I was an awkward 13-year-old girl with braces when I first went to India in 2008. My mom and I were at a school she supported deep within the chaos of the city. This school was a quiet haven surrounded by pure madness outside in the street. We spent a lot of time staring out of the windows, which acted as gateways into Kolkata. Homeless families lived outside the school’s walls, some of whom had children who attended the school. Coconut stands, yellow taxis, and sugarcane stalls sat amongst the flow of people — there was much to observe. These men photographed starred out their window and into ours. Our admiration seemed reciprocated.

Kolkata, India. 2008.

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