Taking Photos
Taj Mahal
India
July 2003
I am at the Taj and in a near convulsion status. I am so excited to be here that I can hardly contain myself. There is so much to see and so much to photograph. I have a personal guide with me who is working too hard for his tip and he won't leave me alone. It is as if he is glued to me and I just want to shake him off and run around and take too many damn photos.
I suggest he go somewhere and get a cup of tea. But he would have none of that suggestion.
"It is OK Madame. I am here to keep you safe Madame. No trouble," he quietly replies.
I tell him I need time to take photos. I tell him that I am going to take a lot of photos and that I will wander off by myself.
"It's OK, Madame, I will go with you". There is too much annoying kindness in his spoke-spoken voice.
"No, you sit here so I know where I can find you when I am finished. Just stay here," I attempt to insist. I watch my tone so as not to offend him. He seems to get it because he sits down on one of the low walls. I am relieved and run off to take multiple photos of the same shot.
I come back a few minutes later and he is talking to a man and a woman. He seems to be familiar with them.
"OK, Madame, they will pose for you," he tells me.
"What?" I don't understand what he is telling me.
"I see that you like to take photos of people so I have asked this family and they said they will pose for you. Where do you want them to stand?"
The two strangers look at me for some direction. The man is holding his small child and the woman stands by his side in a perfect family pose.
"No, no," I tell them, "That is not necessary."
"No, they do not mind. I told them you are from America and they are happy to help you. We love America." My guide is so genuine in his efforts that I feel compelled to take a shot or two even though I am running out of film and have no interest in a candid photo of this family. I take one photo and move my camera around to take another shot. They, too, move themselves around for this second shot. I take the photo and thank them for their time. They thank me for taking their photos.
They leave, happy to have served in a small mission of good will. My guide is happy that he has been so damn accommodating to me. And I am feeling a little bit like the Ugly American.
