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THE best photographers are always struck by wanderlust. They travel far and wide to capture a vignette of the world and generously share it with others. And so Flore Lamoureux, a French photographer, has traveled to 40 countries since 1999. She brought to India, country she loves, pictures of children from round the world. Why does she take pictures of children? “Thanks to their curiosity and capacity to be intelligent, honest and innocent, children are the ones you can speak to, share with, or get a smile from any time all around the world.

Flore Lamoureux has captured the innocence, intelligence and beauty of children from nine countries with her lens. Seen here are three pictures of Indian children.

I find their positive attitude an advantage and it should be an example to everyone,” says Lamoureux. Lamoureux recently exhibited her photographs on the lawns of the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi. Entitled ‘Children of the World’ it howcased 40 pictures of children from nine countries – China, India, Kyrghizstan, Philippines, Guatemala, Pakistan, Myanmar, Ethiopia and Benin. She chose to exhibit in a garden so that everybody could come and take a look. Moreover, she used a new concept to exhibit her photos – lightened boxes. “I wanted the children to look at the visitor as they looked at me when I caught their expression with my camera,” she says. Although physically children from so many countries naturally looked different,what bound them together was their positive attitude, zest for life, their curiosity and innocence, traits that Lamoureux has captured so well. There were pictures of an Indian boy with paste smeared on his face, a Chinese girl standing near a doorway, an African girl twirling her curls and smiling at the camera. “I choose with my photos to remember their joyful faces and astonishing looks as I think this is the best way to respect them and to introduce them to anyone,” says Lamoureux. Lamoureux fell in love with India seven years ago when she first came here. It has become her favourite destination. “I remember a time when I was going to Mount Abu by bus. The bus had stopped on the way and I saw a small girl eating papad. She looked at me, smiled and offered me a piece. It was such a moving scene that I had to take a picture.” Lamoureux always wanted to see the world. So at the age of 18 she left her studies in art and communication at La Sorbonne University in Paris and set out to fulfill her dreams. At first she just carried along a camera like any tourist. “It was when I used to feel alone that I started taking pictures, to keep the moments with me always,” Lamoureux says.

Beginning with Africa, she has made her way around the world with just a backpack and her camera. She never uses guides or maps and follows her heart. What’s more she tries to stay in localities she finds herself in and does not mind a little discomfort. In 002 Lamoureux arrived in Shanghai, China and stayed there for a year. There she managed her own photo gallery called ‘95 Shangwen Lu’. Her first photo exhibition took place here. She wanted to share her unique experiences of myriad cultures and countries with people, especially children. As her fame grew, there were many exhibitions in Paris. People came and saw and appreciated her work. Says Lamoureux: “I try to catch the innocence or the purity of an expressive glance, to highlight someone else's point of view, rather than make a portrait. I never try to hide or steal when I take some photographs.” Along with the exhibition, her book, ‘Un certain regard / A point of view’ was also released.