The fab factor

The pantheons of fate and decisions

Cat in lomo cam

Realized that mobo cams and an fx camera ain't bad an option at all

Sunny and Me

Sunny is barely 5-6 years old. Maybe he is 8. He wears specks and has a million dollar smile to himself. I met Sunny on Thursday at a Udaan Center as a part of an education program we are supporting. When I took his pictures and made him look at it, he gave the same beaming smile, his spectacles reflecting the harsh afternoon sun. Sunny was there to study, to learn and to tell stories raising his hand and asking if he could. But Sunny's smile never leaves him, his innocence, which I loosely coin is what is stuck with me. Innocence, unblemished in one way of expression, his pure power to ignore the fact that he is not as privileged as I was as a kid.

I have an arrogant life. My Arrogance shows in every action that I undertake. I dont beleive in taking that 3 rupee change from the auto driver, my arrogance lies in my tie that I wear to work, the mails that I check on my phone, the dinner that I plan just to entertain myself. My arrogance exhibits itself in the English that I speak, the fake accent I put on when on overseas calls, the adjectives that I use, when I write this blog. Sunny smiled and probably reminded me of them, his smile forgives all the things that I take for granted because he smiles even though he struggles to learn, to wait for well dressed deodrant smelling men like me to step into his reading liabrary and feel smug pleased under their breaths about the great social good we do.

I could sense his vulnerability when I asked him to stand in front of the whole class and tell 5 lines about anything but with his small little curved fingers around his pocket Sunny tried. He involuntarily is trying to stand above his inheritance, his limitations and like the very arrogant me I was taking his pictures.

I dont claim that I am a humnatarian, nor do I claim that I make difference to anyone's life, heck I am too pseudo for it but here, some of you out there will like his story. I dont think Sunny needs sympathies but I sure think his smile is forgiving

Face thefts at around Delhi

Photojournalism Candid, Street, Street Portraits, sniping, people photography, what do you call this....this act of pointing ur big gun at the poor passing faces and blam!! u keep them inside your memory card and then your hard disk. I call it street photography and inside my head I think I snipe. Well how does that feature as a photographic skill, i think in street it is more of the ability to spot the moment, capture that passing character, be invisible but document what you like and still make good images out of an ordinary moment. All of this put together makes street photography my all time favorite genre, the rush of moments and the rush of faces and characters, each one of them. However there is this small little debate that I often have with my own self, why do all street shots depict the poor and the dejected? is it for their emotionally charged value? Is it the smug pleasure of not being there in their shoes or is it that the cliched term "poor India" actually sells?
My first shot that fetched me my first ever online fame was of a little girl doing roadside gymnastics, it got selected on the Nat geo site. A little girl pushing her limits to get her daily wages and I shot it...is it the moment that caught the appreciation or the helplessness? Now I may sound like a complicated mind or a pretending moderate but these are actually a few questions I kept on asking myself. Then one day I realized why I would want to shoot such moments and faces, I think I know why I want to shoot the "poor India" and the only cause and right I have to intrude into their daily lives is to pay my small little ode to their spirits. Everyday our streets are flooded with men and women who step out their with the only cause in their hearts, to earn themselves and their families the meal for the month or the day, undefeated, undeterred and undaunted. It is hard to step out in the Delhi heat forget doing photography but these champions of everyday life manage to smile, pass a joke, have a moment and carry on with their bread earnings. Every photo I take of them and every photo thats sticks onto my flickr page or this blog is a testament of how true spirits can win the most one sided of battles everyday. I want to share a few shots that I have from some of the regular street shooting I do with my friends at Old Delhi. Pure face stealing and all faces of everyday winners.

All in a day's work! I will stick to this caption.

Pondering think tank

Confirmation needed now is it ?

Our storyteller at the junction


Not so happy and a Pitbullish look

The undefeated champion

The power of  indomitable spirits

Amongst a Million faces are faces which are one in a million

The usual companion

Lost in patterns


At the end of this long rant, I would really appreciate what your views would be.This was not a justification blog but a blog to do a bit of mindshare. As usual brick and bats are most welcome and please punch that comment box for me. Have a great weekend!


