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the immortal Paul Sahab
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“Earlier, photography used to be about available light. Now, it is about available darkness.” –S Paul
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Those who have been fortunate enough to cross paths or converse with S Paul would have been deeply, indelibly touched by his words, presence and spirit. Paul Sahab, as he was fondly known, practiced, studied, breathed and lived photography, as only a man who was completely consumed by it could. From the moment I got to meet him first in 2009, never were our conversations about anything but photography. Never did I see his level of energy or enthusiasm recede. At no point did his camera ever leave his side. He wasn’t a man to ignore a photographic opportunity, wherever or whenever it presented itself to him. He photographed everything and he did so incessantly. He did it with an extraordinary level of skill, sensitivity, speed and ease. “I go where my camera goes,” he once told the security officers at Vigyan Bhavan, just before the commencement of the presentations for the 2nd National Photography Awards (Paul Sahab was the Chairman of the committee for its selection). He was the only one in the audience with a camera in his hands. On another occasion, he admitted, “Nowadays, my body needs rest. I sleep to conserve and build up my energy, so that I can awaken and get to my photography. And if I don’t shoot, I don’t get sleep.” In an interview with Better Photography in 2012, he had said, “Mere andar aag hai kuch naya karne ki, aur yeh aag har din badhti jaa rahi hai.” For Paul Sahab, photography was both a process that he enjoyed, and means to an end. The final image, eventually, was everything to him. Cameras and lenses were the tools of his craft, and he had scores of them from almost every manufacturer. Technique was the key, and he would often push the boundaries of his equipment with it. One evening, at Soochna Bhavan, I found Paul Sahab making a picture of a window and the scene beyond, with his brand new DSLR. His pleasure in the shift to digital was evident when he quipped from behind his camera, “Earlier, photography used to be about available light. Now, it is about available darkness.” But the real magic in Paul Sahab’s craft was in seeing the extraordinary within a seemingly ordinary moment. It was in his telling of an entire story within a single frame... succinctly, subtly, beautifully, with an uncanny understanding of human nature, light, composition, and perfect timing. Often, he would prepare hours or days in advance, studying locations and calculating exposures, in anticipation of a frame. From prime ministers to postal workers, from monuments to the streets, from children at play to the flowers, grass and trees in the National Zoological Park in Delhi… little escaped Paul Sahab’s gaze. During his time as the chief of the photography department at The Indian Express, on more than a few instances, calls were made to the newspaper from the offices of the powers at the helm, demanding explanations for Paul Sahab’s ‘transgressions’. But, to the common man, these very same photographs served to show the human side of an otherwise invisible world. What truly made Paul Sahab a legend was more than all of this. He gave of himself, his photography, knowledge and ideas openly and without holding back, to those who sought it, influencing hundreds of lives and touching thousands more. As critical he was of his own practice and photography, he was just as appreciative of the works by others. Not one to waste time and energy in promoting himself, Paul Sahab was also equally reclusive. Paul Sahab was born on August 19, 1929. Being born on World Photography Day, he was often heard saying, “I was born for photography.” He passed away on August 16, three days short of his 89th birthday. Getting to hear of his passing came as a sudden shock... because in some corner of my mind, despite the inevitability in all things, Paul Sahab was always untiring and immortal. So he was. And so he remains.
K Madhavan Pillai
editor@betterphotography.in
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Regulars Feedback ............................................................10 your Pictures ..................................................106
Feedback “It is unfortunate that despite the abundant beauty of the place, the children in Moldova continue to battle against various social and economic problems.”
BetterPictures Illuminate Book Project Anirudh Agarwal and Monica Watkins share their thoughts with Conchita Fernandes, on the inspirational and moving photographs that injected life into the book, Illuminate.
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18-year-old Priyanka explains how she shot the image, “Ruby didi setup the shot for me. She asked the girl to stand by the door and pretend to peep out. But I was the one responsible for the shot and the expression of the girl. I pressed the camera’s shutter when I thought the moment was right.” BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
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nirudh Agarwal recently spoke to me about a five-day photography workshop that he had conducted in Kolkata. His students included 40 young survivors of human trafficking and at-risk youth (aged between 9-27 years), who belonged to ‘New Light’, Kolkata, a charitable trust operating inside the red-light district of Kalighat. The workshop was an initiative by ‘Beauty for Freedom’ (directed by Monica Watkins), a New York City-based non-profit organisation, who regularly partner with NGOs from across the globe, to help disadvantaged groups. Over the last few years, Beauty for Freedom and New Light have been in touch in the capacity of fundraising and awareness raising campaigns. A few years ago, Monica began a dialogue with Urmi Basu, New Light’s Executive Director, about doing a teaching and arts therapy initiative. Once the idea was finalised, Anirudh was contacted to come on board and teach the children photography. Placing a camera in the hands of the students, most of whom have never operated one in their lives, was an exercise that both Monica and Anirudh were excited to be a part of. It’s not very often that these children are treated as individuals capable of formulating their own thoughts and ideas, that they too can perceive the world around them, just like you and me. Hence, the workshop became an outlet for these young kids to express themselves. So over the course of 10 odd days, Anirudh covered the different aspects of photography. “This was my first ever workshop of this nature, and to be honest, I was quite nervous. I wanted to make sure that I was able to break down and simplify the concepts, so that the children could understand them easily. Thankfully, the kids were more than enthusiastic and curious to learn, and this helped a lot,” he said.
I have been an ardent follower of Anirudh Agarwal’s work. In fact, an earlier story that was published in the October 2016 issue of Better Photography titled ‘Nysha and Her Sunbeam Talbot’, inspired me to photograph my nephew. The moments are fleeting, true, but with children they’re even faster. I recall drawing parallels in his photographs, observing every frame more closely and acknowledging his precision in framing. It was only after I began documenting did I realise that there are several factors at play when photographing a child. Anirudh has very successfully bridged the gap between staging the red car and the inability to stage his niece’s whims. Last month, I chanced upon the August 2017 issue that carried the coverage of photographs shot by the children of sex workers and also those rescued from sex trafficking. Anirudh had mentored the children in a 10-day workshop. The result culminated in a photobook titled Illuminate, courtesy Beauty for Freedom (a non-profit organisation) and New Light (an NGO in Kolkata, taking care of these children). It was wonderful to read about Anirudh’s endeavour in educating the young minds about photography. Parth Jalan, Ranchi
Ability To Look Beyond Time Conchita Fernandes’ piece on Eugene Atget (August 2017) transported me back to my college days, when our professor would often ask us to observe the photographs of the masters of the medium. She would BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
“On the first day, I spoke about the importance of light and how to consciously observe it when looking to photograph a scene. The children were then asked to shoot whatever they wanted, while their cameras were set on the automatic mode. The day after, I covered shutterspeed, and with their cameras on the Shutter Priority mode, they were asked to make portraits of people in their locality. Then I touched upon aperture, and finally, on the last day, using the Manual mode of the camera, the children went out to photograph. I deliberately chose not to talk about composition, as I did not want to restrain them into following a certain aesthetic,” Anirudh said. Every day that the children set out to photograph, Monica followed them and documented the process. “I was moved by the curiosity, freedom and raw talent that the youth displayed whilst shooting. I followed them as they walked through the streets of Kalighat, and observed them sharing knowledge and helping one another creatively and with such generosity. Many of the students had never held a camera before and others had little experience shooting, but they all added such unique perspectives and cheered one another on when they found the perfect shot. The youth were able to gain entrance into the daily lives of the community members of Kalighat and really sought out the beauty of everyday moments... a potter creating his bowls, a woman washing clothes, mothers tending to their children... The youth found a way to highlight the beauty of their surroundings, and the community really supported this process,” she said. The workshop yielded 5000 photographs. Anirudh and Monica were ecstatic at the quality of the pictures. “What the children captured were these very personal moments depicting the innocence of the
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Educating Young Minds
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Send your suggestions, thoughts, and feedback letters to feedback@betterphotography.in
“The workshops empower these youth on many levels. We see them as true artists with personal journeys, and not as statistics. Our greatest joy is being able to teach the youth, and in return, also learn from them. They taught us to appreciate each moment and each day, no matter where you come from.” —Monica Watkins
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then ask each one of us to talk about our inferences. At the time though, it felt like a very mundane task… to look for connections and patterns amongst the photographs. However, now that I look back, I am glad that she made us do the exercise. As I continue to pour over Atget’s work, I am able to understand his point of view and his innate love for the city. Shivani Kumar, Thane
Persistence in Documentation
BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
The August 2017 issue of Better Photography featured an exclusive preview of Illuminate, a photobook featuring images shot by the children under the umbrella of New Light, an NGO in Kolkata. Anirudh Agarwal mentored these children in a 10-day workshop.
Åsa Sjöström’s ‘Home of the Unknown’ was featured in the August 2017 issue of Better Photography.
The August 2017 cover titled ‘Hidden Stories’ helped me develop a deeper understanding of the lifestyle of the city in which I live in. I had previously seen Åsa Sjöström’s photograph titled Birthday Chocolate, which won her a World Press Photo Award. But I knew very little of her extended body of work on Moldova. I went back and did my research, and discovered that the small eastern European country has been infamously dubbed as the world’s least happy place! It is unfortunate that despite the abundant beauty of the place, the children in Moldova continue to battle against various social and economic problems. What I appreciated the most about Asa’s work was her dedication to the story. Perhaps it stems from documenting her own country of Sweden, so intently. Priyashi Bubna, New Delhi
Development, at What Cost? Hailing from a small town in Uttrakhand, and having recently moved to New Delhi, I was moved by Parth Gupta’s photographs depicting the rampant changes in the city,
P RO F I L E
Home of the Unknown Åsa Sjöström creates awareness and intimacy, with a blend of documentary and fine art photography, and personal intent. Sainethra Hariharan discovers a sense of both affinity and hope within the quiet telling of Sjöström’s stories.
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ow strange would it be to think of a country without a home? This is the story of Moldova, an Eastern European country, nestled between Romania and Ukraine, with ties with Russia, but so poor and unknown that it may well cease to exist in the next 50 years. A photograph
by Åsa Sjöström made the world aware of Moldova. The photo, titled Birthday Chocolate (seen below), had won the second prize in the Daily Life Category, Singles, at the World Press Photo Awards in 2015. Taken at a shelter for children, it shows two friends sharing a moment as all children should. Yet, it belies a far greater issue.
Everyone has a story to tell. You just need someone to hear you. I want to be that someone for those who have no one to hear them.
Every summer in Sweden, abused women and their children are taken to an undisclosed location for three therapeutic days of bonfire parties, lake swimming and music. According to Åsa, many of them are now living in shelters to escape domestic abuse, honor killing, or genital mutilation. Her project Secret Camps captures the women and children at play while creatively obscuring their identities with balloons, hair, flowers and veils as any information about their whereabouts can be dangerous.
