photo(ec)centric

While I was shooting...

2011-07-07T13:52:00.006+05:30

I could tell you about the kid whose favourite physics lesson was the one on light. I could also tell you about the same kid’s fascination with his father’s expensive camera. But the truth is I am not that kid. I stumbled onto photography as a cub reporter who smartly noticed that if he clicked pictures with his story he got paid more. Eventually I caught the shutterbug and now I am stuck with a rich man's passion and a poor man's profession. The by products of which are - ability to play voyeur and not being branded as a perv, a marginalized bank balance, inquisitive neighbors enquiring about my 'real job' and supportive parents with high blood pressure.

Lacking formal photography education, I often 'discovered' some of the basics on my own.

Thought of sharing some of them-

1. Let there be Light : in Nov 2009, I was in Siem Reap, Cambodia to attend the Angkor Photo Workshop. My chosen story was TB in Cambodia. I soon found patients don't do much. So my usual repertoire of decisive moments was rendered useless. I decided to look at quite scenes and make them visually interesting. I started seeing light…

2. Interpreting Scenes : As a wordsmith who started to shoot, my visuals often suffered from 'show-what-you write' syndrome. Images were always literal. While working on a story on mime artists, the surreal scenes enacted by the artists showed me a more artistic way.

3. Photo Essay : Being the quintessential newspaper shooter, I was aware of only single images. After a workshop with Ed Kashi and Jonathan Torgovnik in 2009, I became aware of the wider vista of visual reportage. This photo is the opening image of my first photo story on migrant workers at a vegetable wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

4. Overcoming Fears : Like most brought up in patriarchal Indian society, I was homophobic. But gender variants always interested me. Curiosity can kill cats but makes better journalists. So I decided to shoot a story on transgender men who dance in drag at weddings. Ignorance can be the basis of fear. Weeks spent with them shooting, interviewing and listening to their stories has made me a better person.

5. Access and Intimacy : While documenting the survivors of child sexual abuse, I realized that access and intimacy are key elements in visual narrative. I feel privileged for the access given to me by my subjects on such an intimate issue.

6. Making Mundane look Magical : Forced inside a car due to lack of rain-cover on a typical day of Kolkata monsoon, I looked out from inside. This is what I saw- my city being painted with water on glass.

Boxers

2011-05-11T01:49:00.000+05:30

Random shots using my mobile cam while assisting my friend Poulomi Basu on her shoot. Check out her awsome project here.

Emergency Room Blues

2011-03-27T12:27:00.000+05:30

Grandpa had an accident and bumped his head. Doc says he is fit as ever... 87 and going strong. :)

Flower Market

2011-03-24T00:26:00.000+05:30

Nostalgia

2011-03-22T08:56:00.000+05:30

A tram ride from Esplanade to Shyambazar, Kolkata. Brings back old memories.

Journey so far....

2011-02-23T13:21:00.002+05:30

After using this space for the past one year as a repository for links and resources related to photography in general and photojournalism in particular, I have decided to revive and revamp my blog. For more regular updates follow me on my photoblog 37 blinks later and Latest

Revisiting Kumortooly

2010-08-25T10:30:00.002+05:30


Bamboo and straw fame work

Radha Krishna and some amour

The heads left for drying (Inverted shot)

Making the idol heads

Always thought why the demons have six packs while the good Gods are obese

Park Street

2010-08-13T00:58:00.004+05:30

Lad(y) Luck

2010-04-08T01:59:00.004+05:30

Calcutta's Famous British Era Coffee House

Real estate boom in Newtown, Kolkata.

A farmer's hut amidst rotting crops of brinjal with garbage dump in the background. Dhapa, Kolkata.

Migrant workers sift through a pile containing bits of leather from tanneries and slaughterhouses at a fertilizer factory adjacent to the garbage dump of Dhapa in Calcutta, India. The leather bits are burned and processed into organic fertilizer.

Started submitting images to Barcroft. Not a bad feeling to see stuff on sites such as Getty. Hope the sales add up by the month end and some assignments land up in the kitty. Talking about luck...some people are lucky and how. First phone call and they get assignments !!! And Grinch turns into Santa !! Whose the lady luck now rookie ??? :P
For more click.

Urban Eve

2010-03-19T12:13:00.004+05:30

First shoot with the team. Looks like a winning combination.

