Calcutta Series VII, a photo from West Bengal, East

Photographer's Note

Calcutta Series-VII (DAILY LIFE IMAGES FROM CALCUTTA-SEVENTH IN A SERIES OF 10 IMAGES).

An elderly gentleman having a siesta on an improvised bench outside his bookstall in Central Calcutta.

Calcutta is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly river, it is the principal commercial, cultural, and educational centre of East India.As of 2011, the city had 4.5 million residents; the urban agglomeration, which comprises the city and its suburbs, was home to approximately 14.1 million, making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India. As of 2008, its economic output as measured by gross domestic product ranked third among South Asian cities, behind Mumbai and Delhi.As a growing metropolitan city in a developing country, Kolkata confronts substantial urban pollution, traffic congestion, poverty, overpopulation, and other logistic and socioeconomic problems.It is the one of the most inexpensive cities of South Asia,where the poor and the rich can survive comfortably.

adramad, danos, mirosu, Sonata11, clic, jhm, raszid62, TopGeo, jacquest, tedesse, mohammad_H, ourania, ikeharel, delpeoples, aliabazari has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

adramad (27552) 2012-09-15 9:06

Hello Farhat.
Excellent composition, I think it is very appropriate for the B & W.
It is an image captured with perfect lighting and sharp, which gives a good range of grays.
It is a magnificent image of scenes of everyday life in the country.
Have a nice weekend.
Best regards.
Luis.

leo61 (0) 2012-09-15 9:41

Great shot from India,
well done in B&W.
In Asia I noticed many people relaxing on such small areas like this one,even sleeping while standing in a driving bus.
Good shot!!!
Regards,Leo

rychem (9203) 2012-09-15 10:37

In your galery I can see you are specalized in documentary photos of streets and people, you have an eye for such interesting scenes, well seen, well done
regards
Ryszard

holmertz (26932) 2012-09-15 11:22

Hello Farhat,
Your Calcutta series contains some really interesting photos. They're not always technically perfect, but you have an eye for people and their way of life and survival that is more important. I have enjoyed Calcutta as one of the most interesting and photogenique cities in the world, but you as a local can approach the reality ín an entirely different way. Maybe I would even be a bit shy to take some of the pictures you show us. This one is so typical of the city, or really any place in India, so maybe I wouldn't even think of it. Seeing the man stretched out in a place like this, totally lacking privacy, is quite touching. Making this in B&W was a good decision.
Kind regards,
Gert

danos (73974) 2012-09-15 11:48

Hello Farhat,
one more original snapshot from Calcutta with the old man to have a siesta laying on the bench with this way.I like the B/W format as the light managemet.

Regards,Danos

Sonata11 (28331) 2012-09-15 12:51

Hello Farhat,
very sad documentary pic. Excellent composition and great framework as well. You doing such a wonderful job with documenaty photos. Fabulous choice B&W colors. An amazing captured scene like this one.
Best regards and have a wonderful WE,
Barbara

mirosu (5509) 2012-09-15 12:52

Hello Farhat,
Many thanks for your comments to my last post. I appreciate it very much. Just to explain, when I was taking photo of this wooden house I was concentrating to the front which was in very good light. My intention was to capture the front facade and the road in front of it and to keep the mountains without blure to have nice contrast to the brown color and to make it obvious that this house is in the mountains. If I would keep the high mountains and full house in the frame I'd loos all the details. Now o your photo. I like very much the B&W version and the excellent composition. You have opted for perfect crop, showing this sleeping man in full. You have also captured great light. Very well done!!!

pajaran (36224) 2012-09-15 13:49

Pozdrav.
Interesantan trenutak sa covekom koji spava na klupi.
Dobra ostrina i kontrast, lepa crno-bela fotografija.
Sve najbolje za vikend.
Srecno.
Paja.

Greetings.
An interesting moment with the man who sleeps on the bench.
Good sharpness and contrast, beautiful black and white photos.
All the best for the weekend.
Good luck.
Paja.

clic (11001) 2012-09-15 15:42

Hello Farhat
I first thought of a reclined statue because of the b&w depiction!!
Too bad that much experience in life is "renounced" by disabled elder bodies!
Touching scenery indeed.
Cheers.
Robert

zoomer (3580) 2012-09-15 16:22

Hello,your images are so expressive.For this one B&W was a good choice the man seems to be miraculously comfortable.All the best,Wolf.

CanmoreKevin (2111) 2012-09-15 18:33

Farhat,
I like the choice of black and white for this. It keeps it simple and focused on the man. Nicely captured and composed.
Kevin

Nicou (97679) 2012-09-15 23:11

Hello

Quelle iamge touchante et poignate, vraiment terrible la vie de ces personnage et nous on a tout, enfin presque, pas de souci, cete homme quei dort sur ce banc dans la total simplicité.
Merci et amitié
Nicou

jhm (122444) 2012-09-16 0:27

Hello Farhat,

I think not that these picture made in color, but a black ans white image.
It's an image captured with perfect lighting and sharp, which gives a good range of grays.
But excellent composition too.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice Sunday,
John.

abmdsudi (26233) 2012-09-16 5:31

Hi Farhat
A Lovely image, a great slice of street life and human episode well shot with excellent infor note. details are good with diagonal touch and really well set off his pose under shade. Love the treatment in mono, focus straight to main interest. Clarity and sharpness are second to none, although imho increasing a bit more tonal tonal enhances the effect further. Well done, TFS
Warm regards

raszid62 (18200) 2012-09-16 8:06

Hello
A very poignant and sad picture. As it happens, that in the twenty-first century, you can still find such misery, while a wealth of up disgusting. But it is true that the rich of poor never understand.
Yours
Joseph