(From the series Born in the Borderlands) Igor whispers into his friend Renat’s ear, at a school in northern Moldova. It is Igor’s birthday, and his grandmother has given him chocolate to hand out to his classmates. BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
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Bridging the Technological Gap During my recent visit at home, I stumbled upon an old family photo album. It had the most exquisite photographs of my extended family. The mood and framing, and the use of light and shadow... it was almost as if these photographs capturing daily activities were being made by a professional photographer. However, I couldn’t find my father in any of the pictures. Eventually, I realised that he was the man behind the photographs. While growing up, I had never seen him shoot in this
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“It is ironic how on one side we are engulfed by modernisation and can’t find space in the cities, while there are beautiful areas in the countryside, left to disappear into oblivion.”
owing to rapid urbanisation. Looking at his series Terra Firma, published in the August 2017 issue of Better Photography, I have developed a deeper and clearer understanding of what entails the high rises and glass facades in metropolitan cities. It perfectly aligns, yet juxtaposes with Asa’s photographs on Moldova (also in the same issue). It is ironic how on one side we are engulfed by modernisation and can’t find space in the cities, while there are beautiful areas in the countryside, left to disappear into oblivion. We move to bigger cities for a better lifestyle, and in the process end up abandoning our hometowns. This brings me to a crucial question—Development, but at what cost? Vishaal Mudholkar, New Delhi
What’s in a Mask? Recently, I came across Kolkata-based photographer, Sujatro Ghosh’s series comprising of provocative images of women in cow masks. This nature of documentation has become the need of the hour. While the emboldened vigilante groups continue to take severe actions against cow slaughtering and beef consumption, there is unfortunately little done to keep our women safe. Ghosh has brilliantly depicted this hypocrisy in his photographs, shot all over the country... of women posing on roads, near landmarks and their workplace. It speaks of the immediate need for safety in the country, loud and clear. Minal Khosla, Mumbai BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
capacity, or any capacity at all. He would sporadically take the camera out, mostly on special occasions. Now when take my camera to him, and see him look at it, wide-eyed, he would quickly lose interest. It could be on account of the device appearing foreign to him, as it is not a film camera. I am planning to gift him one soon, and hopefully I’ll be able to perpetuate his interest and get him to pursue his hobby, once again. Anigha Jain, Ludhiana
Reminiscing the Old Days Anurag Banerjee’s ‘Love in Bombay’ (August 2017) transported to me to my college days, when my boyfriend and I would hunt for places in the city. Since both of us lived with our families, it was difficult to find a place to just sit and converse. Irani cafes in the city wouldn’t entertain us for long, and the local baristas were just too crowded. Beaches became our go-to spot. Mumbai has always had a symbiotic relationship with the sea. It has seen all moods, be it affection, celebration or introspection. It is amazing how Anurag has intertwined the relationship between these moods. His love for the city and its people, clearly shows in his visual documentation. I believe that when we are able to separate ourselves from our subjects, and yet be a part of the storytelling; that is when such great documentation sees the light of day. Minal Khosla, Mumbai
Anurag Banerjee’s ‘Love in Bombay’ was featured in the August 2017 issue of the magazine. It documents the various corners in the city that couples go to spend time with one another. PROFILE
He mentions that in a project of this nature, it is easy for the photographer to get carried away in the exercise of making the picture, without taking anything else into consideration. “Photographers need to be wary of such situations,” he said.
Anurag describes his way of seeing as, “Making photographs of things that I am in love with.” He romanticises everything around him... love, loss, longing, melancholy and nostalgia. “But there are not too many things I romanticise more than Bombay,” he said.
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Love in Bombay Anurag Banerjee gives Conchita Fernandes an intimate look at the unguarded moments, shared between lovers, in Bombay.
FIND ANURAG HERE!
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t’s difficult to point out to the exact thing that lends Bombay its dreamy, fluid and charming character. Perhaps it’s the promise of turning the impossible to possible… that anyone can push for their dreams and hopes, and that the city is open to all who come seeking its embrace.
But when the same city slowly turns its back on some of these promises, it forces its inhabitants to exist in a kind of open secret. This irony is one that Anurag Banerjee has depicted in Love in Bombay, a series that documents the way the city’s residents profess love.
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It took Anurag a while to realise that photographing intimacy is not all that different from a candid street portrait. “Deliberations, reading, conversations with seniors and mentors, are what led me to that conclusion,” he said. BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
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Snap Shots W H at ’ s n E W
Yongnuo 40mm f/2.8 and 100mm f/2 lenses The Yongnuo 40mm f/2.8 lens has a six-blade aperture, a 58mm filter diameter, and a minimum focus distance of 0.3m. The Yongnuo 100mm f/2 lens features a DC motor, a nine-blade aperture, a minimum focus distance of 0.9m.
laowa 15mm f/2 lens The second lens in the Zero-D lineup boasts of being the widest available rectilinear f/2 lens for the Sony E-system. Its closest focus distance is 15cm, and it has a nine blade aperture which runs to f/22. The lens will be available for shipping by September, and is priced at USD 850 (approx. Rs. 54,510).
Yongnuo Yn686EX-Rt Flashgun
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he photography community around the country mourned the loss of the celebrated photographer S Paul, who passed away on 16 August, after a bout of illness. His influence can be felt through the hoards of successful photographers like his brother Raghu Rai, who he had mentored. Born in 1929, in Jhang, Pakistan, Paul’s family moved to Shimla after partition. A self-taught photographer, he discovered his passion for photography as a teenager. Later on, after quitting the draftsman’s job, he was invited by the Indian government to help build a photography department in Himachal Pradesh, post which, he worked with the Indian Railways as a Chief
Photographer for two years, before joining The Indian Express as its Photo Editor in 1962, where he spent the next 26 years. Paul, fondly known as Paul Saab, was the first Indian whose portfolio was published by the celebrated British Journal of Photography, in 1967. He was also the first Indian to win the Nikon International photo contest in 1971. In 2004, B&W Magazine nicknamed him as ‘the Henri Cartier-Bresson of India.’ He was also conferred with the National Award for Lifetime Achievement in Photography, in 2010. Paul photographed until the very end of his life, staying in constant practice. During an interview with BP in 2012, he had said, “I practice photography like anyone practices music. Skipping a day in music is equal to being six days behind. I apply the same principle to photography.”
Manfrotto 360° virtual Reality Range The new range of bases, booms, and dollies by Manfrotto are aimed at Virtual Reality content creators. It includes a pump cup with a spigot adapter, a mini tripod kit, an adjustable dolly, and a panoramic head, amongst others. The range starts at USD 35 (approx. Rs. 2240).
Photograph/S Paul
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Yongnuo’s first lithium-ion powered flash for the Canon RT system is compatible with Canon E-TTL and E-TTL II flash systems. It features a 2000 mAh Li-ion battery, which is said to power 750 flashes at full power. It only takes 1.5 seconds to recycle a full charge, and is capable of working as master or slave. It also comes with the option of optical slave triggering. The flash can be used in high-speed sync modes, up to shutterspeeds of 1/8000s. It is priced at USD 150 (approx. Rs. 9610).
Remembering the Legendary S Paul
“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.” DUanE MICHals (1932) Duane Michals is an American photographer, known for his photographic innovation. He is widely recognised for his work with multiple exposures, and inclusion of text along with his pictures. He worked as a freelance fashion photographer and portraitist in the 1960s. His artistic photo sequences address philosophical and literary ideas about gender, sexuality, and death. Largely self-taught, Michals’s interest in art first began at the age of 14, which then lead him to pursue graphic designing. It was only in 1958 that he discovered his interest in photography.
Better PhotograPhy
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The Eluga A3 and the Eluga A3 Pro, both sport 13MP rear cameras and LED flash, with an 8MP camera in the front. Priced at Rs. 11,290 and Rs. 12,790 respectively, the only difference between the two are their processors and storage capacities. The A3 has 16GB of in-built storage, while the other offers 32GB.
nokia 8 The Nokia 8 features a 13MP f/2 rear camera, developed in collaboration with Zeiss, has optical image stabilisation, along with a secondary 13MP monochrome sensor. It also comes equipped with a dual-tone LED flash and a front-facing 13MP f/2 camera. The device sports a 4K video mode too, and is priced at 600 euros (approx. Rs. 45,230).
lG Q6 16
The LG Q6 is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 435 SoC processor, along with 3GB RAM. It features a 13MP rear camera, and a 5MP front-facing camera. Its most significant feature is the 5.5 inch FullVision display, which is said to have a ‘taller-than-usual’ aspect ratio of 18:9. It comes with 32GB of in-built storage, and is available exclusively on Amazon India for Rs. 14,990.
Miggo agua Miggo’s new line of camera bags are all storm-proof by the IPX3-standard, and is designed with durable tarpaulin. The first of the three, the Agua Versa pack is designed to give fast and easy access to gear, and it features an external access charging arrangement for mobile phones. The Agua Drone Lander comes with a landing mat and is built to contain the DJI Mavic and Spark drones. The Agua Sling is a more compact camera bag, and can carry a full-format DSLR and three professional lenses. All three bags are available for pre-ordering, starting at USD 120 (approx. Rs. 7690) onwards.
Better PhotograPhy
G
östa Peterson, one of the pathbreaking Swedish fashion photographers, passed away on 28 July in Manhattan. His work was published in various U.S. publications like Esquire and Harper’s Bazaar. His most celebrated work changed the face of fashion history. It was when he featured the once-spurned black model Naomi Sims, on the cover of the New York Times Magazine, in 1967. The cover was widely regarded as the first by a major American fashion magazine, with a racially mixed readership, to feature a black model. He was also known to encourage his subjects like Twiggy, Salvador Dali and Duke Ellington, to confront the camera rather than seduce it, trying to get characters rather than just beauty. “I selected
Photograph/Gosta Peterson
Panasonic Eluga a3 and a3 Plus
Fashion Photographer Gösta Peterson Passes Away
the people I photographed, and it wasn’t necessary that they were really beautiful. It was important that they had character, and that they had emotion that was interesting. I latched onto that and showed it in my pictures,” Peterson said.
Legendary LIFE Photo Editor, John Morris, No More
T
he renowned photo editor, John G Morris, who left an indelible stamp on photojournalism through WWII photographs, passed away on 28 July, at a hospital near his home in Paris. While completing his study from the University of Chicago, Morris became passionate about photojournalism and formed a student magazine called Pulse, based on the model of LIFE, consequently joining the same publication in 1938. He assigned Robert Capa to cover the allied invasion of Normandy, during which Capa produced his most iconic photo of the landing. Morris donned several roles in his lifetime, in photo departments spread across various publications. He was the Picture Editor with Ladies’ Home Journal, First Executive Editor of Magnum Photos, Assistant Managing Editor at The Washington Post, Picture Editor of The
New York Times, and was the European correspondent for National Geographic. Despite his passionate interest in photojournalism, Morris had little interest in being a photographer himself. However, when asked about what he viewed as a photojournalist’s essential qualities, he said, “Timing is all important in photography. Not just the timing of the shutter itself, but knowing when to work and when not to work, when to photograph and when not to photograph.”
Photograph/Robert Capa
W H at ’ s n E W
s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
E v E n ts 16-17 september
Chennai
The workshop for beginners delves into the art and science of photography. It aims to educate participants on the concepts of the medium, along with its functions. By the end of the session, participants will be educated on topics ranging from different camera formats, to the uses of various kinds of lenses. The workshop is priced at Rs. 6400 for early bird registrations, after which the fee will increase. For more details, visit www.toehold.in/ photography-workshopchennai.php 17 september
WePooler DCP Weekend Photowalk
Rear Curtain sync is a setting where the flash fires only when the rear curtain of the focal plane shutter moves at the end of an exposure.
