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Travel photos can reveal as much about the photographer as the destination.

This visitor focused almost entirely on India’s poorest neighborhoods and polluted waterways.

His Indian sister-in-law expected a broader view.

She found something very different.

Let’s see how this one played out.

AITA for not taking more pictures for my sister in law on a trip abroad?

I (34M) spent a couple of months in India earlier this year for a consulting project with my engineering firm.

Before I left, my sister-in-law (29F), who is from India, asked me to take plenty of pictures during my trip.

She said she wanted to see the places I visited and was excited for me to experience her home country and see how things might have changed, since I was in the state she grew up in but hasn’t been back in years.

Seems like an easy ask…

But she did not specify what pictures she wanted.

Since the project lasted a while, I had free time outside of work on weekends and holidays.

I used that time to explore.

I did visit some of the popular landmarks with my coworkers, but to be honest, I didn’t find them that impressive compared to places like Rome or Paris, so I only took a few pictures.

What I found more interesting was seeing how people actually live in different parts of the country.

As an engineer, I like observing housing, infrastructure, and sanitation, even in poorer areas.

I have done the same thing when I visited Egypt and Somalia. It helps me also appreciate what I have.

So most of my pictures ended up being of slums, rivers full of trash, people washing clothes or bathing in polluted water, and just the daily life of people in less fortunate areas.

He didn’t see anything wrong with his photos.

For India it was particularly interesting to me since my country has a lot of immigration from there recently and I was looking to understand their culture and roots more deeply.

When I got back, my sister-in-law was eager to see the photos.

I handed her my phone, and after scrolling for a bit she got upset.

She asked why I only took pictures of “filth” and said I made her country look terrible.

She’s clearly upset…

I told her that was not my intention and that I just find those things fascinating. She got really angry and said I must be insane or obsessed with poverty.

My wife thinks she overreacted but also understands why she was upset.

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I genuinely did not mean any disrespect, and I do the same kind of photography everywhere I go.

Let’s see what the comments said.

This person thinks he should have been more upfront with his SIL.

Another commenter thinks he could have been more sensitive.

Several commenters were disgusted by his behavior.

And another user suggested he think about if the roles were reversed.

Photographing hardship wasn’t wrong in and of itself, but presenting India almost entirely through poverty was insensitive.

His sister-in-law wanted a thoughtful view of home, not photos selected to make him feel grateful.

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Author

Chris Allen