A portrait of an Elder Bihari man from the Geneva Camp in Dhaka. I shot this picture on my 3rd day of my one 2 one 6 days workshop.
Walking with my brother and guide GMB Akash through the narrow alleys of this Camp wasn’t easy but it was worth it. I got the opportunity to see and experience some of life fact which we usually don’t think about or unfortunately ignore them because we are not directly involved.
Note: “Bihari Muslims are minority in Bangladesh, also known as Stranded Pakistanis. They are originating and tracing descent from the Indian State of Bihar”.
Source of information: “Wikipedia”
A young man working at the shipyard in Dhaka/ Bangladesh. This young man was sitting on a slice of wood hanging with old robes from the side of an old ship being repaired at this huge shipyard.
No safety precautions were taken while the workers doing their daily jobs.
One of many people I meet when I was walking with my guide this place known as Geneva Camp. I am so much attracted to the alder people faces, I believe they represent a richer character and more impact on viewers.
This man was just walking near by and I captured a portrait of him, Monochrome edit was the best choice to reflect this man.
Walking thru the huge Shipyard area was very rewarding, I faced many amazing faces with a stunning aged faces, different eyes look.
They all meet at one point. They show and present a very harsh fact of life; they are going thru a lot of low income issues which force them to ignore education and rather chose to start working at a very early age and also put their children’s to leave school and go working in many unbearable work environments like stone or aluminum factories facing many health and life hazards.
This man her is one of the many aged shipyard workers who work for long hours for almost nothing as income so he can assure a bread for his wife and children at the end of the day.
This is another man I found at the shipyard, he was just standing alone near by looking at me while I was taking pictures for other workers and people around.
I noticed how detailed his face was and the way he was wearing his head cover. I walked towards him and ask if its alright to take his pictures, he didn’t talk but just nodded with his head to accept.
I did try this picture in color finished edit and then went and change the whole thing and chose the black and white as I believe it will show more about his character and add more to the dramatic side.
This man work as a welder, he was among many other welders who work for a very long extended hours during the day, they deal with metal cutting and welding to build and fix big ships and boats at the huge shipyard. Their work environment misses many important and basic requirements, they don’t wear gloves nor head protection when they work under or inside the big ships nor when they stand on high tall wood ladders.
Needless to say that those workers may not even have safety plans for emergency nor accidents insurance, which leave them without any what’s so ever care umbrella.
This is another face from Geneva Camp. He work as a tailer and he got a small shop at one of the narrow alleys at the Camp.
His shop wasn’t full of much work, he was just doing some miner work when I approved him and asked to take his picture.
At this Camp their are many men who work hard to earn their day living and all of them live in a small places made of one room which is used as a kitchen, living area and a bedroom for the family which is usually not less than 4 of 5 members. They use a public bathrooms and showering area outside those tiny rooms and you can’t imagine how harsh things can become especially during cold winter days.
A very painful shot of a child who had to leave school and abandoned his childhood to starts working at this early age to assure money income to his aged parents and big family. Imagen a child who is only connected to his childhood by wearing a shirt of MightyMouse
He is one among so many unfortunate children who must work to be able to live, this boy with others work near the shipyard.
They make spear parts like Motor wiring and gear parts and other main needed items for the big boats and ships at the shipyard.
He was carrying a disk made of aluminum and you can see clearly that his both hands are covered with aluminum powder and small partials which unfortunately he is inhaling every day and eventually will damage his lungs.
This man was just passing a cross the road while I was walking with my friend at the Geneva Camp in Bangladesh, I talked to my friend and asked him to talk to ask if he accept to take his picture; he nodded approving that.
I used one light with small Octa Box that I hold at a high angel and I changed the picture to Black & White at the final process to give more dram to the overall.
Walking with my Guide after spending some time at the Slam taking photos of the people, families and children living just a step far from the rails. We were walking at the market that is actually at the end of the slam. Everyone was just acting normally; they have small shops that sales grocery, meat, fish and other daily used items.
