If I were to have only one of my images of India this would be it. I know it’s not too sharp and a it’s little grainy, but, this picture of modern schoolgirls around the pool of a Sikh Gudwara in Delhi encapsulates India for me.

Yes there is tradition; Yes there is religion; Yes there is a vibrance of colour, but there is also modernity. Girls at school, in uniform, with schoolbags.

I took the picture in 2007 on our first trip to India. It was made with an inadequate camera – at least judged by the fashion for ultra sharp images of today,  but still it has an enduring quality. It tells a story, even in its singularity, of a nation moving forward. It tells of the importance of religion in this country of over 1.3 billion people, and, it gives a sense of the visual excitement I felt as a westerner. I know it’s not perfect but hey…it’s my wife’s favourite picture. Say no more.