In Memoriam—the Legendary Arlene Gottfried
A
rlene Gottfried, the NYC street photographer, passed away on 8 August, at her home in Manhattan. She had breast cancer. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Gottfried is famously known for having captured the lesser-seen neighbourhoods of New York City, for decades. After attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, and then holding a job as a photographer at an ad agency, she transitioned as a freelance photographer for some of the biggest names in publishing like The New York Times Magazine, Fortune, LIFE, and The Independent. Over the span of three decades, Gottfried published five books titled, Mommie, The Eternal Light, Midnight, Sometimes Overwhelming and Bacalaitos and Fireworks. One of Gottfried’s most famous photos shows nuns and children walking in a line
through a drug hotspot in New York, where people “watch TVs on cars and shoot up in the streets”. Daniel Cooney, Gottfrieds’ fine art dealer, remembers her as, “Gottfried always photographed the people she identified with—the underdogs, the unsung heroes and the people living on the fringe. I think that’s why people loved her work so much, there was always something to relate to.”
Einstein’s Signed Photo Auctioned for USD 125,000 vashi Creek, Mumbai
The weekend photowalk offers the opportunity to budding nature photography enthusiasts to refine their skills. The organisers have identified 52 locations around the city, which serve as promising spots for nature photography within the urban jungle. The event is free to attend, although those interested will need to register 48 hours prior. For further details, contact Pankaj Veerkar at +91 -7208543005.
Better PhotograPhy
T
he iconic photograph of Albert Einstein sticking his tongue out has been sold for USD 125,000 (approx. Rs. 80 lakhs) at an auction held by Nate D Sanders Auctions. The picture was captured by United Press International (UPI) photographer, Arthur Sasse, on Einstein’s 72nd birthday celebration. Tired of smiling for the pictures that whole evening, Einstein decided to make a silly face instead. Initially, UPI was hesitant to publish the picture. However, when it Photograph/Arthur Sasse for UPI
18
P R o ta l k
Photograph/Arlene Gottfried
art and science of Photography Workshop
did, Einstein was so amused that he ordered several prints for his close friends. While it is popularly shown as a cropped version with only Einstein in the picture, the auctioned photograph represents the original, where he is seated between his hosts, Dr Frank Aydelotte and his wife. One of these signed images was sold at an auction for USD 74,324 (approx. Rs. 47 lakhs) in June 2009, making it the most expensive photograph of Einstein in the world. That signed print has now been supplanted by this auction.
s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
E v E n ts 23-24 september
Maharashtra Unplugged kalyan, Mumbai
P R o ta l k
24 september
studio in a House Mumbai
20
The aim of the workshop is to guide amateur photographers in the basics of studio lighting and portrait photography. It will help participants to make professionallooking images in small indoor spaces, and with inexpensive equipment. The tickets, which are priced at Rs. 3600 per head, are available on www.imojo.in/ studioinahouse 7-15 october
life with Changpa nomads Photography tour ladakh
Organised by Darter Photography, the tour aims to give people the opportunity to experience and photograph the beauty of Ladakh. Participants will get to spend valuable time with the Changpa Nomads and explore the region. The group will be led by a local expert belonging to the nomad community, and two experienced travel photographers. The tour is priced at Rs. 76,450. For more details, visit www.darter. in/photography-tours/ travel/ladakh-life-nomadsphotography-tour/
Better PhotograPhy
Premier Adventure Light ELB 1200 Launched
ASA shared some of its best photos shot during the 21 August eclipse, giving us a panoramic view of the phenomenon. One of the most astounding photos was of the International Space Station passing in front of the sun, as the eclipse was underway. NASA’s Earthobserving satellites also captured imagery of the Moon’s shadow, as it raced eastward over the United States, blanketing it with its shadow.
fter the release of the ELB 400 in 2015, Elinchrom has now launched the ELB 1200, a premier adventure light which offers more flexibility to action and on location photographers. At 4.3 kg, the ELB 1200 is redesigned with three flash heads (action, hi-sync, pro) with a rugged aluminum housing, tilt head and a 7-8mm umbrella tube. The Hi-sync option also allows freeze motion upto 1/8000s. The pack can deliver 1200W symmetrically or asymmetrically, in 1/10 F-stop steps and variable over 8.5 F-stops, thus allowing photographers to either overpower the sun or shoot wide open. The pack recycles to full power in f/1.7 in the fast mode, with bursts of up to 20 flashes per seconds. It has a large OLED control display.
N
Image courtesy NASA
Learn the tips and tricks of landscape photography, over a two-day expedition to Maharashtra’s little-known Malshej Ghats. The objective is to explore the sparsely visited region and make unique images, under the guidance of on-field experts. The organisers will also be renting wide angle and macro lenses for participants. For more details, visit www.dcpexpeditions. com/workshop.php?id=69
Image stacking is a process common in macro photography, where the subject is photographed at different focusing distances in order to get the entire subject in focus.
NASA’s Eclipse Photo Featuring the ISS
A
Call for Entries Prize: The 20 best photographs will be displayed throughout the duration of the festival. Entry Fee: Free Website: www.serendipityartsfestival.com Deadline: 22 September
15th annual Photo Contest by the smithsonian
submit your entries for the International Photographer of the Year awards, and you could stand to win over one lakh rupees!
International Photographer of the Year the Competition: The contest aims to celebrate ambition and creativity amongst amateurs and professionals. Categories: Architecture, People, Nature, Fine Art, Editorial and Open. Prize: The grand prize winner from the Professional category will receive USD 2500 (approx. Rs. 1,60,300), and the winner of the Amateur category will be awarded USD 1500 (approx. Rs. 96,195). Entry Fee: USD 20 (approx. Rs. 1280) for amateurs, and USD 25 (approx. Rs. 1600) for professionals. Website: www.iphotographeroftheyear.com Deadline: 10 December
serendipity arts Festival the Competition: The contest is exclusively for women photographers in India. It’s looking to select images that represent the theme of “celebrating the extraordinary grandeur of smallness.” The photographs must find something new in the completely ordinary, and tell stories of unseen lives, places, and thoughts. They will be selected by the festival’s curators Dinesh Khanna and Mahesh Bhatt.
the Competition: The 15th Annual Photo Contest held by the Smithsonian is accepting entries from all around the globe. Categories: Travel, Natural World, People, The American Experience, Altered Images, and Mobile. Prize: The grand prize winner will receive USD 2500 (approx. Rs. 1,60,340), and the category winners will be awarded USD 500 (approx. Rs. 32,070) each. Entry Fee: Free Website: www.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest Deadline: 30 November
Fine art Photography awards the Competition: The contest promotes the idea of fine art photography being a unique medium for communication. Categories: Abstract, Cityscape, Fashion, Night Photography, Seascapes, Portrait, Travel, Photojournalism, Photomanipulation, Nudes, Conceptual, and Nature, amongst others. Prize: The grand prize winner in the Amateur category will receive USD 2000 (approx. Rs. 1,28,275), and the winner from the Professional category will be awarded USD 3000 (approx. Rs. 1,92,410). Entry Fee: USD 15 (approx. Rs. 960) for Amateurs, and USD 20 (approx. Rs. 1280) for Professionals Website: www.fineartphotoawards.com Deadline: 11 February, 2018
s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
s naPs hots
22
ne of the portraits of the sixth U.S. President, John Quincy Adams, is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in October. It is currently carrying an estimate value of USD 150,000 (approx. Rs 96 lakhs) to USD 250,000 (approx. Rs 1.6 crores). The image was taken in a Washington portrait studio, in March 1843, when Adams was in the middle of his post-presidential career. It was then presented as a gift to Horace Everett, a fellow representative, and was kept within the family. Only recently did it resurface. Emily Bierman, who heads the photograph department at Sotheby’s, described the image as, “Without a doubt the most important historical photo portrait to be offered at auction in the last 20 years. You really get a sense of who Adams was.”
he Indian Photography Festival (IPF) is back! It was conceived as an initiative by the Light Craft Foundation and the Government of Telangana, with Aquin Matthews at its helm. IPF is an international photography festival known to create a platform for professional and aspiring photographers, as well as photography lovers and the public. The festival also addresses important social issues. The list of speakers in this edition are Stuart Franklin, Reza Deghati, Andrea Bruce, Sudharak Olwe, Kate Geraghty, Natan Dvir, Gurinder Osan, Helena Schatzle, Q. Sakamaki, Prashant Godbole and Cecilia Pardes. For the first time ever, the festival has partnered with Creative Image Magazine and has introduced the IPF Portrait Prize. The competition is scheduled to be judged by the Editor
of Creative Image, Raghu Rai. The winner will be announced on the opening day of the festival, and will be showcased, along with 20 other finalists, throughout the duration of the event. IPF will begin from 21 September and will go on till 8 October, at the State Art Gallery, Hyderabad. For an exclusive curtain raiser, turn to page 72.
Photograph/Swarat Ghosh
O
IPF, Hyderabad Returns with its Third Edition T
SILK Inspire Set to Take Place in Goa Photograph/twogether
Image courtesy Sotheby’s
Oldest Photo of U.S. President, Auctioned
S
ILK Inspire, India’s first wedding photography festival, is set to be held from 6 October to 10 October, at the Ravindra Bhavan in Margao. The lineup of speakers includes eminent wedding photographers like Sergey Ivanov, Andrea Corsi, Jen Huang, Juya Gentil, Seshu, Brian Callaway, Zack
Arias, Jeff Newsom and Arjun Katha. The first three days will comprise of extensive masterclasses, workshops and seminars. The five-day festival will also enable aspiring photographers to have a 45 minute one-on-one session with Sephi Bergerson, to get their work reviewed. SILK Inspire is conducted in association with SILK PHOTOS, which is an India-based boutique photo agency, representing a select group of wedding photographers, specialising in Indian weddings and destination wedding photography in India, and around the globe. For more information visit www.silkphotos.com/inspire
HDR+ Now Available in Android Smartphones Happy 100th Birthday, Nikon! L T arge number of Android users can now utilise Google’s camera application, including features like HDR+. The unofficial port of the software has been created by a developer going by the handle of B-S-G. Although the application is officially available only for Pixel smartphones, the port will enable this feature to work on any Android smartphone possessing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 821 or 835 processor.
Better PhotograPhy
his year, Nikon celebrated its centennial anniversary on July 25, this year. Founded in 1917, Nikon began as a manufacturer of precision optical glass. Over the years, their products have transcended from manufacturing optics for microscopes and weapon sights for use by the military in Japan during WWII, to harnessing power of lenses to contribute
to the advancement of imaging culture. Development of compact cameras that it is popularly known to represent today, began only in 1946. In 1948, Nikon’s first camera was released. To celebrate this landmark, a limited edition of Nikon merchandise and lenses have been launched on the website. You can purchase them from the special Nikon anniversary website: www.nikon.com/100th s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
Discover the World of Photography with RAITS: STORIES
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TTEST TE E ST ST
GearGuide
HOW WE TEST Product Categorisation We first segregate products into categories for the purpose of equitability in testing. The DSLR is divided into entry-level, semi-professional and professional categories. For compacts, we distinguish between advanced and basic compact cameras. Similarly, we also test consumer and pro lenses, flashguns, printers, and other photographic accessories and gear.
The Process We primarily test for features, performance, build, ergonomics, warranty and support. While this remains constant, the weightage we give to these parameter differs from category to category, because different types of consumers have diverse expectations from products.
Final Ratings Under each main parameter, 26 we list out hundreds of individual variables (for eg. colour accuracy for individual colours in different lighting, individual features, dynamic range, centerto-edge definition, light falloff, etc) against which we either give points or simply mark ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Thus, we arrive at a score for that parameter, and then, the final score, denoted as a percentage. Additionally, based on the current pricing of a product, a star rating for ‘Value for Money’ is considered. Value for Money does not affect the final percentage, because prices for products change constantly.
DED MMEN RECO
Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM
Size Does Matter!
Vedika Singhania tests the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM, the company’s first pancake lens for their mirrorless M-series of cameras.