गुड आफ़्टरनून. एक बहुत ही मार्मिक और दुख की बात है तस्वीर. जैसा कि होता है, कि इक्कीसवीं सदी में, आप अभी भी इस तरह के दुख मिल जाए, कर सकते हैं, जबकि ऊपर घृणित धन. लेकिन यह सच है कि कभी नहीं समझ अमीर गरीब. तुम्हारा.

maria-v1981 (10403) 2012-09-16 13:25

Hello Farhat,
Wonderful shot, perfect composed. The choise of b&w creates the man as a statue. Wonderfu and creative image.
Have a nice week,
Regards,
Maria

chrisvek (5453) 2012-09-16 15:12

Hi Fahrat

Awesome shoot with so nice composition and framing.The title is so ideal for your job.Very nice POV.Well done!

Have a nice week
Chris

marcan44 (6223) 2012-09-16 15:38

Ciao Farahat,
immagine che incute rispetto per l'espressione dignitosa dell'uomo che dorme.
Un reportage di vita quotidiana che ci fa pensare e meditare.
Bravo
Ottimo lavoro
A nice week
Mario

TopGeo (37994) 2012-09-17 4:22

Hello Farhat! Are scenes of the city I love the look you in the streets! The snapshots are always interesting technical problems negligible! Wonderful idea and note! this one B&W was a good choice..
best regards
Georgios

mauro61 (52527) 2012-09-17 8:04

ciao Farhat,
soggetto ben ripreso in questo scatto in cui è privilegiato l'elemento orizzontale.
La scelta del bianco e nero si adatta ottimamente al soggetto,
saluti
maurizio

Waylim (22355) 2012-09-17 9:22

Hi Farhat,

I enjoy your series of street shots of the dialy life from Calcutta. They are not about the beautiful landscape, but of real life as it happen. Something that most of us ignore and rather not pay attention to, but it is life for many people, like this man napping in public place. He found his peace within the busting and busy place.

Way

eldancer1 (17036) 2012-09-17 9:44

It is so sad that even in the 21st we still have a lot poor people all over the world even in the U.S. Powerful documentation of the daily life of people. We all have to do a better job of taking care of our fellow human being. Good lighting and dof with nice details. Very well done, tfs.

jacquest (14136) 2012-09-17 10:50

Hello Farhat,

This is a fine black and white portrait and documentary photo of this man and of a moment in his life. Very well framed with excellent sharpness.

Best regards

Jacques

tedesse (22122) 2012-09-17 12:03

Hi Farhat!
An interesting black-and-white photograph showing the man a hard time.
Good frame and sharpness.
Tfs, Tadeusz

mohammad_H (6598) 2012-09-18 0:07

Hi: Farhat
Black and white display for this stage of the cold and laments
And body lean and lank man, represent poverty
This documentary is very comprehensive, and overpopulation cause poverty and lack of capital and labor markets and production
I hope to see a world without poverty.
Very good job, congratulations to you
Good day

Robert1969 (6230) 2012-09-18 23:44

Hello Farhat,

It is a great picture of scenes of everyday
life in the country adn the picture tells
more than a thousand words. Composition
and point of view are very good, the B&W
makes the picture timeless.

Friendly regards,
Robert

ourania (12367) 2012-09-23 7:48

Hello Farhat,
I like very much the perspective amd framing of your composition that render the image simple, direct and effective. You have approached your subject with discretion at a private moment diplayed in public in the most natural and habitual way. Lighting, sharpness and rendering of grey tones are superb. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a lovely week,
Ourania

rbellemare (2087) 2012-09-23 16:51

Hello Farhat,

Thank for the message,I'm quite busy at work. I'll try to be to this site on occasion. You've got a gem with this picture. One of the best street photo in your portfolio. Great light and nice use of B&W.

Well done.

Réjean

ikeharel (37316) 2012-10-08 8:07

Good evening Farhat,
Not an easy scene, but a superb photojob done, B&W by chois.
I admit it's not the kind of picture I'd feel comfortable to take by camera - and thought for long time what to write.
Appreciate your fine documentary.
Regards,
Ike

delpeoples (44904) 2012-10-18 2:23

Hi dear Farhat

Ooooh I thought this man was a statue until I looked really hard and saw that it was an old man in repose. Excellent lines, diagonals, sharpness and choice of the Black & White.

Cheers
Lisa

thebest (3370) 2012-10-24 4:34

Hello Farhat,

Let sleeping men be - I find it incredible that so many people can sleep on/in confined spaces... if this were me I would most certainly fall off...
Anyway excellent POV & the variation of grey tones are nice.
Well done on your excellent notes.

Kind regards,
Dawn.

Fis2 (73100) 2012-10-30 1:35

Witaj Farhat!
Excellent reportorial photo.
The black and white increase this emotion.
Sad photo...
Best regards
Krzysztof

aliabazari (10105) 2012-11-05 18:10

प्रिय नमस्ते फरहत
यह भारत के लोगों के दैनिक जीवन पर एक बहुत अच्छा वृत्तचित्र है. बहुत अच्छी.

Regards ...

livermore (1462) 2012-11-09 8:13

Hello Farhat,
C'est une belle image et surtout très forte que tu nous présente là.
Une photo documentaire qui est sans doute bien représentative de ce pays incroyable que doit être l'Inde.
Amitiés
Vincent