Visual poetry of the streets

Playing with her father’s camera was one of Ranita Roy’s favourite childhood activities. And over time, this camera changed from a toy to a professional tool. Ranita also grew up with a great interest in art. “I love to sketch and paint along with photography. During my early days as a photographer, I tried to use my father’s camera. The lens attracted me a lot,” she says. The young photographer loves to capture street scenarios and has presented her photographs all over the world. 

But what is it that attracted this young photographer to street photography? She explains, “I do photography for myself. I love to document my observations and feelings.  I love to show the different moments and moods of life. To me, street photography is not only a genre but a delicate visual poetry. It is a combination of shadows, movements, looks and connections with a hint of geometry and framing. Also, I love to hunt moments of mystery, surprise and humour in my photography. These fragments of fictional stories are drawn from the real world through aesthetic compositions that hint at a larger story.”

Talking about her inspiration, Ranita says, “It’s very difficult for me to name a single person. There are many who have influenced me.” However, her idols are not limited to the world of photography. Many filmmakers, documentary makers and painters have had a significant effect on her works. Inspired by directors like Satyajit Ray, Stanley Kubrick, Ritwik Ghatak, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Vittorio De Sica, she aims to create a cinematic effect in her works as well. 

“In photography, Henri Cartier Bresson, Lynsey Addario, Elliott Erwitt, Raghu Rai, Kevin Carter, Alex Webb, Vivian Maier and Ren Hang are some that I love to follow,” she shares. She was mentored by Sudipta Chakraborty, whose continuous support also helped her a lot.  Ranita’s first project was on the irrigation system in the dry areas of West Bengal. “It will always be very special to me. I not only gained professional experience, it taught me some important life lessons as well,” she shares. 

She likes to work on projects that deal with social and environmental issues. “I always question myself if my work will help resolve the problems at hand and if the people involved in that project will benefit from my work,” she says. These are some of the rules that Ranita likes to keep in mind while taking up a project. “Your work should add some value to the issue being covered,”  she adds. She also loves to work on topics related to women and children.