“Man with Camel” | Mystical India 2017 | Sony a7R II
When we reached two finalists for best overall photo, we realized that Susan Cook had taken them both. “Luck and context play a big part in photography,” Cook says. “This day was a visit to Dera Village Retreat near Jaipur in northern India, which included a ride in wooden carts pulled by camels. We passed through villages of the local Meena tribespeople.” Cook snapped this photo from the back of a cart. The judges agreed on its exceptional tone, story, and depth.
“Some photos just stand out and are clearly more interesting than others,” Cook says. “This one had so many elements of the environment of India and its people. I usually put my favorite images in a book after I return home from a Flying Longhorns trip. I used this one on the cover.”