Shivaji

Lutyen's Delhi Long Exposed

The place which I first saw in 2002, actually I started with was Gurgaon to be precise. A lone scpetic and hesitant "me" stepped into the world of opportunities here and been here since then, I should owe my bread to this city and I sure do. Not dwelling into the history but purely looking at this city from a third person view I must say there is a lot happening every now and then here deep inside it's broad tree laden roads, amongst the dreaded yellow metro boards, it's pubs and coffee bars and off course at the political centers. Delhi is a city of dreams, a city where aggression and a blurt of "B" words are Ok, a city which is powerful enough to transform the life of a 22 year to a 29 year old, a city which gives me my tomorrow. Like every other opiniated strong thinking modern brain I also have my opinions around what should happen better and what should not happen at all at Delhi, but, there is definately life which thrives to exist in every living second in this city, there are hearts which struggle to return home winning everyday and there are committments which crawl at every known corner waiting to have their hugs and kisses with you. Delhi has indomitable spirits, indomitable hearts, undaunted champions and millions of eyes which cherishes it's structures and it's skylines.


I had tried my share to see it differently through my apertured lens and all of them at night and I wanted to share what I may call a fraction out of the large numerical called Delhi Nights :))

Regal Cinema hall, Connaught place. Vibrant and dreamy!




Connaught Place LIC Building - I call this Insured mayhem!

The Symbol of Delhi

The peacekeepers - Delhi Police

The Rushing Moments whizz past you...u feel it the next day!

Occasional Intoxications ! 

A Flavour of Old Delhi- how can you miss this??

The Sleeping Giant with a mid evening madness at it's feet

The Streaky attempt at Jama Masjid

The Mad bazzar at Old Delhi - Cold tones !

Once again, a big thanks for the time and the read, leave your comments and dont feel guilt slapped to slap me, thats the best I can do to get to learn from you. Have a smiling day !

Shivaji Ghosh

A day spent with Jama Masjid and it's moments

Masjid-i-Jahan -Numa is the persian derivation of our very own Jama Masjid at Old Delhi but I prefer to listen to it as Jama Masjid of Chadni Chowk. Built by Shah Jahan in 1656 AD is surely the largest and best known mosque in India and is an architectural delight for the human eye. Since I took up photography, the mosque has been my top hunt because of my love for faces and moments but also for it's architecture. Somehow I had not had the best reviews about the photographer friendliness of this mosque but trust me when I say it is a street photographer's delight, the ambience, the moments and the peace and continuous motions in the courtyard and the praying areas offer some of the best moments an eye can look to compose.

I first thought of capturing this beautiful monument at night and especially when we ( Tamal and me ) picked up our first assignment " Delhi Long Exposed ". Thus on a family dinner occasion I got to witness Jama Masjid at night and that day I decided some day I need to step inside and shoot it.

On one of our daily "Old Delhi walks" if thats the best way we can term our walking through the deep rooted heritage of Chandni Chowk, we spotted the opportunity to get inside. Paying Rs 200 for a still camera was not a big deal but the anticipation of shots and the ambience was truly a rush.

My core focus was not on the architecture but on the people and the dailly life moments which make a vivid and intertwined story of their own everyday and every hour. Here are a few shots from my very short peek inside the rich treasure of culture, history, piousness and sanctity.

 Little slice of life at thecenter of the courtyard

 Splash of purity : A ritual before prayers at the middle of the courtyard

Moment of rest at the lord's courtyard

When the mind unites with the almighty : Silent Hymns

The Hour of Silent Praying ( This is a grainy shot...incorrect metering ) but this moment was just too god for me to ignore this shot

The Bow of Faith

Hope I could give a brief flavour of the treasures this place has to offer. Comments and critics will be welcomed with open arms...till I dont get to see and learn how my end products connect with the viewers, I will always be competing in illusional competition and grace. I need to know the brick and bats..please throw them as hard as you can.

Have a great day and a week ahead.

Shivaji Ghosh