Rediscovering beauty in everyday life

Works of the young photographers displayed at Alliance Francaise

Four young friends, set to go overseas for studies, had a joint exhibition of their photographic feats at the Zoom Gallery, Alliance Francaise recently. They have completed a diploma course in photography from the Ecole de Cinema under Mujibur Rahman. Together they present photo features of a brick worker's day, a devotee at a Hindu temple and other assorted events in daily lives.
Rashed Rahman, one of the participants, who hopes to study photography along with IT engineering in Melbourne, says, "Photographers have an adventurous time as they go to different places and interact with numerous people, sharing their culture and gaining knowledge. My family and friends have encouraged me to follow this passion, apart from my studies. I like to work with silhouette photography and play with different colours."
In order to capture a scene of children jumping into the river from a large boat, in a silhouette formation, with gold and blue clouds at the back, Rashed and his colleagues had to wait for two hours. In another photograph one sees the sides of four ships, with a trailing cable. The body of the ships present a composition of colours and textures. This was taken in Narayanganj.
In another shot of the ships, there are many elements pointing up and so forming a harmonious composition with poles, ropes and the scratched metal body of the ship. This is followed by a picture of the ships, with their reflections, and these are blended with the blurred image of a man standing below.
In the photo documentary of a worshipper, the subject is seen crossing a forest, climbing a steep hill, offering his prayer, and then proceeding on to bow before the deity Shiv. In the photo story of Shohagi, a brick worker in Narayanganj, one sees her toiling in the brickfield, next feeding her children and then fixing her hair.
Another set of photos shows a boy who works in the brickfields, standing in contrast to other children his age playing on the grass. A composition in blue presents a girl in blue standing against a blue boat, which again is seen against blue waves.
Asked if they faced any problems while working, Rashed says that often people get suspicious and pick up a quarrel as in the case of the owner of the dockyard and people at the temple. At times the weather too was not pleasant, and sometimes drinking water was scarce.
Syed Ishamul Alam Labib, another participating photographer, is actually interested in making movies and felt that knowing how to operate a camera will be a step to making films. Most of his pictures are based on human subjects.
One of his pictures of Buriganga required him to be knee deep in water. Here Labib focuses on a chain and a body of a ship. The children climbing on it find jumping and playing around the chain as their only recreation. In another photo one sees a harmonious image of an anchor, chain and the figure of a man.
Naveed and Inam are the other two participating shutter-buggers.