T
he heading must already reveal it, but we can’t rave about it enough. It is unbelievable how tiny this Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens is! It is the second prime lens in the fledgling EF-M lineup. In a sense, this 22mm comes close to its rather well-received full-frame sibling, the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM, but it has two significant advantages.
Features
Our Seals of Approval Any product that scores 80% or higher in individual tests gets ‘BP Recommended’—a seal of approval from our team.
Top 30 Cameras At the end of the calendar year, we evaluate the Indian market and choose what we think are the 30 best cameras, across price ranges. This is Better Photography’s recognition of the very best products launched over the course of the year. Our list becomes an interesting reflection of how the camera market is constantly growing and evolving.
WEIGHTAGE OF PARAMETERS 5% 15% 25%
20%
35%
Features Performance Build Quality Ergonomics Warranty & Support
Firstly, the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM delivers the classic 35mm equivalent angle of view on the 1.6x crop factor of the M5’s APS-C sensor. Secondly, a maximum aperture of f/2 (one stop more than the 40mm), also lends itself well to shoot in lower light levels. At f/2, not only does the 22mm offer the same DOF characteristics as the 40mm; on a smaller sensor, it also negates any noise disadvantage over its fullframe cousin. Though not rated as macro lens, the minimum focusing distance is 15cm from sensor plane, and boasts of a magnification ratio of 1:2 . The lens has seven circular aperture blades for near circular bokeh. It includes an STM motor for smooth and
silent focus, good for video-shooters, but it also means that the AF is slightly slower.
Handling Weighing a mere 105g, it is one of the smallest and lightest standard wide lenses that Canon offers. The combination of the lens with EOS M5 (that we tested it with) would easily fit into a coat pocket or a sling bag, and looks quite inconspicuous too. The lens consists of a metal barrel and mount, although the filter ring and insides are plastic. The build quality of the lens is quite impressive originating from the simple fact that there aren’t many moving parts. The lens combined with EOS M5, makes shooting great fun; it grows on you! Measuring 23.7mm in length, it extends very slightly as it focuses, but the front lens S P E C I F I CAT I O N S Model name
Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM
Price
Rs. 15,995
Lens construction
7 elements/ 6 groups
Closest focusing dist. 15cm Diaphragm blades
7
Filter diameter
43mm
Dimensions, Weight
60.9mm x 23.7mm, 105g S E PT E M B E R 2 0 1 7
Even while shooting in a low-light condition at the widest aperture, flaring was reasonably well-controlled.
Vedika Singhania
Exposure: 1/400sec at f/2, (ISO 1600)
element does not rotate. This comes handy while using a polarizing filter. The lens is threaded to accept a very convenient, inexpensive 43mm filter. The focusing ring is quite wide given the size of the lens, and has a narrow ridged grip to assist with fingertip operation.
Performance Lenses have to strike a fine balance between optical performance, size and cost. At f/5.6 and f/8, the results in this lens are at their best in all aspects. The edges aren’t nearly as sharp as the center on both the extreme end of the aperture openings. While f/2.8 to f/8 produces the sharpest results; f/16 and f/22 is adversely affected by diffraction. The flare although, is minimal even at wide apertures. Image distortions are negligible and chromatic aberrations are also well-controlled within the lens. The M-Series cameras are correctionenabled. While vignetting is minimised, S E PT E M B E R 2 0 1 7
especially at f/2, the edges reveal some telltale signs of increased noise in low light. The lens also comes with a full-time manual focus override. With lack of distance markings, it becomes somewhat difficult to set accurate hyperfocal distances with manual focus. This is a little disappointing, considering that this lens is conducive to its use, especially for street photography. While the AF performance for still photos is slightly slow, it remains perfectly adequate except in the most challenging situations.
Conclusion The Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM is a capable, optically sound 35mm equivalent pancake lens that will appeal to street chroniclers and reportage photographers using the M-series, looking for a sturdy and inconspicuous lens. Priced at Rs. 15,995, this lens has several stand-out features in a surprising tiny package and is quite reasonably priced.
FINALRATINGS Features
18/20
MFD of 15cm, STM, rounded aperture blades, Full-time manual focus override
Performance
30/35
Sharp images, minimal aberrations, slow AF
Build Quality
21/25
Light, compact, metal barrel, sturdy
Ergonomics
13/15
Quite autofocus, metal barrel, pancake lens, consistent quality images
Warranty & Support
4/5
Wide area service network, 2 years warranty
OVERALL 86% Who should buy it? For EOS M-system users, interested in travel or reportage photography.
Why? Sturdy, compact body at a bargain price, delivers consistent quality even in varied lighting conditions.
Value for Money
Raj Lalwani BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
test
DED MMEN RECO
Godox ThinkLite TT685N
Enlightenment on a Budget 32
The Godox ThinkLite TT685N flashgun for Nikon DSLRs does almost everything needed by an advanced flash system user. K Madhavan Pillai reports.
W
ith an increasing number of professionals, especially wedding, event and location studio photographers, using multiple flash setups in combinations of on and off-camera, it was a matter of time before practical, cost-effective options emerged. The Godox ThinkLite TT685N is among the new range of products from the company (the N notation is for Nikon) that promises this with its array of built-in radio wireless capabilities.
Features
WEIGHTAGE OF PARAMETERS 5% 25% 20%
25% 25%
Features Performance Build Quality ergonomics Warranty & support BetteR PHOtOGRAPHY
Within that sphere, the TT685N is easily among the more fully-featured flashguns available in the market today. A guide number of 60 (in meters, at ISO 100, at 200mm) ensures that the flash has enough power for most practical situations. This is about just as powerful as the Nikon SB-900. In terms of modes, the flash features an on-camera TTL mode, optical master and slave modes, and radio master and slave modes. For its radio transmissions, the flash uses the more robust 2.4Ghz frequency, with an operational range of 100m, and capable of hosting up to 3 groups and 32 channels. To expand on possibilities, Godox also newly offers the 2.4Ghz X1N
trigger as an accessory, specifically built for Nikon cameras. Fully compatible, it can also operate high-speed sync. Optical wireless capabilities include full compatibility with the Nikon Creative Lighting System, and can operate either as a slave or a master unit, on manual or on E-TTL II. Among other features, the TT685N has auto zoom functionality (20mm to 200mm), a fully swinging tilting flash head, flash exposure compensation and bracketing, high-speed sync up to 1/8000sec, first and second curtain sync, multi-flash bursts (up to 90 times, 100Hz), AF assist, 3.5mm sync port, a separate wireless control port, power saving modes, and an intelligent heat dissipation and overheating cut-off system.
P LU S • • • •
Feature packed Build quality Performance Price
MINUS • Complex controls
S P E C I F I CAT I O N S Model name
Godox ThinkLite TT685N
MRP
USD 119 (app Rs. 7600, pre tax)
Guide Number
190 at ISO 100 (at 200mm)
exposure Control
Manual/TTL/Auto
Wireless
Optical/Radio 2.4Ghz/ Master/Slave/
Bounce / swivel Head -7° to +90° / 0° to 360° Coverage
20–200 mm
Dimensions (W x H X D) 64 x 76 x 190mm Weight
410g s e Pt e M B e R 2 0 1 7
K Madhavan Pillai
t e st
Handling
Performance
I was personally quite pleased with the build quality and the grade of plastics used in the TT685N. It felt as solid as the Nikon SB-900. The only seemingly weak link is the metal of the shoe, which does not look as wellfinished as I would have liked. The buttons and the input dial, both are large enough for quick use, and provide just the right level of click feedback. For event photography, being able to quickly change settings is one of the most important considerations in a flashgun. It took me a while of poring through the manual, and a lot of trial and error, to figure out the menu systems and controls, and this is the only serious gripe I have with the TT685N. It could have been simpler. On the positive front, it is somewhat similar to the navigation on Nikon systems and you get used to it after some practice. It then becomes fairly easy to switch between commander and slave modes on the fly. With two or more TT685N units, this becomes a far simpler way to function rather than having to fumble around and work with external triggers. I also enjoyed certain other operational aspects of the flashgun too. For instance, the flash automatically moves between high-speed and regular sync, depending on the shutterspeed you set on the camera.
The TT685N is both quick to respond and accurate. On Nikon DSLRs, E-TTL II works exceptionally well, both on and off camera. Subtle exposure changes worked quickly and fluidly. Both flash and camera systems worked exceptionally well together to ensure beautifully controlled exposures with almost every shot. Flash recycling time is extremely quick with barely two seconds between full charges. On TTL, this was much faster, with barely a second between recycle charges. HSS worked as expected too with no variance or banding in colour between exposures. Heating is a common issue with flashguns in India. The auto heating cut-off slows recycling speeds after about 21 quick consecutive shots at full power. You can easily get up to 250 flashes out of a set of 2100m AA batteries.
s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
Conclusion The Godox ThinkLite TT685N is clearly meant to be used as a part of a larger, multiflash setup, but is also extremely useful as a stand alone flashgun, with TTL functions both on and off-camera. The deal-clincher is its price of USD119, which roughly translates to about Rs. 10,000 in India, after taxes. Considering it is about one-third of the cost of the SB-900, it is a real bargain indeed.
With a bias of -1.5 for ambient light, total exposure of a second to introduce blur, and the flash zoom at 105mm on a 35mm lens, TTL metering did the rest. Of course, Conchita helped. Exposure: 1 sec at f/11 (ISO 400)
FINALRATINGS Features
23/25
2.4GHz radio transmitter built-in, high-speed sync., no coloured gels or filters included
Performance
24/25
Fast recycling time, accurate, power efficient
Build Quality
18/20
High-grade plastics, not weather sealed
Ergonomics
21/25
Bright, clear LED panel, complicated menu
Warranty & Support
2/5
1 year warranty, no support in India
OVERALL 88% Who should buy it? Professional event, wedding or studio photographers who use Nikons, and need wireless.
Why? This flashgun does not compromise on features or performance, has 2.4Ghz wireless, and can easily be expanded, or incorporated into an existing Nikon system.
Value for Money Better PhotograPhy
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Cellphone
AN ODE TO THE HUMBLE STREET DOG
Editorial “Selfportraiture is as much about chasing away the things that haunt you, as it is about discovery and acceptance.”
