There's something going on, a photo from West Bengal, East

Photographer's Note

Somewhere in central Calcutta in November 1987. There was clearly something going on inside the shop, since so many had crowded at the entrance to catch a glimpse. A taxi driver had found a way to glance above the heads of the others.

Did I see what was going on? I probably never got close enough, or I was only interested in taking this photo, which I found probably funnier than whatever they were all looking at. At least I didn't mention anything about this in my diary.

Elaine (everlasting) suggests there was a cricket match on TV. I am sure she is right. They were probably watching the final match of the world cup, played in Calcutta, between England and Australia. India and Pakistan had lost the semi-finals, to everyone's great disappointment in Calcutta. By the way, Australia won.

I considered cropping the upper part of the washed out sky and darkening the rest, but it didn't look very good, so I left it like this. It actually doesn't disturb me much.

I had obviously already more than 34 years ago developed a taste for street photos showing not much at all. There are two more photos in the WS of things going on in a very quiet way in the streets of Calcutta. They were all scanned from Kodachrome slides.

Fis2, pierrefonds, ikeharel, PaulVDV, Royaldevon, adramad, jhm, ricardomattos, COSTANTINO, jean113, burmaman, mcmtanyel, worldcitizen, macjake has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Fis2 (169635) 2021-02-27 0:45

Witaj Gert!
Another interesting set of photos from everyday life.
Good frames, colors and light.
Excellent reportage work.
Have a nice weekend.
Krzysztof

ChrisJ (171146) 2021-02-27 1:08

Hej Gert

I like the taxi driver standing up inside his car to get a better look at whatever commotion was happening inside. His isolation from the main throng of people makes a superb contrast. Good sharpness and colour. Tfs!

Silvio1953 (220495) 2021-02-27 1:11

Ciao Gert, nice scene with a lot of people, excellent claerity, splendid light, wonderful colors and fine detais, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

pajaran (114821) 2021-02-27 1:48

Pozdrav.
Interesantan pogled i trenutak, dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad skeniranjem slajdova i lepim fotografijama u radionici.
Okupljanja uvek izazivaju paznju prolaznika.
Lepe fotografije i secanje.
Zelim vam lep dana, sve najbolje za vikend.
Paja.

pierrefonds (113512) 2021-02-27 5:00

Hi Gert,

You have captured well the concentration of the persons looking inside the shop. The point of view is showing the details of the taxi. The light is bringing out the colors. Have a nice day.

Pierre

ikeharel (112395) 2021-02-27 6:12

Hello Gert,
The main picture was an excellent take on that moment, interesting to know what was going on inside there... you were on the right place and time for such a photo.
WS's also show people in the big city about their daily life.
Wish you a nice weekend,
Ike

everlasting (19680) 2021-02-27 7:10

at a guess I would say a cricket match on TV, but we will never know. A fine streetscene captured in any case with good colours and sharpness

PaulVDV (62770) 2021-02-27 8:58

Hello Gert,
With the exception of the top right corner, the photo is crisp and sharp and clearly shows the interest of many in something that happened inside. Most likely a sports game on TV.
I often heard and read that Calcutta is called the cultural capital of India. Unfortunately, I have never been there. But of everyone I know in Belgium who visited India, only one person has been to Calcutta. Is this a coincidence? I rather have the impression that the cultural capital of India does not attract a high number of foreign visitors after all. It is located too far from other interesting places? Still, I would like to go there one day.
Would the phenomenon of street barbers become a thing of the past in the big cities? I have clear memories of them from my travels in the 1990s, but not immediately from my two relatively recent trips to the south. Maybe I was accustomed to them ... But I don't think so because they still make up a very attractive street scene.
Best regards, Paul

Royaldevon (85606) 2021-02-27 9:25

Hello Gert,

I think Elaine' suggestion is a very good one. Cricket is to India and Pakistan, what football is to most of Western Europe! Everywhere I went in Pakistan, there were youths playing at cricket, with undiluted enthusiasm, using whatever equipment they could find to simulate bats and wickets!
Your photograph captures exactly that sort of enthusiasm.

Your w/s add to our appreciation of late 20th century Calcutta, with outdoor barbers and an eagerness to to become educated.

Have a good w/e,
Bev :-)

adramad (72532) 2021-02-27 10:17

Hi Gert,
Three very interesting scenes of the day to day in the streets of Calcutta, all this large group looking inside the store, as you say, they were sure to watch cricket, also they are all men. The scanning works really great.
Sharpness, lighting, color, and the magnificent composition; they are all perfectly realized factors, in these scenes.
Well done. I like it.
Have a good weekend.
Very best regards.
Luis.

jhm (211734) 2021-02-27 10:26

Hello Gert,

A nice daily life picture with much people look at to I know not she see !
Yes TV but 35 year ago nobody had TV, also not in Belgium, certainly no colour TV!
Colours are very sharp and pleasant to look at
Nice depth and perspective picture too.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John

GyurMaster (24668) 2021-02-27 10:52

Dear Gert,

Sensational shot: the contrast between the crowd and the lonely drives, the contrast between the cabs yellow top and the blue shirt of the driver. And of course the question: what the hell is going on in there? Too bad you have never found out. I like the WS 1 too, its a also a well-taken glimpse.

