poverty, originally uploaded by Sreyasi Nag Chowdhury.

Durga pujo or Durgotsav…the biggest festival of Bengal…time for fun and frolic…new clothes, new shoes, loads of pocket money, good food, pandal hopping, hanging around in malls, movies (although these are common always…)…all colourful smiling faces, high spirits…lights & theme pujas & ‘Shera Sundori’ (Best Beauty) contests…that’s the overall picture of Kolkata during the pujas….or is it?

We go pandal hopping…all pepped up in our best attire. Some other kids go pandal hopping too…but in tattered rags of clothes…to beg their livelihood. We rush to theme pujas, sms and vote the best in the hope of becoming the lucky winner and earning some easy money. They hope too…to get some food, or to earn some extra bucks for a sick father, or for a better dinner, as they stare with wide amazement at the extravagant luxury of the rich. The hope is common…but the difference in form is depressing. I went to Pantaloons, Kankurgachi for shopping before the pujas. It stands high in the middle of a slum. The contrast of the bright green and lights and all colours looking at you through the glass, and rows of cars, to the dull shades of grey and black of the surrounding slums is striking…but does that strike anyone? The answer is a plain ‘no’…that is the grim truth. This is the portrait of Kolkata. Wherever you go you see the same sketch…malls and slums, expensive restaurants and indigent roadsides inns, 5-star hotels and people sleeping on pavements, children in plush cars and children in garbage dumps…the eternal disparity continues.

Kumartuli. This is where the idols get made. Months of back-breaking work, dedication, bearing with the scarcity, yet giving their best…only to ensure that Kolkatans can have a blast during the puja days. But what do they get in return? The minimal payment…which is not even enough to meet their daily needs. Many may not know the inner picture of kumartuli. I didn’t before this year. Now I do. Thanks to Kolkata Photowalk 09. I’ve seen their poverty-stricken interiors, the starved workmen, their perilous living conditions. They work for hours in their dingy studios in claustrophobic conditions. Electricity is often not available, but they have to stick to their deadlines. Some of the buildings are tagged as ‘house in danger’ by the municipality, but still no action taken. Is there nothing to be done? Isn’t it a responsibility to give them a hint of security while they give us the surety of enjoyment every year? Are we so selfish to not spare a thought for them? It’s a sorry situation. We can only sympathise and make people aware of their treacherous condition, but what is the government doing?

The government is busy. There are so many battles to be fought. Battles over land and industrialisation, battles over ‘who killed whom?’, battles about pay rise and luxury allowances…battles to win the chair of power. Why only Rajbhavan? I think the whole of West Bengal’s political front is becoming a circus ring, with all the public remarks, bad language and illogical jeering! Will anyone pay attention to what’s primary? The immediate reforms required? Will there be any action undertaken to strike equality between the economic classes?

Hey you people working in MNCs, and all the economic big shots, what difference will it make to you if you put an effort to minimise your luxury requirements and utilise the money in a better and more humanitarian way? Little. But the change you will bring into the lives of the more unfortunate will be vast. Some sad faces will turn happy…beautiful smiles will replace the tears. Isn’t that an achievement of a lifetime? Give it a thought.

For me, I’m penniless…words are my weapon. I avoid going out during the pujas because I feel helpless when I see the plight of the underprivileged.

Happy Diwali to everyone! Go ahead and burn your money while many block their ears, crouch, and cry in the dark, poor and unnoticed lanes of Kolkata. Happiness is too expensive for them.

It was on the 20^th of September as I have already posted. I found this an amazing concept and so did many others-amateurs and professionals…but sigh, we couldn’t get a substantial response this time…all because of the time constraints. Anyway, I’ll better speak of what it was than what it could have been.

We were 10 members who ultimately turned up at 7.30am near Golbari, Shyanbazar…some others who were supposed to come couldn’t leave their beds till then. Whatever, Kumartuli was drawing us near it like a magnet and we all couldn’t fight the force and let ourselves be pulled towards it……..ok…I’m being over melodramatic!! On reaching Kumartuli we found that we weren’t the only ones with a camera each…there were thousands of them! Also foreigners! Most of them were members of certain groups….all very eager to capture the heritage for supposedly the last time before the promised renovation by next year. Then there was no stopping us except for the Rs.25 pass we had to get in order to be able to click pictures. I don’t think there’s any need to speak much about it…just visit http://kolkataphotowalking.blogspot.com andhttp://www.flickr.com/groups/kolkataphotowalking/ …our pictures will speak for us. It was a day full of experience, fun, gathering little knowledge about photography by discussing amongst ourselves, knowing each other, discovering ourselves…what interests us…and with each passing minute, getting a little more insight about life…