Model: Neha || Styling, H&M: Amohaa || Lights and Location: Anushree

Rishikesh

2010-03-02T16:20:00.003+05:30

Dusk. Rishikesh 2010.

Kumbh 2010

2010-02-18T22:33:00.010+05:30

A lady changes after a dip in the holy river.

Amidst threats of terrorism, Kumbh goes on.

Watchful NSG commandos.

A devotee carries a decorated shrine to the river at dawn.

Some divine shopping.

Sadhus at Juna akhara

Streetscape, Juna Akara

Religion is the opiate of the masses.

There I was on the bustling platform of Haridwar on a chilly morning. As I gazed upon the throngs of devotees pouring out of the train, I couldn't agree more with the gentleman named Marx. You need to be seriously sedated to ignore the warmth of a cozy quilt, undress and take a dip in the freezing water of a holy river. I realise, for the pilgrims looking for ablution of sins, I am a strange creature. Roaming around the ghats from dawn to dusk- taking pictures, is not evryone's idea of nirvana. But this is the only place other than a fashion week where you get the maximum number of photographers per sq inch.

There is something about religion and abandon that go hand in glove. I have seen more naked men (read naga sadhu) at this kumbh than in my entire puny life of 25 years. Its a town where pot is legal, alcohol and meat are not. And women, from remotest corners of India, take a dip and change in public ! And no one cares. There is something basic and primal about it. Religion again becomes a personal chioce and more to do with spirituality than scripted customs. All the right wing fanatics need to come here before they talk crap about 'our culture.' Here is a slice of real India, where Khajuraho, Kumbh and Kama Sutra co-exist.

Purani Dilli

2010-02-18T22:28:00.002+05:30

A rainy day at Jama Masjid, Delhi.

Others

2010-02-17T23:35:00.003+05:30

Back stage of a beauty pageant for transgenders. Kolkata, 2010.

Labour of Love

2010-01-30T01:21:00.010+05:30

Phew !
Finished redesigning my website. Credit goes to Wordpress and Google for providing answers to all possible problems that a html illiterate like me might face. Was inspired by the design of Ami Vitale's site. If only I could capture emotions like her ! Her works are so personal, intimate and close. Inspiring....

Against the Red Sea

2010-01-20T00:21:00.025+05:30

The helmsman responsible for making Bengal the red bastion finally passed away. For the past couple of days he had managed to shove the disaster in Haiti to a single column tucked away somewhere inside the newspaper. Miles of newsprint have been spent informing the masses about HIS failing kidney and urine retention. In democracy, even death it seems is not the great leveler.

This was my first state funeral and I was truly overwhelmed by the deluge of supporters. We Bengalis are a strange lot. We just need an excuse to celebrate. Students and clerks blessed the great communist for not dieing on a Saturday. Who wants to miss out on holidays. People flocked from remote corners of Bengal in trucks, buses and trains. Some of these mourners will surely stay back after sundown, taking in the lights of Paki Ishtreet (Park Street for the uninitiated); follow it up with a quick visit to the wonderland of Shonagachi- Kolkata's redlight district; and head for their homes next morning after a mandatory visit to the Kalighat Temple. The atmosphere was carnivalesque. And while the crowds waited, hawkers made a fast buck selling munchies. The more entrepreneurial ones had managed to make posters of the great leader that sold like 'hot kachoris.' Bengal is xeroxing its own White Tigers. So Arvind Adiga, you can see red and sue our Roshogolla arse but still no royalties for you.

I learnt a little bit about Murphy's law- you will leave behind the lens you need on the day you need it most. I also learnt about the golden rule- location...location...location! Its all about visualising random crowd movements and placing oneself at vantage points. Then its just getting the correct lens, exposing for five stops of difference and of course keeping in mind minor stuff like composition and news value. Fluid dynamics at its best. Considering I was always bad at physics, this was all about making mistakes and learning what not to do. So next time the R god dies and I have to head down south, I know what not to do.