Best Wishes,
Gy.

PS: Thank you for your kind words under my latest photo.

jmdias (114196) 2021-02-27 11:38

gert

obviously the clothes they are using is a nice aspect of the compo, but of course it would be a marvelous compo even with usual clothes. excellent moment well registered and with excellent quality. the WS was nice too, but I don't remember to see barbers in the indian streets.. yes, the only think to attract such attention would be sports or a terrible news..
here the state of parana government put the state in lock down for a week, the second wave of covid arrived..

take care

jorge

foxy (3423) 2021-02-27 13:34

Hello Gert,
Well, now we know ...what's going on, the title is not relevant anymore :-)
But it does draw my attention to the photo ( thumbnail ).
The funny part, it has to be the taxi man. Exactly what's written on the number plate - WBT stand for 'Watchful,Bewilder,Taxidriver' thinking that we should be playing in the final. Damn England and Australia.
The WS1, the young man seem to be an educated person himself , neatly dressed. But the books , all Kinds of...... Books are too complicated for me to read :-)
The WS2, could be as main photo.
Street barber shops??? seeing the facilities....it's too close for comfort.
Since I'm not keen in politics, CPI(M) - a street sign stand for 'Creating Personal Identity ( Moustache )' just as the two barbers with moustache :-)
Thanks for sharing this 'Super Cricket Fans'
Loong

ricardomattos (17368) 2021-02-27 15:29

Hi Gert

Another good photo of daily life in India. It looks like they were watching a game he made to even the driver of this car with its door opened.

TFS

Ricardo

lousat (138551) 2021-02-27 16:13

Hi Gert,it's a shame we will never know what they were watching, but in fact Elaine could be right, the scene is very reminiscent of our bars during the soccer world cup in the 60's .. hehehe .. beautiful catch but also the 2 WS are no less , especially the street barbers, something that our way of thinking does not contemplate. Have a nice Sunday and thanks,Luciano

ifege (46851) 2021-02-27 21:49

Hi Gert
A good trio of street photos from Calcutta.
You have a good cricket memory for someone from Sweden - yes it was the first time that Australia won the world cup. And ... it was played on the day that you took this photo. They could well have been watching the cricket.
cheers
Ian

COSTANTINO (115451) 2021-02-27 23:29

Hello dear Gert and have a nice day
and a happy Sunday
I like the beginning of your
useful notes as following...
....somewhere in central Calcutta
in November 1987....I am always
interested in useful notes
of yours...I travel by my imagination...
regards
Costantino

jean113 (27585) 2021-02-28 0:45

Hello Gert, an excellent observation from the street. I am curious too, and want to know what the group are looking at. I think that you are probably correct, a cricket match sounds about right.
Three very good street shots, that give us a flavour of Indian city life.
Have a good day.
Kind regards, Jean.

burmaman (1336) 2021-02-28 6:15

Hello Gert!
I would have never stopped to watch a cricket game, together with curling and baseball the most boring sport I know.
This is a good and interestind streetshot and gives space for interpretation.
Regards,Ronny

Tue (91488) 2021-02-28 11:10

Hej Gert,
Jeg t鎛kte ogs� at der m錿te have v鎟et noget sport i fjernsynet og i Indien m� det i s� fald nok v鎟e cricket for at f� s� mange til at ville se kampen. Du fangede dem meget godt og for billedets skyld er det ogs� meget godt at vi overhovedet ikke kan se hvad det er de allesammen er s� interesserede i. Den gamle bil er ogs� godt kommet med i h鴍re h錸d.
Lars

mcmtanyel (67555) 2021-03-01 17:15

Hello Gert,
Interesting street photo. I think Elaine got it right. If this were in Turkey, i would say "football" but cricket makes sense. I also like the taxi, that is what made me click on the photo.
Regards,
MT

worldcitizen (15930) 2021-03-02 18:19

Hello Gert,
This is a great street shot. Everyone was very interested in what was going on inside the shop, but you were interested in them. :-) The man standing next to the taxi door is great, and I like all the colorful clothes. With my eyes pulled towards all the people, I hardly noticed the overexposure in the upper, right corner. Take care!

macjake (98260) 2021-03-03 2:27

Hi Gert
I'm surprised you kept this one from being posted...this is an easy 10 out of 10. the taxi driver is easily stealing the show, and a close second is the car, followed by the person in the white shirt with the arm resting up against the building.
great scene, great moment captured. You could have been standing here completely naked and they wouldn't have noticed.
cheers
Craig

kasianowak (17672) 2021-03-19 16:06

Good scene to photograph. A fairly unusual situation, lots of people in one shot and also lots of colour. Love the traditional clothes, I bet most people wear jeans there now.
Great street photos in WS. Of course I have a photo of a barber, taken in... Lahore in Pakistan. I think you have seen in in a certain book about a Karakoram Highway trip. :-)