_Prior to visiting India for the first time, i met someone who said to me visiting India is "an assault on all your senses from the moment you get off the plane".  That quote has stuck with me and i can't think of a better way to sum up my experience in one sentence.

From the moment i stepped foot on Indian soil i was overwhelmed with initially the noise, congestion and heat - And the time was just past midnight.  I hadn't been outside the airport terminal doors for 3 minutes before i was being scammed (unsuccessfully) that my hotel was full and i had to go with another man to his hotel.

However 3 days in and you adjust to the pace of this country, its inefficiencies and more importantly the true beauty of the landscape, people and cultures that make it one of the most remarkable countries i've visited.

Once you've acclimatised you find that your senses are still under assault every day, though in a good way.  Sure the smell of sewage is still a smell that is hard to acclimatise to regardless of the longevity of your visit.  And the seemingly endless and piercing sounds of car horns that do not stop day or night can take some adjusting to (especially when trying to sleep) but these are small inconveniences when compared to the overall experience you can get from sub continent.

The Indian cuisine is nothing short of jaw-dropping.  Flavours, intense and powerful with specialties in each region.  I particularly like the Northern Indian cuisine with influences from Tibet and other himalayan areas.

Equally impressive and diverse as the food is the Indian scenery. From sun-drenched palm dotted beaches of the south, to desolate and sparse desert regions such as Rajasthan and snow capped mountainous regions such as Lakdah make India a true photographers paradise.

I can't recommend this country enough as a place to visit and experience for yourself. Like me i believe you will leave disappointed you didn't allow yourself more time to immerse yourself in a culture like no other.

As part of the photography challenges we were set on the Perth Photography Tours that i will help run from Fremantle, each participant was asked to find and photograph the elements and principles that were discussed and taught prior to the the challenge.  It's a great way of getting a photographer to think about his surroundings in a way that they may not of thought about before.  In this photograph the challenge was to find texture set around the Fremantle markets, I have captured the rough texture of the bark and also focused on the lines created from the branch of the trees.  The soft dappled light helps to emphasise the texture much more than if it was in harsh direct sunlight.