I'd come to Vrindavan, India, during the Holi Festival, and set myself up in one of the narrow alleyways of the Old City to take this image. Known as the birthplace of Holi, drawing thousands of devotees from all across India, I wanted to create portraits of the pilgrims in Vrindavan without the cacophony of the festival celebrations – where coloured sandalwood powder known as gulal, is thrown, smeared and sloshed on everyone. My aim was to celebrate the pilgrims as everyday people, transformed by the vibrantly coloured gulal thrown on them during the festivities.