Rain in the City, a photo from West Bengal, East

Photographer's Note

Monsoon rain in Kolkata. Its magic is different in the city, but it is still magic.

See also 'Rain in the City' scrapbook in the workshop and tell me which one you prefer.

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Critiques | Translate

Homerhomer (4080) 2007-08-28 7:28

difficult to assess small size in the workshop but I also like the one with woman carrying two buckets, original is good as well although I wonder about the crop at the bottom, perhaps a bit tighter to avoid the things sticking out, but most likely would have prefer to see more of what it is (bike?).

Fantastic image nevertheless, the feeling of warm rain is just amazing, great contrast, judging by your scrapbook you have quite a few good images to choose from. You have this amazing ability to show everyday scenes with such subtle emotions, congratulation.

Peter

ben4321 (9875) 2007-08-28 7:33

This is great Animesh - I really like the sense of movement imparted by the blur in the cars and of course the chap with the umbrella.
Although it's in black and white, a sense of the damp lush greenery of the trees in the background comes across, together with a sense of humidity and the tropical heat. That sounds a bit confused, but what I'm trying to get at is that you seem to have really captured the atmsophere of the monsoon rains at this time of year.
Good work.

Cheers,
Ben

prantik (1136) 2007-08-28 8:02

Top right on the scrap-book is my favourite. This one is second fav. Haven't seen BW monsoon pictures of Kolkata in a long while. Love it. Glad that you kept the ropes in the frame. Very crucial element as the plastic cover those ropes are holding keeps you dry. Where was it taken? Near dharmatala?

best
p

nbj (2097) 2007-08-28 8:08

cool picture, good composition, unusual, interesting...

Luko (14000) 2007-08-28 8:53

Top right image would have been an instant Fav for me, Animesh, as you may realize that my melancholic mood will always be biased towards rainy days and umbrellas.
In the three you've taken from the same vantage point, what I like at first hand is the old days feeling : there's a sort of agfa paper "classic" print feel, with a light grey array and soft edges, viewed through the curtain of the rain.

Monsoon should have been terrible in India, probably including Kolkata, this year from the little I've heard (in portuguese) on a brasilian channel broadcasted though Mozambique TV. In a way I was quite glad I skipped India this summer, although I sometimes had terrible envies of dosa and chai after a continuous diet of grilled fish and kassava.

photographer123 (6248) 2007-08-28 9:51

hi..
I dont know ...its good or bad..but one think I can say that when you intentionally use slow sutter for blur ,you should put one spot with out shake in the frame...anyway experiment is good..and in ws I prefer top right shot...best wishes...subir

yanseiler (20) 2007-08-28 10:15

Hi Animesh, this is a wonderful street scene, superb... And all these pictures in the workshop, what a serie, they are amazing...they are all super good, maybe my favorite is the one with the umbrella and the buckets or maybe all of them... Hope you had a good shelter... Stunning shots Animesh, all of them...

Anna-- (7801) 2007-08-28 10:20

Ciao Animesh,
very good street scene, with the rain, the man with the umbrella and these old taxi
Excellent one
Anna

lewiz (1297) 2007-08-28 10:28

Hi Animesh,

This is definitely the best of the set... but the one with the man walking away is also very good. Beautiful composition, perfect shutter speed all come together here.

Great work, well done.

Lewis.

dhurjati (2709) 2007-08-28 10:46

Difficult to tell which one I like most in the WS, but I can tell, that this one I love very much.I dont think that cam shook anyhow, it seems so original.I tend to agree with Prantik that you have kept those wires, it adds to originality.Real treat to eyes and I can see it appearing someday in Newspaper.....
Greetings,
Dhurjati

[2]

ALSOM (6616) 2007-08-28 10:56

I'll buy the all scrapbook, the top-right will be my fav though.
This furtive silhouette under the rains seems with barely visible details is just great. You wonderfully captured thee monsoon feeling: wet & warm ... Brilliant !

arnabchat (7233) 2007-08-28 10:57

Dear Animesh-da,
To me it is s classic, without any doubt. The blur on the moving figure is the key element for me, what makes this take a special one. the framing is exellent.