But I want to say something about Kumartuli…my personal thoughts…anybody may beg to disagree…& why only Kumartuli? The rest of Kolkata too…

Durga pujo or Durgotsav…the biggest festival of Bengal…time for fun and enjoyment…new cloths, new shoes, loads of pocket money, good food, pandal hopping, hanging around in malls, movies (although these are common always…)…all colourful smiling faces, high spirits…lights & theme pujas & ‘Shera Sundori’ (Best Beauty) contests…that’s the overall picture of Kolkata during the pujas….or is it? I’ll eventually fill you up with my thoughts, but now I’m sticking to photowalking.

We call ourselves KPWG(Kolkata Photowalkinng Group). We have bought a domain name and plan to launch our official website soon. My blog will contain the updates. Also visit http://anirbansaha.wordpress.com and arjunghosh.blogspot.com for the details. About our plans to go forward with it, right now it’s the website, then I suppose we can go for a competition sort of thing where the best few photos from the first photowalk can be judged by a professional photographer…umm…then we were thinking, a small scale exhibition wouldn’t be bad…or a photobook….but these of course would call for sponsors…lets see…why don’t you give us some ideas? We are getting a gradual but steady response and hope to implement our ideas in the near future.

So, anyone reading this, if you are interested in the concept or you know someone who maybe interested, please do spread the word…active participation is highly expected…again visit http://kolkataphotowalking.blogspot.com for details. Let’s stand up for our passion and make photography the language we speak.

Started as an initiative of this Blog (read this), Photowalking is getting Big… with many people showing interest and people simply pouring in to join is…
We have had a very successful photowalk on 20th September 2009 (link) from Shyambazaar to Kumartuli.. and the streets that had with it thousands of Clay idols .. all waiting to be coloured…
The journey is getting smoother with us having bought a domain for ourselves (will be hosting it sometime soon!) and popularizing this will be no tough..

Where did it all start?
Photowalking concepts were shared with me by Arjun Ghosh, the guy whom I met at Kolkata Tweetup(June 21st 2009) (yet another link!) and was shared at Kolkata Bloggers meet (August 8th 2009)(1, 2).

After I showed interest and started approaching people with the concept of photowalking, I found many people interested in it..finally it became a reality on September 20th 2009. Thanks to all my friends.. specially Sreyasi. Arjun da is looking after the SEO of the domain… while the committee is decided to be comprising of 3 people (as of now) – Arjun Ghosh (link), Anirban Saha (link), Sreyasi Nag Chowdhury(link).

We hope high… we dream big.. Whats wrong in that? Someday we may have our coffee table book(1), organize an amateur photography exhibition.. just for the sake of photography.. and in this process will brush up our photography skills as well..

this reminds me… check out my Flickr photostream : link

and if you are interested in photowalking… leave a comment showing your interest (do leave your email adresses , in the box)

What started as a concept from arjun da was transformed to a successful party which was fun, interactive and learning… kudos to Sreyasi Nag Chowdhury and Abhishek Adhikary .. and we are expecting the media coverage in no small way.

After having had delayed for a couple of hours, it was refreshing to see interested people turning up right at time..

Wasting no time we headed for our destination… – Kumartuli

and what followed next is something no ones gonna forget..
The pictures will be available soon and the links will be put up.
Initially we are uploading it to our respective flickr accounts.
In my next post I will post some fun pics and share with all some crazy thoughts..
(Thanks for the visits.. these days I write very less, i dont know what has happened to me…. still I find 100+ visitors each single day… Thank you.)

What is a photowalk?

A photowalk is the act of walking around with your camera and photographing your surroundings or anything you may find interesting. Recently the term has become synonymous with a group of photographers in the form of camera clubs or through online photography forums or even commercially organized groups who walk in predetermined general locations and then share their images. Alone or with a group, the purpose is still the same and that is to go out and shoot.

Photowalking is often done in a way so as to improve the participants overall photography skills. Photowalks can also focus on a specific photographic task or discipline.

Because a photowalk involves lots of walking as the word may imply it’s also an excellent form of low impact exercise.

What am I supposed to take pictures of?

Photowalking isn’t exclusive to digital photography but in practice digital photography makes photowalking more feasible as a hobby due to the experimental nature of the photographer’s shooting, the number of pictures usually taken in the process of the photowalk and the possibility of post-processing and sharing online afterward.

