Encounters Along the Way
Images of People and Places - from India and Other Corners of the Globe - by Joseph L. Sanders
“Nothing induces concentration or inspires like an alien landscape or a foreign culture.”
My combined love of travel and love of photography were, in large part, gifts from my parents. Some of my most vivid childhood memories were of cross-country journeys with them from our home in northwest Montana - first in our old Rambler to Texas and California - later by pickup camper to Alaska, and all over British Columbia and Alberta. Their gift of an old box camera (the kind you hold at your waist and look down into the viewfinder) at about that same early age set me off capturing images of whatever struck my fancy, at least to the extent that limited film and funds would allow.
I've been fortunate in my 60 years to have had the opportunity to see many parts of the world - on holidays and as a "trailing spouse" tagging along with my amazing wife, Diane, as her work in international healthcare took us to various corners of the globe, most recently to India for a year. Altogether, I've been blessed to visit nearly 30 countries, with more still on my bucket list.
“All good trips are, like love, about being carried out of yourself and deposited in the midst of terror and wonder.”
The most memorable and rewarding moments in my travels have come from simply wandering - often semi-lost (occasionally completely lost), and feeling more than a little in over my head - and from connecting with people I have met in the course of those detours and diversions. The images I am sharing here have come from those random wanderings and human connections - of people, places and situations I have encountered along the way.
My goal in creating and sharing this gallery is to offer something different from typical travel photography. Human encounters, in particular, are each a unique moment in time, and that's what I've tried to capture in many of these images. I hope you enjoy them.
Joseph Sanders
Olympia, Washington, USA