In your scrapbook, the top-right is my pick, with the man carrying ... whatever... being the key element.
Nice monochromes from my city!
keep positing, keeping me up for more from you. :)
Regards,
Arnab

Polonaise (5802) 2007-08-28 16:35 [Comment]

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bantonbuju (51815) 2007-08-29 0:19

hi animesh,
this is yet another marvel...
i am arrested by this city-rain series...
veehicles in this picture move us back in time by some 40 years or so...
love it, simply love this series...
bw, j.

sayan (2617) 2007-08-29 3:05

Hello Animesh da,

A classic one. The rain in the city well captured. What I like most is the blur of the human figure. The rain drops are also very beautifully captured. Although I would prefer not to keep those ropes which belongs to some roadside shops I suppose. But, then that does not take credit away from this composition. Its really a nice one. In the WS I prefer the top right one. That is also a very beautiful composition by itself.

Regards

Sayan

Furachan (0) 2007-08-29 3:57

Absolutely stunning monsoon shot, Animesh. I'll go so far as to say: not only is it one of your best, but it is one of the best photos on TE, ever. All those stranded Ambis point to one thing - that umbrealla's ghost in the middle.
Stupendous shot!
Francis

ktanska (44766) 2007-08-29 4:24

Hi Animesh,
There's something in heavy rain... Not cold drizzle as here in the north. Heavy drops, rapid looking movement and those distinctive Indian cars. But what are those wires?
Of the WS pictures I think this is the best. I'd prefer the one on top right corner if details could be revealed from shadows.
Kari

pgorod (1019) 2007-08-29 4:54

Hi Animesh,

this photo is a real treat, so classy, nostalgic.

Our eyes are so accustomed to super sharp super perfect color photos that this is hard to take in at first; but then everything that's blurry or worn out in this picture seems to add to its poetry...

A great catch of the spirit of heavy rain, of the way it forces us to find paths through puddles, humbles us, sends us to our homes, closes us in on ourselves.

michiels (4170) 2007-08-29 10:50

hello Animesh,

This is GORGEOUS !!! what an atmosphere you created here ! the movement blur of the man running , the bubbles on the first plane, really great work !
greetings, inn
i also like the one on top right and the one left under very much :))

nerve (10231) 2007-08-29 23:15

welcome back Animesh! hope you had a good time in Kolkata and i hope that your mother is fine.
monsoon this year was pretty harsh in India, even in Delhi we had tons of rains.. (was unusual for me since ive been in Delhi for the last three years)

this is a very poetic image Mr. Ray. man's central placement here is just perfect for me.. an old feeling, beautiful..

take care.

jinju (14265) 2007-08-30 0:10

One of those classic themes for photo..motion and umbrella..a sense of urban disorder, so much happening here, the mud, the dirtyness..a really cool shot

j4uvikram (57) 2007-08-30 11:58

Nice picture animesh da....
The rains have been captured very nicely...
The blurred image of person and the cars create a great photo....
Great one.....

Regards
Vikram

s10001in (0) 2007-08-30 20:39

Hey animesh,

Beautiful Photo.
Just perfect & it is something like watching old Bengali Movies of Satyajit ray. ;)
Top right one is the best Photo amoung all but other photos has its own beauty.

Wonderful Work.
-Regards,

kensimage (8563) 2007-08-31 7:59

You really got some great shots on your recent trip to India, Animesh! I like how the cars kind of nestle around the pedestrian, almost as if they were protecting him. The intensity of the rain, the downpour unimaginable outside the tropics, is really brought to life. How on earth did you keep your camera dry? Regards, Ken.

alagarcia (252) 2007-08-31 8:11

interesting,"moving"..
alicja

faubry (35447) 2007-09-15 0:15

hello Animesh, very mooson photo, i like this blurr silhouette between cars, very mysterious image
bravo

stiginthedump (1833) 2007-10-03 18:31

This photo has a little of everything i like - umbrellas, rain, blurring, interesting cars etc etc. I think the workshop montage is interesting as well.

sohrab (7439) 2007-11-10 22:18

it's a beautiful photograph. kind of reminds me of a monsoon photograph by raghu taken in delhi.

marcocig (781) 2009-10-11 12:08

almost perfect!
I love the dynamic blurred figures, just the bg too bright and maybe the car in the fg should have been more in focus.

M

juliettecorvett (1193) 2012-04-24 6:44

love this picture! very artistic, very dynamic. perfect moment captured! and i love those cabs of india :)

regards, juliette

imageme (1790) 2013-10-28 18:02

Hi Animesh,
A mixture of human, machines(cars) and nature(rain) forms a very extraordinary composition.
B/W is perfect to express the nature of the rain.
Thank
Anna