Featured Photographer:
Soham Gupta

Humanitarian Documentary Photographer with extraordinary talent, vision and heart.

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Nikon D100, 200mm, f/6.3, 1/80
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

PROFILE:
Soham Gupta
Calcutta, India

Soham Gupta photographing children in Calcutta, India

BIO:
Soham is a 22 year-old humanitarian photographer based in Calcutta, India.  He is presently working on several stories concerning basic human rights, social justice and exploitation.  He began his work as a writer, but has found that he can use the camera as an even more effective story-teller for the type of human situations that he documents.  As one examines his work, it becomes apparent that it isn't merely the camera that's capturing the intense emotions and longing around him; rather, Soham's photography shows very clearly that he uses the camera as an extension of his own empathy.

To say that his humanitarian and documentary photography is 'authentic' is an understatement.  An underlying agenda drives Soham in his photographic work, and that agenda is to give a voice to the voiceless and disadvantaged people of our world.  He makes a connection with his subjects based on an empathetic response that results in exceptional photographs that reveal raw human truth.

Soham works in the Eastern area of India, primarily in and around Calcutta, but has also done work in other regions, including Varanasi and different corners of Rajasthan.
Beyond his philanthropic photo work, Soham also enjoys travel photography.  When he is not busy using the camera to improve lives, he enjoys documenting people who have remained 'ancient' in the wake of globalization in Asia.  His documentary work is equally compelling and shows a great deal of insight into use of light and composition.

His youth is eclipsed by a mature sense of discernment for what's most important in a particular scene.  Soham has a strong eye for content and a natural feel for engaging composition.  He easily grasps what to do with the photo opportunities that present themselves to him.

He still does some work with film (he continues to give his old F80 a workout with Kodak Tri-X, as seen in his portfolio), although as with most of us, the majority of his work is in digital.  He uses various Nikon cameras in his work and prefers an 18-200mm lens, but brings along an 18-70mm as a back-up.

Soham told FPC that his photography idols are British photographer Donald McCullin, Brazilian photojournalist Sebastiao Salgado and American humanitarian photojournalist Zoriah Miller.  Well chosen Mr. Gupta!  Definitely a creative soul, at the end of a long day of shooting, Soham told us that he gets his non-photographic inspiration from the likes of Bob Dylan, François Truffaut, Charlie Chaplin, Michel Foucault and Vittorio De Sica.

Soham Gupta's website:   http://sohamgupta.wordpress.com/

Selected works from Soham Gupta's humanitarian photography portfolio:

Nikon D100, 80mm, f/5.3, 1/80, ISO 400
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

HIS WORDS:

We asked Soham to tell us a bit about himself  and to share  his perspective.  This is what he had to say.

"I work with the sole objective of witnessing and documenting injustice in today’s society and raising social awareness about issues overlooked by the people at large."

"I love to celebrate life the way it is, through my photographs. You don’t need to be ‘poor’ or ‘rich’ in order to love life.  It’s all about celebrating the reality: the joys and sorrows of life. It can be anyone’s life. But still, I believe some people need to see that others (just like them) are struggling. I want people to think about the reality rather than living in their dreamland.

 

 

WHAT MOTIVATES HIM:

1. Disadvantaged Children.  Soham tries to bring to light the issues challenging so many children in his country.   Malnutrition, infant health issues, illiteracy and general vulnerability are very real and continuing roadblocks in these children's lives.








2. Mentally Ill and Homeless Individuals: Soham tells us that in India, mental illness treatment is inaccessible to a majority of the common people.  Even little problems
like depressions can aggravate into serious problems and, in the end, the family is often forced out the door. The person with the illness ends up living (and dying) on the streets and this doesn't take into account what happens to the rest of the family. For the whole of India, total number of psychiatrists available is around 2500-5000, depending on where one gets the statistics.

This may sound like a high number, but it is pathetically low when you consider that those 2500-5000 psychiatrists serve a massive population of 1.16 billion (1,156,897,000 people).  By contrast, in the US, over 50,000 psychiatrists  serve a far smaller population of less than 308 million and that figure does not include a virtual army of psychologists, social workers and other social support staff.