A thin grey line

2010-01-16T00:04:00.011+05:30

Image Caption: Residents try to extinguish fire at a slum in the Eastern City of Kolkata, India. Authorities say the fire started when a gas cylinder exploded. The fire in the slum which is located near Bidhannagar road train station, forced railway authorities to shut down the station disrupting local train services. One person died and over 500 shanties were destroyed.

despair, anger, dejection...
I encountered all these emotions and much more while photographing the fire at the Basanti Colony Slum near Bidhannagar Railway station. While making the images when I felt excited about a frame..... I also felt guilty! The burning rubble under my feet was someone's home few hours back. How could I feel excited and happy capturing someone's misfortune. Sobering and humbling experience that forces one to ask all sorts of uncomfortable questions and introspect.

Were the shots of the crying kid who just came home from school to see her home burning; or the octogenarian shooing off scavengers from her burning shanty or the shriveled up dead body important ? I don't know. I felt like a voyeur preying on people's misery and decided not to point my lens towards these potential photographs. Clinically analyzing my frames later, when the immediate shock had worn off after a day or two I realised my images had missed to capture the emotions.... What I had felt wasn't showing on the screen.
Story of a tightrope walker and a thin grey line.....

The Virus

2010-01-09T12:48:00.003+05:30

Trip down the memory lane....
Same old terrace, irritating nicotine waft and a two-feet-nothing powerhouse trying to convince me about the 'creative' properties of pot. Old habits die hard !
I still remember her as the fellow last bencher engrossed in a book about Dylan and completely ignoring the lecture on communication.

Meet Krishnakali Sengupta aka KK...
friend, ex-girlfriend, man magnet (*ahem), job hopper par excellence, my relationship councilor and Bangalore host, Reuters correspondent (*wink) and the person who infected me with the deadly shutterbug. I can truly blame her constant jabbering about all things photography and her ex-boyfriend's (yes she has a handful of us) :P Nikon for my lack of a proper job. And while the local drug dealers didn't get another pot fanatic, them Nikon executives should thank me for my contribution in times of recession.
(Care for some alimony miss Reuters?)

All in all, an evening well spent being enlightened by this maestro about the 'subtle' art of dating. Beware people.... a PLAYER has arrived ! 8)

Disclaimer: This post has nothing to do with the humongous Pizza Hut treat or the fact that I can't sleep coz I overate.

PS : For all the singles out there...bad news! She is dating a friend of mine and planning to tie the knot soon. But if you can write good poetry and own a Dslr or two... take a crack. She is still a sucker for those.
(KK.. if a Bakra falls for ya again... you owe me one)
Muwahahahahaha :-)

Balance Sheet as on 31.12.09

2009-12-31T15:23:00.029+05:30

Another decade is over. Within a few months I will be 25. And while most of my schoolmates are planning on consolidating their careers and settling down, I am starting to discover my calling. Looking back, I realise the balance sheet of life is always warped. Liabilities tend to dwarf the assets and only way to beat the odds is to incorporate a suspense account. We revel in the uncertainty.... and for me, the glass is always half full. 2009 was a year filled with surprises.
I...

Started working on a project very close to my heart and felt humbled by the trust people showed.

Rediscovered some relations.......

and struggled to redefine others

Made new friends....

Saw new things....

and old things in new ways

Traveled alone...

flew over oceans...

and walked across borders.

Encountered exploitation, felt disgusted....

and understood the importance of my job.

Went bankrupt buying gear

Learnt from greats...

and still remained slightly out of focus :)

So Life was Beautiful....hope history repeats.
Happy New Year!

Crossroads

2009-12-14T18:44:00.003+05:30

Tuberculosis in Cambodia...
Slideshow of my story from Angkor Photo Workshop 2009

Things Have Changed- Contact Sheet 1

2009-11-04T21:02:00.005+05:30

Finally !!!! Started shooting the project on Child Sexual Abuse Survivors. Not entirely satisfied with the first day's shoot..... but a good first step none the less.

Living in Memory

2009-11-03T17:43:00.001+05:30

My grandpa. Diwali 2009

The Blue Umbrella

2009-10-27T12:47:00.002+05:30

One of my Durga Puja pics got selected on National Geographic Your Shot Selection for Oct 09 Week 4.

A Jaywalker's Guide to Kolkata

2009-10-05T21:27:00.007+05:30

Bustling Zakaria Street with Nakhoda Mosque in the background

Lakshmi Puja 09

2009-10-05T21:16:00.001+05:30

Aarti

Lakshmi Puja at the Banerjees

Exhodus- Durga Puja 09

2009-09-29T01:11:00.002+05:30

Priests perform the rituals of Durga Puja at Shobhabazar Rajbari (palace). According to the family it is more than 250 years old and the oldest puja of Kolkata.

