’Opez
Defiant photos of New York’s ’80s & ’90s queer activists
Arresting Images — Dona Ann McAdams’ photographs document the AIDS crisis, lesbian organising and civil disobedience from one of the most fraught eras in American LGBTQ+ history. A sale of her archive takes place later this month.
Written by: Sydney Lobe
Joe Bloom’s View From a Bridge
More stories, more human — The artist and creator of the vertical video generation’s most loved storytelling platform explains the process behind creating the show, and the importance of bucking trends.
Written by: Isaac Muk
When David Wojnarowicz became Arthur Rimbaud
Arthur Rimbaud in New York — In 1978, the American artist and his friends donned masks to pay tribute to the French poet, who was born a century before him. Miss Rosen traces the differing yet parallel lives of the queer revolutionaries.
Written by: Miss Rosen