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Do Self-Portraits Only Serve to Explore One’s Self? Weegee loved nights, as it brought out the bizarreness that lay dormant within those living in New York City. It was the crime scenes he was most interested in. And the grislier it was, the more excited he got. There was nothing offensive about the crude photographs of blood splattered walls or the distorted human torsos, as the pictures were shot in a way that one would photograph a celebrity sighting. His pictures had locals gawking at the stiffs, as if they specially came to observe and admire an important exhibit. It was this inclusion of theatrics that set his photographs apart from the standard crime photos that one was used to seeing at the time. At the same crime scenes he loved so much, Weegee also photographed himself, extensively. There’s a picture of him posing with his camera inside a patrol wagon used to transport criminals. He also shot himself in studio-like setups and on the streets, where he experimented with distortions, especially with prisms and mirrors. It is not difficult to decipher that he was someone who enjoyed attention. His portraits were often mixed with humour, and he made sure that they stood out. While Lee Friedlander widely documented the urban American landscape, he also spent five decades or so photographing himself. The self-portraits range from those where he is explicitly visible in the frame, to the more obscure and ominous reflections and shadows. Two photographs that immediately caught my attention was one that he shot on the streets of New York City and the other one with his wife, in their bedroom. The former self-portrait had his shadow, falling upon a blonde woman in a fur coat. It’s a little unsettling, and almost feels like he’s stalking the woman. In contrast, in the latter portrait with his wife, one can gauge the warmth in the scene. She, standing topless against a wall, in a patch of sunlight, with his shadow falling subtly on her body. It’s hard to gauge what he might have felt, each of those times, or all the times that he photographed himself. Was it mischief, melancholy, indifference…? “At first, my presence in my photos was fascinating and disturbing. But as time passed and I was more a part of other ideas in my photos, I was able to add a giggle to those feelings,” he said. A lot of what we know today of Vivian Maier is through the photographs, negatives, notes and other artefacts that she left behind. And amongst these exist images of an intimate kind. For someone who led a very quiet and private life, Vivian’s self-portraits help us peel away a few layers of the obscurity that still surround her life. Her pictures give us the impression that she wasn’t shy or insecure about her appearance, as she frequently photographed her face at various angles. In them she sometimes appears moody and stone-faced, while at other times, one can almost notice a hint of a smile. But what was it that she was exactly going after? Discovering one’s self has always been the crux of any self-portrait. But is it all? Or is there more to it? Why have people, right from the very inception of photography, taken up the camera to photograph themselves? Was it curiosity, or narcissism, or a hope that the final picture would reveal something that they’ve never seen before? I found some answers when I interviewed Chieska Fortune Smith, for this month’s cover story. One of the things that she mentioned, hit me deep. In the short time that she has been photographing, making portraits of people has become a means for her to understand herself. However, it’s not always so easy when she turns the camera towards herself. “It’s harder for me to see the raw version of myself,” she said. And so, she dresses her self-portraits with distortions, deep shadows, or immerses herself in reflections, and through them she is slowly trying to understand what it means to belong. I, too, felt, or rather continue to feel the same… this state of being in a limbo. And a lot of it shows in the photographs I make of objects that also don’t quite have a home. I also find it hard to turn the camera towards my face, because of the years I’ve spent hating the way I look. But since the past year or so, I’ve been slowly making mends. Whenever I travel in a rickshaw, I love the play of the wind on my hair, and how it embraces parts of my face. I have been shooting these moments, and making videos of them on my phone. They may not be as intricate or as thought-provoking as some of the names mentioned in this piece… But self-portraiture is as much about chasing away the things that haunt you, as it is about discovery and acceptance.
Conchita Fernandes Instagram: @schmoooochita better photography
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huawei honor V9
all looks, but little play
ed Mend
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Conchita Fernandes gets her hands on the sleek and sizable Huawei Honor V9, and checks if it comes anywhere close to its competitors.
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he Honor V9 is Huawei’s latest addition in its V-series of phones. Feature-wise, the V9 has changed very little from its predecessor (Honor V8), barring one major exception that the phone now boasts of a 12MP f/2.2 and a 2MP dual lens camera system, a feature that quite a few cellphone manufacturers have been incorporating into phones. There’s also phase detection
a Variety of Features to experiment With! The V9 has a Pro Photo mode that lets you adjust ISO, shutterspeed, exposure, white balance, and lets you choose between AF-C, AF-S and MF. You can also choose between Matrix, Center and Spot metering. The top of the screen has an aperture icon
The V9 did a very good job in capturing intricate details and textures. It was especially wonderful shooting with it during the monsoons, where the vibrancy of the surroundings were heightened.
All photographs by Conchita Fernandes
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autofocus, laser autofocus and a dual colour LED flash.
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that lets you use the dual lens system to produce images with shallow depth of field. Other features include 3D Panorama, a Monochrome mode, HDR, 3D Creator, Night Shot, Panorama, Light Painting, Timelapse, Slow-mo, a range of filters to choose from, amongst others. On the video front, the V9 supports 4K video recording at 30fps. It also has a Pro Video mode, where you can change the metering, exposure, WB, and the nature of the AF.
The Good, Bad and the Worst... I have to admit that walking around and shooting with a 5.7-inch phablet was a little cumbersome. I found it easier to hold the phone horizontally and photograph. On the shooting front, the V9 did blow out sections of the image, even on not so sunny days. Otherwise, it rarely missed locking focus on the subject. As for the performance of the dual lens, the V9 wasn’t always accurate and best at identifying what portions to blur out. It often ended up blurring sections of the photograph that were meant to be in focus. The end result was very patchy-looking. s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
With regards to its ISO performance, the image quality was acceptable up to ISO 800, after which the noise became very evident.
To Buy or Not to Buy?
The colours produced by the phone were a little too saturated for my liking, especially the reds and pinks.
The V9 comes in two variants—64GB and 128GB—and is expected to be priced, starting at Rs. 26,500. While the phone does a good enough job on the photography front, and is feature-packed as well... where it lacks is the average image quality, which cannot be salvaged on account of the absence of the RAW feature.
aT a GlaNce specifications
5.7-inch display, 12MP f/2.2 & 2MP dual lens rear camera, 8MP front camera, 1.8GHz octa-core Kirin 960 processor, 6GB RAM
what we like
Manual mode, fast focusing
what we dislike
Patchy depth of field emulation, slightly over saturated colours
why buy it?
The phone provides a plethora of features to experiment with, and also enough of control in the manual mode
FINal RaTINGS
83%
caMeRa featuRes 12MP & 2MP dual lens camera, manual control, f/2.2 lens
23/25
iMaGe Quality Good AF, good reproduction of details
24/30
Video Quality 4K video at 30 fps
12/15
handlinG Big and slightly difficult to hold
11/15
speed & ResponsiVeness Speedy and accurate phone
13/15 Better PhotograPhy
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oneplus 5
the legacy continues...
Conchita Fernandes places the incredible OnePlus 5 on BP’s test bench.
The OnePlus 5’s dual lens performed far better than most phones in its price range. It wasn’t too much of a hassle to get the camera to focus on a particular section of the scene, and it did quite a good job in seamlessly blurring out the right sections of the image, without making it appear too patchy.
What’s in the Phone Except for the upgrade in its rear camera system, the OnePlus 5 largely remains
similar to the OnePlus 3T. Its dual lens camera setup comprises of a 16MP f/1.7 primary rear camera, along with a 20MP f/2.6 telephoto camera, both of which have PDAF. There’s also the option of 2X optical digital zoom (not available when using the front camera), and you can further digitally zoom in at 8X. With the help of the Portrait mode, you can achieve a shallow depth of field and bokeh-like effect n photographs, provided that you are 1-6 feet away from your subject. There is also a Pro Mode, where you can
In ambient light, the phone captures good quality photographs. Moreover, the AF is speedy and accurate, and there is no shutter lag as well.
All photographs by Conchita Fernandes
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T
he OnePlus brand has always been known for its affordability and superior camera, thus making its phones highly anticipated. It was no different with the launch of the OnePlus 5. What made it even more exciting was the brand new addition of a dual lens camera system. I was curious to find out how it fared.
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control the ISO, WB, shutterspeed, focus and exposure. It also gives you the option to save your customised settings under C1 and C2. Moreover, there’s a historgram feature too, which can be disabled if found too distracting while shooting. The OnePlus 5 records 4K videos at 30fps and 1080p videos at 60fps and 30fps, and offers 2X zoom. Other features include HDR, Time-lapse, Slow motion and Panorama.
Almost Perfect... Having previously tested and being extremely satisfied with the OnePlus 3, I was expecting nothing less from the OnePlus 5. And I wasn’t disappointed. The phone accompanied me all the way to the mountains in Manali, Jhispa and Ladakh, where it did a great job in capturing the stunning landscapes. The camera did not oversaturate the photographs, and produced pictures with just the right amount of contrast. Moreover, the phone almost never failed in locking focus on the subject, even when I was whizzing past landscapes in a ginormous ISUZU D-Max. The only pitfall, yet again, was the average s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
quality of the JPEGs. The noise reduction was apparent, with very visible smearing. The RAW files, however, were far better, and can be edited instead.
The camera performed well in low lit indoor areas, without too much detail lost in the shadows.
What Makes it a Steal! Given its great image performance, the OnePlus 5 certainly stands side-by-side giants like the Samsung Galaxy S8, the Google Pixel and the iPhone 7 Plus. But what makes it irresistible is that it is priced at just Rs. 32,999, making it an absolute steal. I really don’t see any reason for not purchasing it right now!
AT A glAnce specifications
5.5-inch full HD, 16MP f/1.7 primary rear camera & 20MP f/2.6 telephoto camera, 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, Rs. 32,999
what we like
Great UI, punchy colours, fast AF
what we dislike
Quality of JPEGs
why buy it?
The phone is a wonderful package of great specs and good image quality, that too, at a very pocket-friendly price
FInAl RATIngS
88%
caMeRa featuRes 16MP and 20MP dual lens camera, EIS
22/25
iMaGe Quality Good low light performance, quality of RAW files
26/30
Video Quality 4K video at 30 fps
13/15
handlinG Sleek, and easy to hold
13/15
speed & ResponsiVeness Speedy phone without any lag
14/15 Better PhotograPhy
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Gionee a1 plus
not Quite there yet
Touted as a selfie phone, Tanvi Dhulia speculates whether the Gionee A1 Plus is an upgrade worth its price.
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When I was making the photograph, the dog was moving around quite a bit. Despite that the phone’s AF correctly latched onto him. BetteR PHOtOGRAPHY
lens and a 5MP f/2.2 fixed focus sensor. The device, priced at Rs. 26,999, has a massive 6.6 inch Full HD screen and a 4550 mAh battery unit. In which case, it’s no surprise that it weighs 50g more than the Gionee A1. Selfie hoarders take note! A huge advantage for the device is its 64GB internal storage, which is expandable up to a whopping 256 GB.
All photographs by Tanvi Dhulia
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ionee’s second model in the new A-series of smartphones is the A1 Plus which, along with larger batteries, assures to enhance the selfie experience. It has a couple of things going for it. The first being its 20MP front camera with LED flash, and the second, its dual camera setup at the back. The latter consists of a 13MP f/2 primary
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The camera does a fairly decent job of retaining details, which has helped bring out the texture of the mushrooms.
Tough Competition So far, the domain for self portraiture has been under the reign of Oppo, which has promoted itself as the “Selfie Expert’ with its F series. Now, with the A series, Gionee seems to want a slice of the same cake. Which begs the question, does their latest offering leave a significant mark?
A Mixed Bag The camera menu of the A1 Plus comes with features like a portrait mode, smart scene, HDR, filters, and a professional mode which gives one the freedom to alter ISO, white balance, shutter speed, exposure, and focus. The dual lens setup is meant to enable a shallow depth of field for portraiture, however it didn’t live up to my expectations. On one occasion, when I attempted to make a picture of a friend sitting in a well-lit and slightly cluttered balcony, the phone had trouble deciding where to focus, even though I tapped the screen to indicate that it should aim attention at her face. It managed to clearly capture parts of a chair placed several inches away from her, which was not something I wanted to include. In general, the A1 Plus does a good job at capturing colours accurately. But not so much in low-light situations, where it loses s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
plenty of details. It performs decently up till ISO 800, afterwhich the noise levels of the camera increase considerably.
No Suprises
The phone manages to bring out the colours well, helping to make everyday objects seem appealing.
While it’s packing all the features that a smartphone should ideally come equipped with, the A1 Plus hardly manages to impress. It has some tough competitors in its price bracket with the One Plus 5 and the Huawei Honor V9, both of which come with features that are far more refined. Perhaps the device would do well for the selfie aficionado, but there are other better options in its price range for those solely enthusiastic about cellphone photography.