Celebrations of Durga Puja in Communist Bengal

Ladies in traditional garb wait in que for the ceremony of 'Sindoor' Play

A boy scavenges for the heads of idols after immersion in the river Hoogly.

Ladies in traditional attire dance to the beat of drums on the last day of the festivities of Durga puja

An unfinished idol of Goddess Lakshmi awaits the finishing touch

An idol of Durga being taken to the river Hoogly for immersion

Fashion 'Weak'

2009-09-12T01:47:00.000+05:30

Indrani Dasgupta in a Kallol Dutta creation

Kallol Dutta creation

Soumitra Mandal creation

A Bibi Russel creation

A Debarun Mukherjee creation

For all those guys who think they want to be at Kolkata Fashion Week.... It's really not that 'fun' ! Specially if you are a weakling like me prone to make frequent faux pas. The food sucks, the boredom is mind numbing, the fight for a vantage point is injurious, models are anorexic, catwalks are repetitive and lugging the lens stuffed camera bag is quite back breaking.
So what is the bonus again ?
Note to self: Join a gym and build some muscles.

Mixing Things Up....

2009-08-09T14:11:00.000+05:30

Seems bands break as regularly as them guitars. Recently I got an urgent call from my friend Piu about an emergency re-shoot . The old Glass Onion was indeed brittle.

It was late evening when all the members- new and old, assembled. I wasn't prepared for a night shoot and the need for a tripod was seriously felt. But decided to improvise..... and become a true blue (color corrected...teehehe) strobist. So played around with my Nikon SB600 along with rear sync and slow sync shutter to create these images. Not the best that could have been. But happy with the results with deadline looming large.

Techinfo:
Pic 1: f/3.5 @ 1/10 sec ISO 1250. Nikon SB 600 speedlight on camera
Pic 2: f/4 @ 1 sec ISO 1250. Nikon SB 600 speedlight fired via commander mode off camera

Colors

2009-06-24T15:21:00.000+05:30

A day spent shooting creations of talented designers, making new friends and learning more about lights, camera and humans. Tired but happy.

Designer: Nishant Kumar. | Model: Neesha
more on http://chhandakpradhan.com/fashion

GO..... Glass Onion the band

2009-06-02T01:03:00.000+05:30

An afternoon spent on a windy rooftop..... with a band whose members vary from a liliput 2 ft nothing drummer to an over 6 ft something vocalist..... and to fit them all in a 35mm frame while the sun plays hide and seek! T'was fun.... check out the band @- www.myspace.com/glassoniontheband.

Strobist Info-

Nikon D300 on commander mode with a Nikon SB 600 flash, a DIY snoot made outta mousepad and a diffuser.

Faux Pas

2009-06-02T00:48:00.000+05:30

What do you get when you send a journo with no idea of fashion......to a 'very' punctual show hosted by a jack ass MC who reads chic as chick and cracks a sad joke on that?

You get a persone who's dead, born and dead again ODing on thunder thighs..... Throw in a fully charged digital camera and an incipient desire of the bloke to be an arty photog and you get some shaky 'experimental' stuff ...

Living in Memory...

2009-05-11T11:36:00.000+05:30

Consumption

2009-05-11T11:26:00.001+05:30

Multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB is a major problem for the poor of Kolkata. The cost of treatment through the DOTS plus regime is around Rs 3000, needs two years and no government hospital is equipped to treat it. Further a ministry of health survey indicates one MDR patient infects 14 more annually. For many patients NGOs like Calcutta Rescue are the only viable source of free treatment.

Shifting Sands

2009-04-20T14:38:00.001+05:30

All these years while observing the typical elderly Indian couple in my family and elsewhere, I have noticed a strange paradox. While superficially, the relationship is dominated and guided by the man, the woman is quintessential support that nourishes the relationship. Without them, the grandpas are quite helpless. As India braces for globalization and traditional family structure undergoes a metamorphosis the lack of institutionalized support for the elderly will be felt more than ever. And till the time it becomes a norm rather than exception the couples will continue to support each other through thick and thin.