Thank you “Photography Kolkata” for the kind invitation to share my images with your esteemed viewers. Though the editorial team had given me an option to share images according to my preference but I found it would be worthwhile to share my work based on the current month’s  themes - “Workers around us” and “Eid and Ramadan”.

As a Street and documentary photographer I had the opportunity of exploring and documenting Kolkata for over more than a decade. Street Photography is a very interesting subject as it allows to document human lives all around us. For me capturing the moments in it truest form helps me to freeze time. 

The very first theme “Workers around us” is a pretty vast theme and open to interpretation by the audience. 
Workers whether white collar or blue collar are vital for the smooth functioning of the economy. This following series of 10 images have been split into two parts. I will discuss them individually.

The first 5 images focus on the professions which are slowly on the verge of extinction as they are threatened by the advent of digital technology. The objective here is documenting the professions.

1. A worker engrossed in manually numbering the pages in a Bill book. With computers, internet and specifically mobile technology gaining prominence we rely more on the digital invoices instead of the old-fashioned printed Bills.
2. A worker handcrafting a wooden block die for batik print. Today technology has made it possible to create new designs on the go and it can be printed using CAM 3D printing technology.
3. A puppet player conducting a puppet show. Televised cartoons, Youtube and web series attract the young generation more than the almost extinct live puppet shows.
4. A musician playing a trumpet. Again, with the advent of digital technology, we are more comfortable with playing mp3s or subscribing to online music streaming services than listening to live band music. 
5. A salesman with a unique marketing ability to hawk goods. For our convenience we are more prone to shop online and regularly come under the influence of digital marketing.

I am definitely not against digital technology which helps us to improve our lives significantly. The objective of these 5 images were to document a moment of time when some of these professions had more prominence.
 
The next set of 5 images are of workers we see all around us.

1. Workers at Koley market lilting heavy vegetable baskets
2. A cook preparing a tandoori delicacy
3. A worker crafting a metal frying pan
4. A plumber waiting for work
5. A family of artisans creating idols

The Eid and Ramadan images have been documented over the years. Eid is a huge festival celebrated across the world. I have tried to include images which have been documented at various localities.

1. An old gentleman offer his Namaz on the eve of Eid with Nakhada Mosque in backdrop
2. A small boy looks on while Eid Namaz being offered amidst heavy rain
3. Eid Namaz being offered at a community Mosque
4. Roads are temporarily closed for traffic during the Eid Namaz
5.  Afghan nationals offering Nazam at Maidan
6. An Afghan boy offers his Namaz
7. Moment of Eid celebrations
8. Afghan nationals celebrate Eid by playing “Agei Jangewal” or the Egg Fight
9. A group of people breaking their day long fast (Roza) as observed during the Ramadan month
10. A boy dressed in new attire helps his friend in getting his new shoes adjusted

I sincerely hope you too appreciate the power the photography in freezing time forever. We all get inspired by each other. So, let’s try our best to work to the best of our abilities. Photography is very personal but at the same it creates a reference for others too.
Best wishes to the "Photography Kolkata" team for the wonderful endeavor.
 
Take care and photographs,
Soumya Shankar Ghosal

About the Author:
 
Soumya Shankar Ghosal is a Kolkata based street and documentary photographer. With over a decade’s experience his work has won numerous accolades in India and internationally including Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (World Bank), Namami Gange - Government of India, Ministry of Information & Cultural Affairs – Government of West Bengal and ICICI Bank Live Your Passion Grand Challenge. His work has been published in noted publications including National Geographic Traveler India, Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, India Today to name a few.

He is an official Canon EOS Maestro. He was invited by Facebook as the Curator of India’s first official Instagram exhibition. He was a keynote speaker at the U.S. Consulate General Kolkata - Eco Cinema 2019 International Film Festival. He has worked with several NGOs including ISKCON and CRY. An independent voting system by Street Hunters had placed him at number 3 in “The 20 most influential Street Photographers of 2017” globally.

He is a recipient of the prestigious Sahapedia Frames Grant 2019 and has worked extensively on Kolkata’s hand pulled rickshaws. He has initiated Photography projects in various capacities and roles at prestigious educational institutes including IIM Calcutta, St. Xavier’s University, Presidency University, Medical College Kolkata, Calcutta Boys’ School, Calcutta International School, South City International School etc.
 
Best regards, 
Soumya Shankar Ghosal