Photographer's Note
My last photo showed the squalor and misery of the slums in Calcutta in late 1972, after the Bangladesh war had driven tens of thousands of people across the border.
But most people of the city lived normal lives also in those difficult days. Today I will show you three snapshots from various places in the city. None of them is anything special, and since they were all taken quickly, without much consideration, I don't remember anything from these moments.
This is just a mother and her child enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun shining on their house. Here is a larger version.
In the workshops you can see a street stall and workers at a building site.
All photos were scanned from Kodachrome slides.
Royaldevon, ChrisJ, papagolf21, snunney, Fis2, gervaso, alvaraalto, ikeharel, Lidka, danos, jean113, rychem, rychem, Cricri, PiotrF, mcmtanyel, COSTANTINO, adramad has marked this note useful
Critiques | Translate
Royaldevon
(85932) 2017-12-15 1:07
Hello Gert,
Three very different but very informative photographs, showing the daily life in Calcutta nearly half a century ago.
The entrepreneurial spirit was there to be seen, with people taking advantage of locally grown produce and having an onsite crushing system!
I love the makeshift ladder but why not use the local materials for its construction.
Your first photograph can be interpreted in different ways. You saw it as a mother and child enjoying the sunshine, I saw it as a lady shut in a tall building, longing to be out and enjoying life!
Another very enjoyable trio of photographs.
Have a good w/e,
Bev :-)
ChrisJ
(171852) 2017-12-15 1:17
Hello Gert,
Effective tight framing and I like the shadow at left of the telegraph pole falling across the sunlit facade of the building. The mother and daughter surveying the scene provide a centre of interest. Tfs!
papagolf21
(152607) 2017-12-15 1:44
Bonjour, cher Gert,
Encore une réussite photographique prenant en compte le visage réel d'un moment.
Vous avez réussi à saisir un moment de la vie quotidienne avec succès.
La qualité photographique est remarquable !
Amitiés.
Philippe
snunney
(130967) 2017-12-15 1:52
Hello Gert,
The square frame is well suited to the subject; mother and daughter are ideally placed and make an interesting and effective focal point. I like all that nicely textured brickwork.
Tue
(92402) 2017-12-15 2:12
Hello Gert,
Three excellent impressions from Calcutta, which show a different side of the town than your previous post. I like the angle you chose for the brick architecture as well as the very pleasant, warm light which illuminates it all. Good inclusion of the two people in the window too to add a touch of daily life.
Lars
pajaran
(115941) 2017-12-15 2:15
Dobar dan.
Lep pogled i trenutak, dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad sa lepim fotografijama u radionici, lepo pokazano. Lepe fotografije dobijene skeniranjem slajda.
Zelim vam lep dan, sve najbolje.
Paja.
Good day.
Nice view and a moment, good text ...
Good work with nice photos in the workshop, beautifully shown. Nice photos obtained by scanning slides.
I wish you a nice day, all the best
Fis2
(170807) 2017-12-15 2:20
Witaj Gert!
Beautiful window and wall.
I like it.
Good POV and colors.
Excellent light.
Persons add flavor to this composition.
Good reportage shot.
Well done.
Nice day.
Krzysztof
gervaso
(28177) 2017-12-15 3:09
Hello, Gert!
After your last photo of this city (a great photographic job, as I said before), it's nice to see other parts of it where people live normally, to give a better impression of the place. Here we can see the interesting architectural details of this old building, with the children by the window giving more life to the scene. The other views in the workshop are also great! Very nice job!
jmdias
(115208) 2017-12-15 4:50
gert
I liked these three images. maybe I prefer the second one. the main post has a minimalist mood with the bricks in the façade and a small corner with human life. well composed.
take care
jorge
alvaraalto
(42804) 2017-12-15 4:59
Hello Gert
The two beautiful workshops pictures give a good impression of daily life in Calcutta. The main picture is however just like some pictures I took, for example, in New York or Portland.
It always fascinates me how the differences, but also the similarities can be so extreme.
Again a splendid documentation.
Have a nice day. Groet Rob
Sergiom
(117241) 2017-12-15 6:30
Bonjour Gert,
Souvent, en voyage, je tente et recherche ce genre de situation. En Italie c'est assez facile, car j'ai l'impression que toutes les dames sont à leur fenêtre. Ici, tu as très bien cerné ton sujet sur une très belle facade.
Amicalement
Serge
Lidka
(527) 2017-12-15 7:18
Dear Gert!
What a wonderful picture from 1972.
Amazing girls.
Superb colours.
Excellent low POV.
Good DOF.
Very good quality.
Nice effect.
Well done!
danos
(110407) 2017-12-15 7:44
Hello Gert,
the tight frame enhance the construction of the old building with the mother with her child to are the eye catching of the scene.Excellent the light and colour management of it.
Regards,Danos
jean113
(27887) 2017-12-15 8:26
Hello Gert, the warm tones of the brick building make this shot stand out in the thumbnails.
Well composed, the eyes immediately go to the woman and child looking out of the open window. The bright light emphasises the textures of the wall.
The extra shots are delightful, both could easily be main posts.
45 years ago? They still look fresh and bright.
Regards Jean.
rychem
(72187) 2017-12-15 8:49
Each of the 3 pictures tells a different story, a very nice series of photos taken 45 years ago and a great quality
regards, Ryszard
Nicou
(193806) 2017-12-15 9:11
Hello
quel cadrage en perspective sur la facade et ce rendu des tons sueprbe compo et vue ces deux personnages à la fenêtre fantastique image.