The subject matter of a photowalk is whatever the photographer finds interesting. Looking beyond the obvious and finding what the casual pedestrian doesn’t see and photographing it is the primary objective of any photowalk. If the photowalker is a “people watcher” he or she may photograph with the intent of capturing the diversity of people in an urban setting or shooting the entire photowalk in all black and white images. The only limitation to photowalking is the photographer’s own imagination.

What do you need to take a photowalk?

The obvious answer to the question is, “your camera”. However, a photowalker should put some thought into how much gear you want to haul around with you. The best approach is often to think light and carry only the equipment you think you’ll actually use. The lighter the photowalker travels the more likely they’ll have to stop and think about the shot before taking camera in hand and firing off shot after shot hoping for the best. Remember – it’s about skill building. You’ll want to make sure your battery is properly charge or you have a spare as well as carrying enough storage cards. The main thing is to take as little as possible with you on a photowalk. A camera bag or photo backpack will feel twice as heavy after you’ve walked a mile. Comfortable shoes, identification, cell phone, rain protection and proper clothing are certainly important considerations.

I don’t own a DSLR or SLR camera – can I use my point-and-shoot?

Of course you can use your point-and-shoot camera. Don’t let those folks with big expensive looking cameras and long lenses intimidate you. You can capture great even spectacular images with an older model 4 megapixel point-and-shoot camera. Don’t believe me? Check out this Flickr group for point-and-shoot photographers. A photowalk isn’t about showing off equipment – it’s about getting out and enjoying taking pictures with others who share your interest in taking pictures.

How long does a photowalk last? How far do I have to walk?

Unlike a track meet there are no predetermined distances to cover with a photowalk. The photowalk could be around the block or cover a few miles. How much time it takes is depends on how fast the route is covered. The number of people involved also affects how long a photowalk will last. The larger the group the slower the group moves as a whole. Typically a photowalk lasts about two hours. Most people become tired or bored if it runs any long. But that’s nothing more than an average.

What do we do when the photowalk is over?

The first thing that often happens at the end of a photowalk is “chimping”. Chimping is a term used for reviewing our photowalk images on your LCD screen on the back of your camera and usually accompanied by lots lots of “ooohs” and “aaahs”. One of the benefits of a photowalk is seeing how others photographed the same things you saw and their literal and creative interpretations of their images. Another common activity is to have the participants post all or their favorite photowalk images on a Flickr group page for all to share, critique and comment on. Sharing photowalk images through a photo sharing site is the best way for everyone to share their images and experience.

How do I find a photowalk?
This meetup group is a great source for finding photowalks in the southeast part of Louisiana. We’ve had a number of interesting photowalks, have many more scheduled and are constantly looking for new places and ideas for future photowalks. Another great source for finding photowalks is on Photowalklist dot com. You’ll find a few of this meetup groups upcoming photowalks on that site as I post our planned photowalks on that site as well as this site and also in the forums of Flickr groups I belong to. I encourage you to share dates, times and places of our photowalks in any photography forums in which you may participate. All are welcome to any of our photowalks.

Final thoughts on photowalking
I’ve been a photowalker for years and seldom had anyone to share my photowalks with until joining this group. I’ve meet some very nice people and just as neat is I’ve met some very impressive photographers. This year alone I’ve photowalked with people who lived so close they walked to our rendezvous point and with still another from as far away as Stockholm, Sweden. Young and old, male and female, black and white, pro and amateur – they’ve all shown up to our photowalks. Our photowalks are always family friendly too – I’ve had my wife and children accompany us on photowalks and they always have fun and don’t even have a camera in their hand.

It’s fun, it’s healthy, it’s interesting and photowalking is an almost sure fire way to improve your photographic skills and techniques and make you take a closer look at the world around and the beauty that is all around us.

When I first started photographing people on the street I was extremely nervous. After much work and reassurance, I have come to understand that this is one of the purest forms of self expression one can experience with a fellow stranger. After being approached by me, it’s natural for the subject to immediately answer with “No”. But just like it’s a natural response, almost required, what comes next is almost always “what’s it for?” It’s that natural curiosity that we have that compels us to ask, “why me?” Sometimes I get “I don’t look good in photos.” But the truth is, if I’m asking it’s because I saw something in you that you may not have seen. Then the negotiations begin.

Then there are times when we bypass all of that. What we get in return is someone that isn’t afraid of the camera at all. Those are some of the most memorable portraits that become personal favorites of mine. The portrait below is one such example, and has stayed with me till the day. Granted, it didn’t win the contest (that was another of my photos), but this one won me over. This photo reminds me why I enjoy photography so much.