AT A glANCe specifications
6-inch full HD display, 13MP f/2 primary rear camera, 5MP f/2.2 secondary camera & 20MP f/2 front camera, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage (expandable to 256GB), Rs. 26,999
what we like
Punchy colours, detailed selfies
what we dislike
Poor low-light performance
why buy it?
If you’re particular about the quality of your selfies, and enjoy shooting pictures on the side, this phone could be for you
FINAl RATINgS
80%
caMeRa featuRes 13MP and 5MP dual lens rear camera, with a 20MP front camera
20/25
iMaGe Quality Depicts colours accurately, and captures details well
25/30
Video Quality 1080p at 30 fps
11/15
handlinG Large and slightly heavy
11/15
speed & ResponsiVeness Speedy phone without too much lag
13/15 Better PhotograPhy
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reADers’ GALLerY
readers’ gallery
Better Cellphone Photography’s readers were challenged to photograph the loving and humble street dogs in their cities.
Winner
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A Time To Reflect
Honourable Mention
Neenad Arul, mumbai
State of Oblivion Akash Roy, Kalyani
What made me shoot this: Dogs makes the best companions even in solitude. What I learnt: To wait patiently for all the elements in the scene to come together and form a harmonious rhythm. Shot with: Unavailable
What made me shoot this: The pathway lent itself as a great vanishing point, and I had two perfect subjects to compliment it. What I learnt: I had to be quick while shooting this image, as the person would have moved ahead and I would have lost the shadow created by the street lamp. Shot with: Xiaomi Mi4 better photoGrAphY
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reADers’ GALLerY
ured on to be feast, participate e these parg contests by u in o to logging on ontests n/c tography.i betterpho
Another Day in The Sun Riti Sengupta, Kolkata What made me shoot this: Two homeless souls bonding beyond their everyday misery, in the streak of sunlight indicative of hope, made the scene very appealing to me. What I learnt: To keep one’s eyes peeled for such fleeting moments. Shot with: Motorola Moto G2
Honourable Mention 47
A Day at the Beach siddhant Vaidya, mumbai What made me shoot this: The moment of silence and serenity at the beach, while human, nature and animal co-exist in peace. What I learnt: I tried to bring in the skyline and the hills in the distance, to add depth to the picture. Shot with: OnePlus 2 s e pt e m b e r 2 0 1 7
Honourable Mention better photoGrAphY
tint; past tense/past participle to colour (something) slightly; tinge
from tinted; un + tinted not tinted; having a plain or default colour It is difficult to overlook the impact life’s events have on us, and as a result, on our artwork. For some, the past hardly makes a dent on their psyche, allowing them to create images bound to the present. While for others, memories and a sense of nostalgia enable them to perceive a subject uniquely. Four diverse photographers examine how their work came to be.
Per SPeC t I V e S
Julie Blackmon “All I want is to make compelling images.”
Julie Blackmon Born in Springfield, Missouri, she first started out as a documentary photographer, drawing inspiration from the works of Sally Mann. Today, her images are influenced by the artistic works of Jan Steen, Norman Rockwell, and Tim Burton. Having grown up in a large family, her work depicts a fantastical world of domestic chaos.
I’m just looking around at my everyday life and, like any artist, trying to make sense of it. What truly drives me to create such maddening scenes is nostalgia. I grew up in the ‘70s, as the eldest of nine, and in those days we were rather carefree. We’d ride our bikes without helmets, and spend the entire day playing barefoot. Rarely, did we bother with seat belts, to the point that my mother didn’t think it was a big deal that she’d have to throw her arm in front of me every time we screeched to a halt. Nowadays, however, there’s an incredible amount of attention paid to a child’s S e Pt e M B e r 2 0 1 7
Hair, 2013
well-being. Parenthood has become more about constantly being at the brink of paranoia. I found myself asking, “How much of this is even necessary, and how much of it is insane?” So, my work is a love letter to the past, and the kind of freedom we enjoyed back then. At the same time it is an acknowledgement of the anxiety I feel about not being able to give our children the sort of life we had. Even so, it can be tiresome when people constantly assume that the only reason Better PhotograPhy
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I make photographs of this nature is because I’m a mother. I did not just show up at the right moment to capture scenes like these. My art is informed by my life, and what person is not creating work that is not also informed by their life? It is a fact that all of us eventually produce work influenced by our experiences. In my case, these images would never have existed if I had not lived in the same town since my childhood. My roots are planted firmly in Springfield, Missouri, and it is this sense of belonging that brings a unique flavour to the photographs. I can just borrow my nieces and nephews, along with whatever else is lying around, and set to work. s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
To the left: Garage Sale, 2013. Top Right: Babysitter, 2006. Bottom Right: Vintage Wallpaper, 2007.
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To the left: Dress Rehearsal, 2013. Top: Stock Tank, 2012. Bottom: New Chair, 2014.
All images belong to Š Julie Blackmon, courtesy Robert Mann Gallery.
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Shahria Sharmin
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“I think there is a hope that this
Shahria Sharmin is a documentary photographer from Bangladesh. She has been named as a jurors’ pick in this year’s Magnum Awards. Sharmin, who has twin 15-year-old girls, took up this project also because the hijras’ relationships with their actual families intrigued her.
Nishi, 21, waiting for the man of her dreams. To the right, above: “I feel like a mermaid. My body tells me I am a man, and my soul tells me I am a woman,” says Heena, 51. To the right, below: Knowing that Shumi, 22 (left), and Priya, 26 (right), have no chance to return to their families, they have adjusted themselves to live under a Guru (the leader of the Hijra community).
There seemed to be a negative connotation to the word ‘hijra’. I grew up knowing that hijras were social outcasts. When I started this work in 2012, I was curious to find out if the Hijras were male, do they still feel like a woman? The way they think, is it the way that I think, or I feel? Better PhotograPhy
When I met Heena, I was still trying to overcome my preconceived ideas. She made me understand her and other members of her community—as the mothers, daughters, s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
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movement will end up with acceptance,�
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per spec t i v e s “I am giving an exam, the result is unknown to me...,” says Tina, 21 To the right, Above: Untitled To the right, below: 8-year-old Tiptap’s father and the hijra community exchanged her luck against nature’s progression. Her dance under the light continues though, till tomorrow decides her fate.
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friends and lovers that they actually are. They give them the shelter of a family and the warmth of a human relationship. I sternly believe that gender should not be an issue in storytelling, but in this instance when the Hijras become emotional, then I faced a unique challenge as a woman to remain objective. I wanted to photograph s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
them as individuals, without the obvious superficial biases. My work deals with the spectrum of emotion the hijra community goes through, coming with a varying degree of acceptance and rejection. I hope this documentation helps them find some breathing space in this claustrophobic society. Better PhotograPhy
per spec t i v e s “I was Ripon, Mina and then Lisa depending on the home I entered. Now I am Rita, and I know who I am. I know what my name is, no further changes are required,� says Rita, 46. Bottom left: For Chaina, 26, sex is mechanical and pleasure is a thing of a far away place. Bottom right: When Mohona, 29, turned ten, her father locked her up for three years to hide her femininity from the world. She broke free and eloped, and finally ended up in Delhi. She has freedom now but has lost the door to her home.
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per spec t i v e s “I like it when guys are attracted to me, like they would be attracted to any other women,” says Jasmine, 24. Bottom left: After 27 years, Apeli’s return from India as a woman (now aged 43) doesn’t make her sister look at her any differently than the brother she had known. Bottom right: Moyna, 54, lost her Guru, leaving her as a widow, along with the responsibilities and restrictions of the real world. It’s been 40 years since Moyna went home, but between the puffs of her smoking pipe, she dreams for a death in her motherland.
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Chieska Fortune Smith
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“Even after my pictures are made,
Chieska Fortune Smith is a freelance documentary, portrait and fine art photographer. She is a quiet observer, looking for the obscure and subtle beauty in things. She is currently based in West London, where she lives with her husband and two boys.
Kimono. Better PhotograPhy
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I linger around them for a while... till they begin to have an effect on me.”
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Amidst the darkness that is embedded in my photographs, you’ll notice a certain softness and femininity... a quality that I am able to bring in, owing to how I perceive the people around me. Most of us want to feel like we belong somewhere, and spend all our lives in its pursuit. It’s not an easy road, and in my case, it’s one that I have been at for all my life. Being of a mixed race has always left me feeling like I don’t particularly belong anywhere. I am the grey between the darkness and light. I was searching with no concrete direction in mind. However, this changed when I received my first camera in s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
Scream.
2008. It felt like I had discovered a path, not one that would give me immediate answers, but one where I would be able to slowly unravel bits about myself. I chose to do this by photographing people and myself. If you go through my photographs, especially my selfportraits, you’ll always find me hidden in between light and shadow, in reflections and distortions. I find it easier this way, Better PhotograPhy
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Ana.
Void. s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
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Angel.
The Tunnel. Better PhotograPhy
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Hand. Better PhotograPhy
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because it’s so hard to look at the raw and unadulterated version of myself. While these pictures illustrate my state of mind, it is usually the portraits that I shoot s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
of my family, friends and the strangers that I encounter, and it is in their expression, that I am able to slowly peel away the invisibility that I’ve been shrouded in for so long.
Clavicle.
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Deepti Asthana
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“There is an increasing need to tell these
Deepti Asthana is currently pursuing the stories of nuns in Ladakh and fisherwomen in Dhanushkodi. She believes that it’s easy to meander into one’s comfort zone, but to produce any pathbreaking work, one has to stay uncomfortable.
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stories, but not enough people to tell them.”
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Among Farzana’s four daughters, two of them are yet to be married. While the income earned from weaving helps her family, ironically she is against her daughters working as she believes that no one would accept working girls for marriage. “She can work after marriage if she likes and if her in-laws allow her to,” she said. s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
Better PhotograPhy
13-year-old Bharti works in the salt pans of Mithapur, Gujarat. She is one among scores of children who face severe health hazards while working under the scorching sun and being exposed to highly saturated salt.
“While things are changing gradually in the urban landscape, the situation in some rural areas are still centuries behind.� Women Of India didn’t start as a concrete photography project. I was visiting a lot of rural villages for assignments, and often came across stories of women within them. The tales were vastly different from their urban counterpart. Surely we have our own
struggles here, but there are also plenty of photographers to tell them. But these villages were off the radar. This project is not affiliated to any organisation, therefore, there were major safety concerns. I knew families in a few
Jamuna Rabari, a widow, has been working as a labourer at Jojawar, Rajasthan, to support herself, while her two sons are settled in Jaipur and New Delhi. She refuses to leave the village and migrate to the city for worldly pleasures. Better PhotograPhy
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Per sPec t i v e s
Tattoos are considered to be a mark of recognition for Koli women in Diu. But Veera shyly admitted that she got them before marriage to impress her husband.
Shakila Husain, 75, refused to go to an old age home when her son disowned her. She is now the senior most member of the ‘Women weaver’ society in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh.
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Himalayan Naari is a self-help group from Chaukori. It helps the local women generate income by selling the hand-knit products made by them, preventing migration to bigger cities.
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Oblivious to the outside world, the women in Omkareshwar continue to swim in their long skirts, in the ‘women section’ of the Narmada ghats.
places because of repeated visits. But there were risks involved at other times. Being a woman, it has helped me immensely—people don’t feel threatened, if you knock at their door. They’ll happily
invite you over for a meal. It eventually helped me build a relationship with them, where I was living with them in their houses. They were no longer conscious about my presence. These are everyday
photographs of rural women, their stories, and the simplicity with which they lead their lives. Growing up in a small town, I recall being confronted with challenges that twenty
years down the line, women in rural settings are still facing. My aim is to make these stories more relatable for those living in urban settings, and to confront them with the reality of this co-existing world.
