Raghu Rai, The Merchant Of Images

It wasn’t in the distant past. The backdrop had snow-capped mountains and pillars. Hand-painted in shades of grey and white with touches of pink. A shoot where people were invited to sit in for a portrait as part of an ongoing project. ‘The Merchant of Images’ is in the genre of the old photo studios. Those that are now almost extinct. Raghu Rai, the incredible photographer and the pioneer of photojournalism in India, and conservation architect Gurmeet Sangha Rai came in and sat for a portrait. At ease as he always was... A sense of familiarity and warmth. A replay of some of that effortless time we spent some 20 years ago in Mexico when we worked together.

When Raghu and Meeta walked into The Merchant of Images studio, a flood of memories came back. The time spent travelling in Mexico making the India Mexico book. Those weeks I learnt a lot from watching Raghu and from the conversations we had.

A collaboration between him, Graciela Iturbide and Sebastião Salgado. So much about that trip was special in the sense that it was watching a master at work who was joyful, thoughtful and philosophical. Who felt and experienced the small things…

I remember him photographing the hundreds of flamingos in the water as we looked at the sea and the mountains in the horizon holding on to the railing of a boat.

I thought of the flamingos again when I heard that he had passed. I looked at the book for hours… and stayed with our journey recalling and soaking it all in again!

This portrait of him with that playful gaze of love. He had a way of seeing and feeling that he shares with us through his images and in them.

This article is part of the magazine issue dated May 11, 2026, called 'Khela Hobe? ' about Assembly Elections 2026 and how West Bengal may prove to be the toughest battleground for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Aradhana Seth is a Filmmaker, visual artist and set designer