It’s his confident smile, his ragged clothes, the sweat on his brow and the semi nervous smile of the fisherman. It’s the small boy in the background also fishing but also trying to find out what’s going on. It’s the partial shade providing minor relief from the heat. It’s the dirty pier that has seen better days but not better tales. And in the end, the fact that my subject let me capture the moment; he may not remember much of that day, but my camera has capture his essence.

Quite a bit of picture posting lately. But little about everyday life, and the other things than photowalking thats been going on ;=)

Today I had a shoot with 2 models and a MuA, but Ill talk more about that later. And Ive also schedualed another shoot for wedensday with a model from Trend Models, and a new MuA. Looking forward to it!

But in these last two weeks ive also had my birthday, the ninth of august- in contrary to common belives that its the fiftheenth ;=)

For that me, Ingrid and her little brother Isak went to Egon.

And here’s a few shots of that, ofcourse ;=)

Ingrid and Isak on Solsiden =)

And her is Isak enjoying himself at the actually resturant.

You can just see how much fun he’s having in his eyes, can’t you? Ah, to be young again…

Time skipping a few weeks ahead, me and Ingrid went outside yesterday.

Ingrid had a good time picking up rocks.

Yay.

I call this next shot “Lonley stone picker”.

And lastly a photowalk-esque shot from me ;=)

This is actually where Studio  Lasse Berre is located. And also Trend Models used to have their office here. Lots of studios around in Ilsvika, many many photographers, we also have Atelier Ilsvika and Norsk Fotofagskole right in the neighboorhood.  Good place to be a photographer I guess ^^

I have a few more shots Id want to share, and everydaylife things, but Im really getting tired now, so untill next time ^^     

  A couple of shots I took while walking home one day. I pass this building everyday. I can’t believe I have’nt photographed it before!

I think I am partial towards the colour version myself.

Wich version do you like best?

and also

Am I the only one who likes to walk home from work instead of taking the bus, so I can have a daily photowalk? =D

Just a few shots I took while having a little photowalk in Ilsvika, near where I live =)

Hope you like it (and yes I know the halos are horrible on the first shot )

July 18th was the day of Scott Kelby’s Second Annual Worldwide Photo Walk.   Over 900 photowalks occurred on that day.   If you are unfamiliar with Photowalks they are a great way to meet other photographers, share knowledge, explore new locations, and learn new things.    My first photowalk was at Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake.   The biggest thing I learned during that walk was that all photographers are not territorial jerks.  There is a core group that understands that by sharing their knowledge both parties improve their skills and knowledge.

This photo walk had and “official” registration of 50 individuals, but a count of the group photo shows around 80 total participants.   While proceeding in our walk, I ran into one of the photographers I have come to admire for his skill and genuine good nature, David Terry.   He had brought along a model and was gracious enough to allow MANY other photographers the opportunity to take shots.   While I’m sure it spoiled his plans a little, the graciousness of both he and his daughter Cassie where amazing to watch.    What follows is a small selection of photo’s with the model and elsewhere during the walk.

While not actually pole dancing we all lost our concentration when a photographer yelled out "Pretend you love the pole"

Yep that’s right, after that comment I must say I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t shoot for a few minutes.

Our model was up at 5:30 AM and didn’t finish until close to 2:00 PM in some high heat.  The fact that she looks this good and still had energy at the end of the shoot was a testiment to her fortitude and professionalism.  WOW!

A little different treatment of a photo I loved from this photo walk.

Finally a little fun with some friends at the photowalk.   Many of you who are familiar with the Utah Photography scene will recognize Scott Jarvie a fantastic wedding photographer.

See ya ’til next time, I promise to post a little sooner than once a quarter.

Last Saturday, 18 July 2009, photographers all over the world gathered at different times, in different cities to join in the phenomenon that is photo walking. South Africa was no exception, with ten walks throughout the country. I took part in the Stellenbosch walk as did Irmel and her daughter. There were some other familiar faces from the club but I’m bad at matching names to faces so you’ll have to excuse me for not naming them. We met up at 7:30 at Jan Cats restaurant and the walk got underway at 8am, when we all split up and ambled off for two hours of photography up and down Dorp Street. We met up again at 10am and many hung around to chat and drink coffee. Sadly I had things to do so had to leave right away.

To see some of the photos taken, have a look at at the following on Flickr;

• My set
• The Stellenbosch group
• The South Africa group
• The worldwide group