As seasonal migrants for sugarcane factories in Somnath, Gujarat, women face high risks of trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
The children of the seasonal migrants in Somnath have never seen a school. By the time they turn 10, they will become bonded labourers. s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
Better PhotograPhy
ShowCase Indian Photography Festival A Conuence of Visual Storytelling
The Indian Photography Festival, Hyderabad is back with an exciting lineup of imagery, exploring various social, economic and cultural themes.
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ow in its third edition, the Indian Photography Festival (IPF), Hyderabad presents a fantastic lineup of talks, exhibitions, workshops and panel discussions from some of the best photographers in the industry. With Aquin Mathews at its helm, this year, the open call exhibitions exhibitions were selected by a panel which
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Camillo Pasquarelli
included Mags King, Natan Dvir, Deepak John Mathew, Barbara Davidson, Alison Stieven-Taylor, Prabhakar Kusuma and Russell Hart. IPF will take place from 21 September to 8 October, at the State Art Gallery in Madhapur, Hyderabad. For more information, visit www.indianphotofest.com. Here is an exclusive glimpse at what you can expect to see at the festival.
With a background in Political Science and Visual Anthropology, Camillo Pasquarelli combines the two in his reportage work. In 2015, he spent five months in the Kashmir valley, conducting research on the Indo-Pakistan conflict and the separatist Kashmiri political sentiments. His work has appeared in publications like Der Spiegel, Il Reportage, Il Manifesto, Left, The Post Internazionale, Positive Magazine, amongst others.
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PROFILE
SPECIAL SHOWCASE
YOUR PICTURES
Maggie Steber On finding beauty at the bleakest of times
A Himalayan Tryst Driving the Audi Quattros in the mountains
A showcase of the IP F 2 0 1 7 best images sent by our readers
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There will also be several projections and slideshows from Neenad Arul, Andres Wertheim, Mahesh Lonkar, Parth Gupta; and LensCulture, Auckland Festival of Photography, Angkor Photo Festival and Everyday Japan.
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ATTRACTIONS
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Artist Talks
Workshops
Portfolio Reviews
During the course of the festival, Stuart Franklin, Reza Deghati, Andrea Bruce, Sudharak Olwe, Gurinder Osan, Q Sakamaki, Prashant Godbole, Cecilia Paredes, Kate Geraghty, Natan Dvir and Helena Schatzle will be presenting and talking about their work.
Stuart Franklin from Magnum Photos will be conducting a two-day workshop for photographers wanting to take their work to the next level. For those interested in street photography, Natan Dvir will be doing a one-day workshop at Charminar.
Emerging and professional photographers wanting feedback on their work, can sign up for portfolio reviews conducted by Reza Deghati, Andrea Bruce, Kate Geraghty, Q Sakamaki, Natan Dvir, Sudharak Olwe, Gurinder Osan, Helena Schätzle and Cecilia Paredes.
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Tejal Mewar
For Tejal Mewar, a government officer involved in the export and promotion of textiles in Gujarat, photography began as a hobby in 2014. He is self-taught, largely through reading and observation. He enjoys photographing the unpredictable moments on the street. In his photoessay of a brick kiln in Surat, he has documented the tough and hazardous conditions that the workers have to endure on a day-to-day basis.
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Swastik Pal
With a keen interest in documentary photography and editorial writing, Swastik Pal has been commissioned by the BBC, Quartz, The Indian Express, MSN, Financial Times (London) Barcoft Media, Al Jazeera, and others. He was nominated for the prestigious Joop Swart World Press Masterclass in 2015 and 2017. His recent series titled Hungry Tide Project, documents the last inhabitants of the ‘sinking island’ of Ghoramara, located 150 km south of Kolkata.
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Cecilia Paredes
Cecilia Paredes has her hands dipped into various forms of art—performance, drawing, building objects and installations— through which she explores themes related to migration, and the relationship between man and nature. Her work is a part of the collection of various museums in the U.S. and Europe. She has been a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow since 1998. In her ongoing photographic series, she explores the visual juxtaposition of her painted body against patterned backgrounds.
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Kowshik Vasudevan
While most of his photographic work deals with the documentation of personal and social matters, Kowshik Vasudevan also enjoys shooting weddings and fashion. He is a graduate of the International Photography Program at the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute in Bangladesh. His recent work focuses on dilapidated vehicles, and explores how we’re quick to dismiss their utility and relevance.
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Photograph/Ako Salemi Photograph/Adriana Zehbrauskas
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Photograph/Eric Mencher
Hikari Creative
Hikari Creative was the brainchild of Ako Salemi, who first asked Q Sakamaki to collaborate with him. ‘Hikari’, which means light in Japanese, is also a metaphor for hope. Together, they agreed that the new collective would use Instagram to explore a new style of photography, one that would utilise a strong artistic sensibility and move beyond traditional photojournalism to blend fine art and photo-documentary traditions.
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Laura Liverani
Laura Liverani shuttles between East Asia and Europe, practising and teaching photography. Her project, Ainu Nenoan Ainu, explores the native identity of the Ainu (an indigenous community) in contemporary Japan, and reflects on what it means to be an Ainu today, and in everyday life practices. It also addresses the sense of belonging within a community, in the double process of both preserving and reinventing their own culture.
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Mahesh Shantaram
Mahesh Shantaram uses personal and subjective documentary photography to study complex systems, societies and institutions, particularly with reference to contemporary India. His most recent project deals with the subject of racism in the country, particularly faced by the African diaspora in India. With the aid of portraits, he looks at this difficult subject through anecdotes and stories.
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Soumyendra Saha
After a 12-year stint in software development, Soumyendra Saha decided to hit the streets and photograph. Since then he has spent his time studying photographs by the masters, watching movies and listening to Hindustani classical music. All of this has contributed to his imagery that are filled with drama, humour, mystery and surrealism. His current photographs, which will be showcased at the festival, are a result of his endeavours from the last three years.
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Christian Bobst
After having spent 15-years as a Creative Director for major advertising agencies in Switzerland and Germany, Christian Bobst decided to switch to documentary photography in 2010. His project titled The Gris-gris Wrestlers of Senegal, a form of traditional wrestling in Western Africa, won him second place at the World Press Photo Award (2016), in the Sport Stories category. His photographs have been published in The Guardian, Huffington Post, The New York Review of Books, Stern, Geo, and others.
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IPF Portrait Prize IPF has partnered with Creative Image Magazine to provide photographers with a platform to submit their most compelling portraits. Three winners will be selected by the Editor of Creative Image, Raghu Rai, and will also receive cash prizes worth Rs. 50,000, Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 10,000. Winners will also receive accessories from Manfrotto, which include tripods and bags. Moreover, the winning images will be published in Creative Image, and the photographs by the top 20 finalists will be exhibited throughout the duration of the festival. Better PhotograPhy
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Kate Geraghty
Kate Geraghty began her photographic career in 1997, at The Border Mail, an Australian rural daily newspaper. The Bali bombings in 2002, the 2003 Iraq invasion, the 2004 tsunami, the conflict in Lebanon, and the drug war in the Philippines (2016) are just a few of the important world events that she has covered. She is the recipient of multiple Walkley Press Photographer of the Year awards.
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Maggie Steber’s inclination to the macabre is also a result of personal loss experienced through her life. This influence is evident in her series, ‘The Secret Garden of Lily LaPalma’, where the fictional mistress of the garden is named after her late sibling who was stillborn.
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Never Say Die Maggie Steber walks Tanvi Dhulia through her life full of adventures, one where she has documented the stories of people in Haiti, chronicled memory loss, and reinvented herself as a photographer.
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he scene before her was tense. Two police officers were about to confront a petty thief who had tried to escape them by diving into the harbour. Realising that he could only swim so far, the accused decided to return, palms raised above his head to indicate surrender. His reflection trembled in the murky water as he warily approached the shoreline. Defeated and drenched, the moment he set foot on soil, one of the officers raised the barrel of a rifle and delivered his justice.
Haiti, as Maggie Steber likes to believe, is where the fates decided to place the portal between paradise and hell. Having documented the culture and trials of its people for over three decades, the incident she had witnessed at the Port-auPrince harbour is one of many atrocities carved into her memory. Yet she views the tiny country with a kind of reverence. “Haiti either loves you or hates you. If she loves you, it’s because you have lessons to learn, and she will welcome you, and wring your heart out on a daily basis.”
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On her learnings from extensively photographing Native American tribes, she has written, “A photographer has to try to break through the visual trappings that the public, especially photo editors and magazines, expect to see.” Better PhotograPhy
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Steber couldn’t move herself to make an image of the execution. “Some days you realise you’ve seen so much violence, so much death, so much destruction, that you just can’t take the picture.”
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Her work there during Jean-Claude Duvalier’s brutal regime earned her a World Press Photo award, the Leica Medal of Excellence, and helped get her foot into the doors of National Geographic.
and says that she tends to go in like a baby and learn at the knees of the people she’s photographing. “If they will let me,” she adds.
Eye of the Beholder
But the ability to tell compelling stories didn’t come easily. Through the span of her entire career, Steber has worked relentlessly to become a better photographer than she was before. The cognizance to pursue this goal may have come with the rude awakening given by Eliane Laffont. At the time, Steber was a young graduate roaming the streets of Paris, hoping to be the next Henri Cartier-Bresson. But during a portfolio review for Look magazine in 1979, Laffont’s sharp criticism shook her out of the daydream. It made her realise the significance of unearthing what lay beyond our immediate lines of perception. It also drove her to look within, and question why she had been drawn to photography in the first place. “I wanted to experience the world, to make sense of it, to see it and understand it and of course, because this is just human nature, to have adventures that went beyond
When Steber points her practiced lens at the citizens of Haiti, she shows us tales of death, chaos, joy, and even heady devotion. Through her images, we come to terms with their suffering, but are also able to look past it. We are made to realise how, behind the shadow of tragedy, are a people fearless and resolute. The respectful portrayal of her subjects is what allows her to gain their trust. She maintains that the agony of others isn’t fodder for photography. “They are real people with real lives and they suffer in a myriad of ways that we will never begin to fully understand.” Steber is wholly aware of the privilege of being welcomed into their world, and is careful not to allow her perception to be tinted by the western lens. Over the years, she learned that no amount of research could truly prepare her for what lay ahead,
A Teller of Tales
She was trying to make a “bleak picture of nothingness”, when all of a sudden, the little girl appeared in her frame, singing and dancing joyously. It reminded her how beauty could be found in Haiti, in the most unexplected places. s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
After over three decades, Steber continues to return to Haiti. For her, it is the most interesting country. “It’s a very tough place, but it also holds the most exquisite beauty, tenderness and magic.”
my wildest expectations.” She was also curious about people and the stories they had to tell. “I found that this little machine called a camera could unlock those doors and hearts and minds of people who might be willing to share.”
To Madge, With Love She credits her mother, Madge, for encouraging her venturesome spirit.
Being raised by a single parent, Steber says that they didn’t have much, “...but in our cultural lives we were rich.” It was the heartbreak of watching her mother descend into dementia that propelled Steber to create ‘Rite of Passage’. Tempered with grief, the series of images became a way of preserving memories of her parent. Vulnerable before the camera, her mother’s dissociation from her
She credits this image she made during a riot in Cap-Haïtien in 1986, for transforming her life and career. It garnered a lot of attention. To her, it sums up Haiti, as it depicts, “power and fear, corruption and poverty.”
