I started off the trip revisiting a home I grew up in for the first 5 years of my life before moving to the UK. Going down a memory lane of where I grew up and my surroundings was really refreshing and also very new to me. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and seeing what they got up to in their daily schedule. Once having a look at my surroundings and the place I was working with I began to start planning a few shoots I wanted to carry out with my grand mother. Going into the project, a lot of my work was focused on my personal aesthetic which is classy, simple and minimalistic however, I decided to go out of my comfort zone while being on this trip and capture a range of photography. Indian culture is all about festivities, bold colours, embroiders, loud patterns and embellishments. Therefore, I quickly realised that a minimal aesthetic would not be suitable for my final major project and the concept of history I am looking to explore.
A few images of the store I visited in India.
A lot of the masks I make at home were sold in a product formate which was something I was unaware of.
I decided to take a trip to India for two weeks as part of my Indian skincare research for my fmp project. Living in the UK and being raised in the western world has massively transformed my identity from a cultural point of view. Therefore, I decided to travel India for two weeks embracing different cultures, traditions, food and fashion. My focus for this trip was purely on photography for my fmp, capturing individuals in their day to day lives and the landscape to add more depth to my research. I planned on visiting different cities to differentiate the cultures and their way of living. During my travels, I came across an organisation which was based around the world of Ayurveda which particularly grabbed my interest. A someone who is not knowledge about Ayurveda, I visited a store called ‘Patanjali’ to find out more about Ayurveda and the different ranges of products they had to offer. I came across a range of products made from organic clay and produce found in India. The whole concept of the brand is about organic and sustainable products which is used to cure hair, health and skin concerns which you may be dealing with. The trip to the store was very successful as it took me down a new skincare avenue which I was unaware of. Therefore, I decided to get in touch with a doctor who specialised in Ayurveda to learn more about the benefits of using it and more cultural ingredients and organise a potential interview to expand my research which I was exploring India.
Independent fashion and accessories exhibition:
I visited a fashion and accessories exhibition which was held in Surat, India to browse through what was available in terms of fashion. I took images of outfits and accessories which stood out to me and grabbed my attention. I found a common theme of embroidery through out all the different stalls I looked through, each item was crafted with attention to detail. Loose fit, wide leg trousers were the most trendy as well as hand crafted bags. I found several different stalls selling a variation of oxidised silver jewellery. Looking through the exhibition, it was really interesting to see how Indian fashion has evolved over time and designer catering specific designs for the younger audience by introducing new styles to fit the social media trends. It almost encourages young people to be more confident wearing traditional wear and incorporate it in their daily wear.