Leading up to the midterm elections in November, I worked on a project photographing scenes around the Presidency using an instant film camera called a Fuji Instax, similar to a Polaroid.
(Click here to view the selection in Full Focus.)
That was right on the heels of a President Obama 11 day, 4 country trip to Asia including stops in Mumbai and New Delhi, India.
We arrived several hours early for a welcoming ceremony for Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Indian Presidential Palace, in New Delhi. The security was very tight but once we were inside and in our position, I had time to shoot some Polaroids.
We were in a sectioned off press position and the Indian security would not let us out beyond the rope. However, I could move around freely within the section. The Indian press were fascinated with the camera. They were as anxious to see the images develop as I was.
When we first arrived, the light was beautiful and the red clay on the ground photographed well with the camera. Ironically, it was much more of a challenge when Obama finally arrived (I was shooting digital at this point) because the light became very harsh and contrasty as the morning progressed.