Bravo et belle soirée
Nicou
kasianowak
(17676) 2017-12-15 9:17
In thumbnail view this image looks like a photo of a beautiful nicely lit facade. On closer inspection it also shows people, skillfully captured and well placed in the frame.
I would struggle whether to choose this or the image if the street stall as the main upload. But I can see that you selected this one for its wonderful simplicity.
Have a nice weekend
Kasia
jhm
(211736) 2017-12-15 9:32
Hello Lidia,
Thank you very much, to your visit to my 15th TE birthday picture
This is real a wonderful picture with the nice architecture façade.
Nice brickwork frontage with white stone decorations.
Composition and presentation are pleasant to look at.
Very well done, TFS.
Kindest regards,
John.
lousat
(139298) 2017-12-15 14:04
Hi Gert,this time a very lovely trio,isn't easy the choice of the best pic,all are very very nice. Beautiful close up of this typical facade with the bonus of child in the window,but the view on the sugar caine juice sellers and of the guys at work are amazing. The sharpness isn't the best like in others time but no problem,nobody is perfect....ehehe...have a nice weekend and thanks,Luciano
carlo62
(81265) 2017-12-15 15:59
Ciao Gert
questa foto mi piace molto, va al di fuori del periodo storico o dell'anno in cui è stata fatta.
Mi piace molto anche la foto con gli operai che costruiscono la casa, questo è un motivo affettivo, mio padre faceva quel lavoro.
Buon we
Carlo
RobertLx
(532) 2017-12-16 2:23
Hi Gert,
This photo stands out because it shows beautifully the texture of the brickwork. The sunlight highlights the irregularities on the walls and gives the bricks a warm retro coloring. Drainpipes add to the industrial look of the building which looks more like a 19th century English factory or a warehouse than a residential building.
Regards
Robert
Cricri
(176) 2017-12-16 3:41
Hi Gert
Bien pris la mère et la fille a la fenêtre , la lumière de fin de journée réchauffe le bâtiment, bien et réaliser
Belle journée
cricri
GyurMaster
(24838) 2017-12-16 5:56
Dear Gert,
Its a nice glimpse, a good nothing special.
Best Wishes,
Gy.
ikeharel
(113385) 2017-12-16 6:09
Old red bricks built façade shown marvelously in .
details, Gert, and the two in the window added life to it.
Much can be told by the daily-life elements, like the drainage-pipes and the electric-wires with the pole and lamp upon. Maybe those were modernly elaborated since 1972.
Fine scanned old picture.
Wish you a nice weekend,
Ike
PiotrF
(54726) 2017-12-16 16:04
Hello Gert,
Another interesting picture from Calcutta.
Good framing and lovely natural colors.
Fine presentation from your archive.
Regards
Piotr
Silvio1953
(221659) 2017-12-17 4:22
Ciao Gert, great detail of fascinating facade, fine details, excellent clarity, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend,ciao Silvio
mcmtanyel
(68569) 2017-12-17 19:29
Hello Gert,
I like the textures in the main entry. It looks like where the mother and daughter are looking out was originally a balcony. My favorite is the colorful street stall photo. It has so much to study and such pleasant colors. The workers photo is well timed, showing the division of labor very clearly.
Regards,
MT
COSTANTINO
(116542) 2017-12-17 23:23
Hello dear friend and have a nice time
and a happy new Christmas week
sometimes one shot is one thousand
words here we can see it
no more comments
regards
Costantino
emka
(158198) 2017-12-18 14:47
Hello Gert,
Nice main picture with the mother and child looking out of the window of this brick house. Beautiful light and colours but I wouldn't say it was made in India. So I prefer the Workshop pictures. My favorite is this with sugar cane and the strange wheel. I suppose that small bowls are for just one use. In the third picture the ladder is interesting. These building sites are incredible for Westerners as to safety.
As always fantastic quality of these very old photos. The quality of the Kodachrome was good (better than OORWO Chrom, hahaha), also good scanning, but I admire what a good photographer you were already as a young man.
KInd regrad s MAlgo
adramad
(73004) 2017-12-20 10:34
Hello Gert.
Sensational the 3 photos, which capture very well instantaneous of the environment in India, although in this case is Calcutta, is a faithful exponent of the country. I have made two trips of 20 days each year and these images refresh me others lived by me in other places.
Very good the quality of the negatives and magnificent the scan.
Very good brightness and perfect sharpness.
Well done. I like very much.
You have a good day.
Very best regards.
Luis.
Miguel82
(47110) 2019-12-16 11:56
Gert, the main photo and the workshop photos give a glimpse of the daily life and the activities in Calcutta. I would post them separately. The residents are going about their business. They enjoy the afternoon sun at a window, work on a construction site or sell sugarcane juice in the street. Fine colors, good sharpness, regards.
Photo Information
-
Copyright: Gert Holmertz (holmertz)
(102732)
- Genre: ÈËÎï
- Medium: ²ÊÉ«
- Date Taken: 1972-11-00
- Categories: ÈÕ³£Éú»î
- Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
- Date Submitted: 2017-12-15 0:57
Discussions
- To kasianowak: choice (1)
by holmertz, last updated 2017-12-15 09:48