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This episode of Hit the Streets is made possible thanks to my new webinar series! Take care of your photography education needs and support your favorite podcast all at once by signing up for a webinar. Available LIVE or REPLAY as long as you are registered you can stream it on your own time.
Street Photography... Color or B&W? Let's look at the pros and cons of color and B&W in street photography. How do you decide? With several examples, Valerie will help you put more intent in your photography. Whether you shoot raw or not, this webinar is designed to help you make the decision before you press the shutter as part of the creative process.
When: August 1st, 2018. If you cannot attend the webinar LIVE, you can stream it on your own time later as long as you are registered!
Summary
David Julian is guest hosting for Valerie this week. This week he has a conversation with Ritesh Ghosh about juxtapositions, patience and perseverance. Enjoy!
Biography
My name is Ritesh Ghosh and I am a travel and Street Photographer from Kolkata, India.
This would probably not have been my introduction 8 years ago when I was just a regular guy working as a cashier in a Private Bank. Although I had been creatively inclined since childhood, the 9 to 5 grind left me with almost no time to discover the potential within. I guess everything comes with an expiry date and so did my career as a Banker. It was in January 2014 that I decided to hang up my banker boots and opt for a better alternative. With the little savings that I had managed to accumulate and not knowing what exactly I wanted to pursue, I purchased my first DSLR camera, a Canon 600D. Looking at the world around me through the little glass window on my camera (better known as the viewfinder) I started getting intrigued day by day. As I was running out of money I decided to take up a job and moved out to Dubai for a year. During my stay abroad, I was following a lot of Photographer’s on YouTube when I came across this gentleman named Zack Arias who was shooting with the Fujifilm X100s. The sheer brilliance of this little mirrorless system was such that Mr. Arias had declared that “The DSLR is dead.” The statement was so convincing that I ended up purchasing the X100s for myself.
Coming back to India in October 2015, I started taking pictures on the streets of Kolkata. The 23mm f.2.8 on the X100s was just the perfect combination for capturing street action. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about how my subjects would react. Approaching them with a smile made things work for me. The compact size of the camera did not make me look too intimidating and people wouldn’t really mind me taking their snap from a close proximity. Photography is all about how you perceive the world through that viewfinder glass on your camera. For most it really does not make any difference but for some it can be a “game changer”. One of the many learnings which I have personally gained over the last couple of years is something that I would like to share. Persistence and Patience are the best friends of a photographer. I try and shoot regularly for about 3 hours. By virtue of these qualities one starts looking at the things around them with precision. I have been visiting Kumartuli and it’s alleys from the moment I had my first camera in hand about 4 years ago. There were times when I would return without a single decent frame. But that did not deter me from going back to the same place again. With every repeat visit I started noticing minute things present around me which were otherwise invisible to others.
I have recently worked on a personal project #BEINGAWOMAN where I have tried to bring out the different shades to a Woman's personality. Prior to that I had worked on a project showcasing a young skateboarder from Kolkata.
Juxtaposition is my favourite sub genre in Street Photography. It gives me the opportunity to express myself creatively and engage my audience at the same time. I draw my inspiration from Vineet Vohra who has mastered the art of Juxtaposition. I am presently working on a couple of personal projects and traveling whenever I have the opportunity. My gear includes the Fujifilm XT1 with the 10-24mm, 16mm, 23mm, 18-55mm and 50-140mm lenses.
Links to Ritesh's Work
https://www.facebook.com/ritesh.ghosh.549
https://www.instagram.com/love_thy_camera/