In her conversations about the country, she often makes mention of its spiritual, even magical, atmosphere. “There’s a saying in Haiti about how the population is 85 per cent catholic, and 100 per cent voodoo.”
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The picture depicts a man and his family, in Nepal, making use of an alley as a commercial laundry. When asked about how she knows when it’s time to conclude a long-term project, Steber said that the work itself will tell you when you are finished. “Or when you realise you simply have nothing else to say.”
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surrounding reality, strikes a nerve. And the largely monochrome photographs lay bare the struggles of losing a loved one over a long period of time.
Pulp Fiction
Steber doesn’t hesitate to empathise with her subjects. She made this portrait of a mother who had lost her son during the first Iraq war. On the days leading up to the making of this image, she and the mother spoke for hours and even wept together.
After years of being saddled with the label of “documentary photographer”, Steber has gradually found release through ‘Secret Garden of Lily LaPalma’. While being pinned down to a genre made it convenient for her to find work, over time she felt the need to push her own boundaries. Steber began creating images reminiscent of the ones she made when she first began. Having always been fond of science fiction and B-grade horror films, the Garden became a space to exercise her imagination.
“It is my liberation from the tyranny of documentary and how I am described by others,” she explains. She admits that working on this series has made her happier than she’s been in years. Decades since she began, Maggie Steber is finally telling her own story. In it, she has conjured a powerful and invisible mistress, Lily Lapalma, who has a penchant for murder. The pictures, both in style and subject, are in stark contrast to her earlier photojournalistic work.
A Resilient Spirit Unafraid to immerse herself in a project, Steber has found photography to be a longwinding affair. “You know, photography is sort of like love,” she says. “One starts out
She believes that everybody should have a ‘Secret Garden’ of their own, a safe place where they can allow their dark side to flourish.
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Left: In her series, ‘Polaroid: Instagram’s Daddy’, Steber displays her ability to flit comfortably between making pictures of a journalistic nature, and those of lighter substance. Right: For Steber, the documentation of her ailing mother was yet another transformative experience. “Sometimes our hearts break,” she says. “We become furious of what we see and experience, and those are turning points too.
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She began photographing her mother immediately after learning that her health wouldn’t improve. It was her way of surviving the loss.
Steber didn’t want the series to seem tragic, but it is difficult to completely ignore that aspect of the story. “There was at least one tragic story: capturing the fear and pain of losing one’s memory, losing one’s self.”
by being completely besotted with it, and thinking it’s the most extraordinary thing in the world, that there is nothing better or more important, and that there is nothing you would rather do.” But then eventually, she says, it dawns on you that it is in fact an enormous responsibility, especially when it comes to portraying the lives of others. Maggie Steber carries this knowledge with her every step of the way, allowing it to empower her work. Her confidence in her own abilities is infectious, as she emphasises how one should never feel discouraged in the face of adversity. “I worked my way through school and if I could do that—work 30 hours a week and go to school full-time for 4 years, I figure I can do almost anything.” And so, she journeys on, undaunted by what the future may hold, allowing her imagination to lead the way.
In the beginning, the project was meant to be wholly private. However, she eventually realised that the series of images could become so much more.
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As she worked on this project, Steber began to view her mother as a completely seperate individual, devoid of her role as a parent. It startled her at first, but she drew comfort from the knowledge that they would have gotten along just as well had they met as strangers.
Maggie Steber has worked in 64 countries and has largely focused on cultural, social, and humanitarian stories. When not occupied with photography, she likes to sing, dance, and preserve dead lizards in her freezer. Her work has been published widely and you can find more at www.maggiesteber.com s e Pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
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All photographs by Conchita Fernandes
A Himalayan Tryst
This Independence Day, Better Photography accompanied OVERDRIVE on a mesmerising and exciting drive into the Himalayas, in the exquisite Audi Q3s and Q7s. Conchita Fernandes recounts the entire trip. Better PhotograPhy
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rowing up, my only exposure to the stunning mountainscapes of the world was through the pages of National Geographic magazine. The rich and vibrant spreads of the snow-capped mountains often left me in a state of awe, and a longing to experience its magnanimity. I was finally able to do so last
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month, when I accompanied OVERDRIVE in their annual Independence Quattro Drive. Fifteen participants and I made our way through the curved and sometimes treacherous mountainous roads in the sleek and powerful Audi Q3s and Q7s. Our journey began at Chandigarh, from where we briskly worked our way upwards
At more than 13,000 feet, the Audis were lined up along the Leh Manali Highway, surrounded by lush greenery on either side of the road, just before we reached Rohtang Pass.
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through Manali, Jispa, Leh, Chushul and finally, Pangong Lake. As we whizzed past rivers, hilltops and mountains, I found myself at a complete loss, as I couldn’t decide whether to absorb the spectacular
scenes, or spend time photographing it. Everything is picturesque in the mountains. One can never tire of looking at the swell and ferocity of the Indus, or the gentleness of the Bhaga River, as it meandered through
As we made our way towards the Rezang La Memorial, and even beyond, we encountered several such signboards, reminding and urging visitors never to forget the bravery of our jawans. This particular one had the insignia of the Gorkha regiment, one of the most celebrated troops in the world.
Soldiers at attention, right before the wreathplacing ceremony, honouring the 114 soldiers who lost their lives holding their ground to more than 5000 Chinese soldiers at Rezang La. After the ceremony, Hawaldar Sunny Thapa (on the extreme right), narrated the entire course of events that took place on the day of the attack. Better photography
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Young jawans greet us as we arrive at the Rezang La Memorial. In the background, one can notice the mountains separating India and China.
different terrains. While the contestants and I gawked at the sights that greeted us, we were simultaneously acclimatising to the sharp spikes in altitude, as we passed the various passes at Rohtang, Naki La, Khardung La and Taglang La. In a way, the scenic landscapes compensated for those of us affected by the altitude.
However, the real star of the trip, barring the mountains, was our visit to the Rezang La Memorial on 15 August. It was constructed in remembrance of the 120 soldiers of the 13 Kumaon, led by Major Shaitan Singh, who put up a brave fight against the 5000-6000 Chinese soldiers, who launched a surprise attack. We spent
With the Audis lined up on the side, the participants, along with retired Colonel Sukhi Sekhon, pay their respects to the Indian national flag.
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The Audis making their way along Pangong Lake... The red Q3 in particular, looks stunning against the shimmering blue water.
the day honouring these brave souls. A few members of our team were invited to participate in the wreath-placing ceremony, and this was followed by a hearty narration
of the entire chain of events that took place on the fateful day of 14 November, 1962. A gamut of emotions swept across those attending the memorial, which finally
My cellphone camera was my best companion, while photographing the stunning landscapes. This particular one was shot through the window of my car. Better photography
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culminated in hoisting the Indian flag and singing the national anthem. We were then invited by the battalion protecting Rezang La, at their base camp. Here we were warmly welcomed by the soldiers, who offered us lunch and a chance to interact with them. We spent the last two days camping at a site in Chushul, and along the pristine
blue waters of Pangong Lake. While it was bitter cold at both these places, it gave us the rare opportunity to observe the star-laden sky, with shooting stars making several guest appearances. As I flew back from Leh, I was offered one last opportunity to marvel at the ice capped mountains, as fluffy clouds gently embraced them.
Ladakh Sarai and the J W Marriott in Chandigarh were two of our hospitality partners. Ladakh Sarai, in particular, offered a spectacular view of the mountainscapes, that too, from the comfort of my bed.
The OVERDRIVE Independence Quattro Drive would not have been possible without the support of its partners—Audi for the excellent Quattro vehicles, Michelin as a tyre partner for the road trip, TOTAL QUARTZ as the engine oil partner, and Red FM 93.5 for providing media support. s e pt e m B e r 2 0 1 7
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We challenged our readers to make images that represent what a family means to them. Here is a look at the best photographs we received.
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e te in thest’ on a p i c i t Par res Cont ntests ictu n/co ‘Your P otography.i to be e ph better win a chanc agazine! m to in the d e r u feat Growing Stronger Niraj Gera, New Delhi “As a social activist, I wanted to bring to light the stories of acid attack survivors. Here, both mother and daughter have suffered intensely. Their pain is one that continues to persist. But it is the love they share which helps them remain strong. I chose to concentrate on their interaction, so as to lay emphasis on their bond, and make the moment more impactful.” Camera: Nikon D750 Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Aperture: f/18 Shutterspeed: 1/200 sec ISO: 125
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Small Joys Sreenivas Vittalam, Tirupati “I made this photograph while lying on the floor. I wanted to capture my son’s cheerful energy while at play, and managed to do so when he began leaping around the room. ” Camera: Pentax K-S2 Aperture: f/5 Shutterspeed: 1/160 sec ISO: 200
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Modern Family Susmita Bhattacharya, Kolkata “I made this picture to capture the warm and simple household, where the cat is nursing her kittens, while a mother looks over her child fondly.”
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Camera: Nikon D7000 Lens: Nikon 18–105mm f/3.5-5.6 VR Aperture: f/5 Shutterspeed: 1/80 sec ISO: 500
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Attention, Please
Pushpendu Paul, Kolkata
“The mother had just returned from the field to find her baby crying. Across the room, her elder son eyed them with a hint of jealousy. The moment reminded me of my childhood and how my elder sister always envied the attention I received.” Camera: Nikon D700 Lens: AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–105mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Aperture: f/4 Shutterspeed: 1/60 sec ISO: 1000
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An Exceptional Bond Nidhyan Maniarasu, Coimbatore “My daughter and her cat are very attached. So when I came upon them sleeping in this manner, I couldn’t help but make a picture. It only helped that the background was of sunny, yellow roses. It makes it seem like they are dreaming of pleasant things.” Camera: Nikon D90 Lens: AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–105mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Aperture: f/16 Shutterspeed: 1/20 sec ISO: 800
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The Breakfast Club Pranab Basak, Kolkata “A family was beginning their day with breakfast, as a cat looked on, perhaps hungrily. I made this image because it brought to mind the simple joys of life.” Camera: Nikon D300 Lens: AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Aperture: f/5 Shutterspeed: 1/60 sec ISO: 800
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Photograph by: Lewis Hine Image Source: Library Of Congress Written by: Vedika Singhania
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All Work And No Play!
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he early 1900s saw an increase in child labour, in the coal mining factories in the U.S. Commonly referred to as ‘Breaker Boys’, the young boys, sometimes as young as four, would be employed to segregate coal from slate in the mines. They would spend their days in the hazardous settings, working for a pittance, far away from the schools that the National Child Labour Committee (NCLC) wanted them to be in. Having tried to bring a stop to this practice unsuccessfully, the NCLC brought Lewis Hine on board to bring this issue to light. With a background in Sociology, Hine was always disposed towards social issues and bringing about a change. However, he was under the constant pressure of being discovered, as the factory owners were violently against social reform. Disguised as a bible salesman, postcard salesman, or an industrial photographer to record machinery, Hine would try to gain access inside the mills, factories, mines, fields and canneries, right from north east to the deep south of America. He would then quickly note the child’s age, job description and all the information pertaining to their situation. If he was unable to gain access, he would wait outside the factory and photograph them, as they entered or exited. Lewis’ photographs on child labour in America showed the stark truth that Charles Dickens had evoked through his novels. This visual documentation forced the government to enforce stringent laws against child labour in the country. The impact of it was immediate and profound. The pictures swayed the public in a way cold statistics had not, and the country enacted laws banning child labour. s e pt e m b e r 2 0 1 7