Nikon D100, 28mm,f/8, 1/8
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Nikon D100, 32mm,f/8, 1/90
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Nikon D100, 98mm, f/5.6, 1/20
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Nikon D100,34mm, f/6.3, 1/25
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

 



3. Workers: Social exploitation varies in different parts of Asia, but the depth of frustration and misery is difficult for most to fathom.  Imagine this; at the brick kilns, for every 1000 bricks carried, a worker is paid 80 Rupees (equivalent to less than 2 American dollars). In other fields, a worker can get a maximum of around $85 per month if they’re lucky.

But what about all of the economic growth, job explosion and power base that the rest of the world keeps hearing about India?


Soham tells FreePhotoCourse, "They say India is growing into a new superpower. Perhaps true. There are more industries, shopping malls, five-star hotels, etc. But somewhere down the line, a part of the population has been ignored and excluded to a great extent. That’s unfair. I want at least a few people to realize this. I want to give voice to the voiceless. Sing some unsung songs. That’s all I can do. The rest is up to others. At least now, some people will not say, ''But I didn't know about these things."

Nikon D100, 28mm, f/8, 1/20
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

The Wall, Symbolism and a Twist in Composition

The photo above illustrates how Soham senses when "nothing" can be used to become "something", and in this case, something quite extraordinary.  The wall behind the woman serves many different, but, connected purposes.  The wall's starkness is symbolic of emptiness; the kind of emptiness one feels when longing and suffering is rarely if ever satiated.  While the composition may seem initially far too imbalanced, the wall once again comes into play.  We are forced to see the wall as an overwhelming barrier.  Perhaps its a barrier to progress, movement, personal fulfillment or a host of other intentions, but it seems insurmountable by its very size.  The wall, once again, comes into play as its scribbled and scortched appearance speaks of living conditions that are equally dismal.

Beyond the wall, the strangely scattered debris on the uneven ground are just as unsettling and create a sense of angst.  The angle of the woman's cane and the way the light falls gently upon her upwardly-tilted face complete the picture by creating a sense of hopefulness amidst the emptiness and chaos.

Brilliant photography - poignant commentary.

Nikon 3100, 116mm, f/8, 1/125
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

While the camels in the photo above may be an interesting part of the landscape (and possibly an unusual element, depending on where you live), there's no denying that the the woman and her child take center stage.  As your gaze settles on the woman and infant, all the rest becomes mere window-dressing.  Soham used a longer lens to get this frame but was obviously close enough to capture the attention of the little boy.

 

WORK IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Soham Gupta has already had one solo exhibition in 2009 and will be part of the 2011 FORMAT International Photography FESTIVAL in Derby, UK, during March-April.

His work was recently profiled in the prestigious Yale Journal of International Affairs.

Soham has had further photographic publication in the following publications:  Smart Photography Magazine | Asian Photography Magazine | The Seagull Chronicle | Eco Echoes (Cover Photograph) | C/o Earth (Cover Photograph) | Moments (Cover Photograph) | Creature Companion Magazine

Nikon D100, 28mm, f/5, 1/90
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Is it any surprise that Soham would use the diagonal wall and the shadow it casts to obscure part of this child's face?  Beautifully artistic from a composition standpoint and amazingly gentle in terms of use of light.  Notice how attractive the skin tone is rendered through proper exposure.  When the artistic and technical elements are taken care of, one can concentrate more freely on the message that the subject has for the viewer.  And that message is one of truth.

Editor's Note:  As a humanitarian photographer, Soham's heart helps him to create arresting and compelling images.  As a travelling documentary photographer, he demonstrates a different kind of heart -
one that longs to create engaging photographs - beauty with light.

It is our distinct privilege to have had the opportunity to profile Soham Gupta as the first in this new series on Photographers Whose Exceptional Work Goes Beyond the Lens!  - FreePhotoCourse.com

Nikon D100, 44mm, f/10, 1/1600
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Nikon D3100, 116mm, f/13, 1/80, ISO 200
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Nikon D100, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/20
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Nikon D100, 29mm, f/4.2, 1/10
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Nikon D100, 28mm, f/5, 1/100
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Nikon D100, 28mm, f/8, 1/40
© 2010-11, Soham Gupta, all rights reserved

Visit Soham Gupta's Blog:  http://sohamgupta.wordpress.com/  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sohamguptaphoto

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