CAPTURING THE CITY
Four Insta-favourite street photographers talk about their achievements, discoveries and their love for the city.
Kallol Bhattacharjee
Insta stats Handle @kallol_b_ photography_2017 Followers 3.2k
Kolkata is a great subject because?
This city’s stunning cultural pluralism is what inspired me the most. Besides, the city is gifted with diverse landscapes.
Favourite spots in Kolkata
The Nakhoda Mosque. One of my particularly special photographs is that of a crowd gathered in the marble-laid courtyard of the mosque during Iftar, with the gorgeous mosque clock in the frame that denoted the exact time of Iftar.
You love to capture
Juxtapositions (a technical term for bringing out the similarities or dissimilarities between elements in a photograph).
Street photography sets you free of?
My inhibitions. I no longer worry about onlookers. Everything other than me and my frame dissolves.
An achievement you are proud of
Getting featured in Reportage by Getty Images, an International Community of Photo Journalism.
Srimallya Maitra
Insta stats Handle @srimallya Followers 6.4k
You love to capture?
Time is my favourite subject. I freeze moments with my camera so I can revisit them anytime.
The streets excite you because?
The light, the rhythm, the motion or the colour palate of the streets cannot
be controlled. A city you would like to explore I am attracted to places that evoke timelessness. For me, Prague epitomises that. Secret to your Insta-success I think it is my honesty and constant attempt at originality. I try not to be influenced by other photographers, keep edits to a minimum, and preserve the simplicity of an image. Favourite spots in Kolkata It has to be Kumartuli—there’s a strange solace in the chaos one encounters here. Trials of capturing city streets The need to be constantly aware of your surroundings and keep predicting the next moment. Love for streets of Kolkata The city’s knack for throwing surprises is what I love the most. Cities with beautiful city-scape Delhi, Varanasi, and even Chennai have rather interesting streets. But Puri is my favourite—the lively wall art in vivid colours that adorn the houses here make for fantastic photographs. Discoveries you’ve made I discovered that Kolkata has an interesting wrestling scene, and that there is a dedicated press that publishes a newspaper in Chinese language. A click that got you in trouble Once, in Puri, I spotted an old Panda (temple priest) chanting and singing with a group of pilgrims. I found his face, his expressions in particular, very interesting. I walked right up to him and clicked a close-up. Furious, he threw his khanjani at me, yelling and cursing. Streets you are dying to capture Agra. I am sure I’ll find many interesting frames and stories in the lanes of Purani Mandi or the vibrant churi bazaar. Favourite subject I love capturing the diverse textures, colour, tone and patterns of the city. Besides that, I have an affinity for doors and windows. An exciting discovery in the city I was particularly surprised to discover that the city has a vibrant graffiti scene. The area around Park Street and New Market has some fascinating graffiti art that I love. Your mantra My photographs capture stories. People should be able to comprehend the story simply by looking at my photo. Best shot A photograph I shot with a point and shoot canon camera in Cherrapunji, my first ever, holds a special spot. It’s a picture I keep returning to. Secret for Insta-success I think it is consistentency. I do not dabble in multiple genres. Achievements close to your heart My photographs have featured twice on the Lonely Planet Calendar. One of my photographs, a shot of a balloon seller standing on a raindrenched Park Street made it to the cover of Soul City – Inside stories from Calcutta, a book curated by Preeti Roychoudhury. Besides, Calcutta Instagrammers, a group I founded, organised the only instagram exhibition ever hosted in the country.