the golden
Calcutta is a problematic subject for me as a photographer. Last time I came, I didn't even bring a camera. This time I have, but haven't made much use of it.
On the one hand, the city is visually spectacular: almost everything is interesting (if not always pleasant) to look at. As with India in general, there's a technicolour riot wherever you go, and marvels everywhere you look; but in Calcutta in particular, there's also the fading glory of the crumbling Raj-era infrastructure.
But while I might find urban decay aesthetically pleasing, I can't really forget how it translates into poor quality of life for those who live here. And I can't really claim to myself that I'm fulfilling any kind of serious documentary objective by taking pictures of it.
Add to that the fact that I spend most of my time either at family members' houses, or shuttling between them in a car; and that my more-than-a-tourist connection to the place makes me self-conscious about taking pictures of sights that a local would consider utterly mundane. Altogether, it's a somewhat confusing and frustrating experience.
the golden
Calcutta is a problematic subject for me as a photographer. Last time I came, I didn't even bring a camera. This time I have, but haven't made much use of it.
On the one hand, the city is visually spectacular: almost everything is interesting (if not always pleasant) to look at. As with India in general, there's a technicolour riot wherever you go, and marvels everywhere you look; but in Calcutta in particular, there's also the fading glory of the crumbling Raj-era infrastructure.
But while I might find urban decay aesthetically pleasing, I can't really forget how it translates into poor quality of life for those who live here. And I can't really claim to myself that I'm fulfilling any kind of serious documentary objective by taking pictures of it.
Add to that the fact that I spend most of my time either at family members' houses, or shuttling between them in a car; and that my more-than-a-tourist connection to the place makes me self-conscious about taking pictures of sights that a local would consider utterly mundane. Altogether, it's a somewhat confusing and frustrating experience.