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BETTER PHOTOGRaPHY

87

aPRIL 2015

when shooting in B&w,

you have the opportunity

to play with your subjects

and give them a new

identity. This is possible

because the viewer’s eyes

are only drawn to the

different shapes and lines

in the frame.

I shot this photograph in a small village called

Mekhliganj in Cooch Behar, West Bengal.

Since I teach at the village’s school, I frequent the

area quite often. One time when I was walking

around, on the lookout for something interesting to

shoot, I noticed one of my young students. She was

standing alongside a bundle of jute, and seemed

quite lost in her thoughts.

The mellow and dreamy expression on her face is

what interested me in making this photograph. I felt

that the whole scene perfectly encapsulated the

dreams and aspirations of rural India.

Before framing the image, I decided that instead

of shooting a traditional portrait, I would make an

environmental portrait. This would also bring more

meaning and context to the subject. Several bundles

of jute formed an even backdrop, which I quite liked.

This helped in a way that it did not overpower the

main subject. I also used a shallow depth of fi eld to

bring all the focus on the young girl.

—sujan sarkar

READER’S Tip

making Evocative Environmental Portraits

In B&w portraits, it is very important to identify the subject, compose accordingly, and then capture the mood.

Participate in the

‘Reader’s Tip Contest’ on

betterphotography.in/contests

to win a chance to be

featured in the magazine and win exciting prizes!

Once you have located your light source,

look around and see what kind of shapes

and patterns it creates on the ground or the

neighbouring walls. For instance, see what

kind of effect is created when light streams

through latticework.

Also, remember that you will be able to

capture high contrast images only when

the sun is directly hitting the structure.

Sujan Sarkar

Bert Kaufmann

Tackling Bad weather

A good architecture colour shot is defi ned

by its vibrant sky, as much as it is by its

grandeur. But what if the weather is bad?

The good thing about shooting black

and white pictures is that you don’t have to

worry about dull or gloomy skies. All you

have to do is use a red fi lter, which helps in

increasing contrast in the image.