Among many people walking around and stopping every now and then to take pictures of some interesting faces, I noticed this young girl walking with another girl. She was looking at us and talking to the other girl and when I signed to her with my camera she was shy and didn’t respond. I asked my guide to ask if I can take her picture, at first she wasn’t sure what to say, then some locals encourage her and she said ok. After that the other young girl wanted to be photographed.
Her is a picture of the other girl. She was holding a book so I assume they are coming from school or going to some sort of after school activity.
Walking around at Postogola, Dakha. Here I found this little child playing while his mother and other member of family doing their daily work which is mainly breaking the scrap bricks.
I couldn’t imagine how this little child is living and playing around this dangerous working area, here the Bricks scrap are gathered as pills and you see old and young men and woman busy smashing the bricks into smaller pieces to be reused for contraction and building.
It’s hard to imagine how this little child is playing with a big plastic spoon filling it with small pieces of bricks just copying what adults are doing. What is his future is going to look like? This is the big question mark I carried with me when I left that place.
Another little child I found at the break bricks yard at Postogola, Dakha. He was playing with an empty can; he was filling it with sand. I couldn’t stop admiring his beautiful smile. He asked me to take his picture and show it to him.
Can you imagine how he is going to grow up?
As I was walking through the Vegetable market I meet this man who was walking fast carrying this huge bamboo basket over his head.
He was heading back to the river were all the loaded boats are gathered to load his empty basket and drop his load at the market again. This is his job, therefore he need to carry as much loads he can during the working hours to assure getting enough money to bring food to his family.
Just near by the slam, this man was sitting few feet away from the rail selling his goods.
I couldn’t resist how beautiful the natural light of that sunny day exposed his face, how the light behind his thick glasses look and how the shadows wear falling to the side of his face.
A fast reaction was a must because he was very busy and he only gave me few seconds of his time but it was worth it.
Walking through crowded alleys in Dhaka, I found many aluminum small factories, those were full of all sort of workers; alder, young and even children’s. Although local laws in Bangladesh have age restrictions but unfortunately reality play’s different and due to poverty many of children’s are forced to do hard work to assure an income for their families.
This child boy I meet just outside one of the many small local aluminum factories. Just imagine that while other children’s enjoying their IPads and Happy Meal; those are working extended hours to bring food to their families.
At the train station I meet this child girl, she was tired and looked confused. My tour guide informed me that children missing and running from their homes is a very serious issue in Bangladesh.
This is a full shot of a woman at Geneva camp in Bangladesh this woman was just sitting wearing her pink veil, near a door.
It was early morning and she was just sitting there. The pink veil, details of her eyes, and the light coming from the side alley did grab my full attention.
I approached and asked if I can take a picture of her, at first she refused the idea due to her shyness but after my guide talked to her she agrees but incest to take the picture fast and leave.
Eyes are a wide-sighted window, through which you can read the person in front of you. This is the close shot of the same woman. After taking the first full shot, I came and showed her the picture on the screen of my camera, she smiled.
It was a clear sign of approval and I went and took my second shot.
This is a simple representation of some local transportation facility at Dhaka/ Bangladesh. It was one of my 6 days intensive people’s life. The area was very crowded and very busy. Near this river I found skippers of small wooden boats waiting for passengers, mid sized wooden boats dropping vegetables to the local market and across the other side of the river was the shipyard where I found many local craftsmen reconstruct the huge powered ships and put them to life again. Although there is some distractions in this picture put I believe it also reflects in a positive way to deepen the impact of the realty behind many fake scenes some people try to show. It’s the real life that matter and must be shown to our viewers, its the real words and stories must be told because being a travel and people’s life photographer means showing the truth with all what comes with it not fake beauty.
I am not sure why this child grabbed my attention, I was walking at the shipyard in Dhaka/ Bangladesh that morning; it was a very busy area, everyone is moving and working.
This child was sitting in front of a workshop, I reached and took a picture when I looked at the screen of my camera to check the shot, I noticed his serious gesture. He wasn’t smiling at all.
I am sure that the reason behind his serious look and not smiling is losing his childhood at this early age. While other children are busy playing, having fun, and being spoiled by their families, this child must work hard to earn a daily living for his family.
After I post-procced this shot I went and made it as a tribal frame; the first one is head and shoulder, the second is only face shot, and the Thread is close shot.