Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i Lens Magazine

Robi is the recipient of several awards from the International Color Awards, including the Photographer of the Year Award, and was the recipient of the 6th Annual Master Cup for his photo, Off the Ground, depicting a tribal child in (region, India) pushing a cycle rim down a village road. The same photo won the 2015 Directors' Choice award from Photo Place Gallery Vermont, juried by James P Blair, National Geographic photo editor (Retired). Other awards include the Merit Award in All About Photo Magazine (July 2018) and the Excellence Award in Black & White Magazine (June 2018). Steve McCurry recently awarded Robi 1st place in Travel for The Independent Photographer, 2022. Having lived in India, Nepal, Africa, and the US for many years and being Indian-American, Robi sees himself…

After relocating to Dallas, Texas, two and a half years ago, my outsider's perspective on the ordinary led to a local portrait. The commonplace and sometimes banal reality inspired my curiosity and excitement about everyday life and people. Initially, I was drawn to the food signs lining the highways, but I struggled with mixed emotions about the fast-food industry and its potential impact on my family's health. The thought of succumbing to its temptations as part of our daily routine filled me with dread for our future well-being in America. At first, I sought to distill the signs' impact by capturing simplistic images of nothing but blue skies juxtaposed with a solitary sign. However, over time, monotony set in, prompting me to delve deeper, searching for narratives imbued with subtle…

STREET PORTRAITURE, ESPECIALLY, HAS RECEIVED LESS ATTENTION. IN MOST OF MY CAPTURES, MY FOCUS HAS BEEN ON THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS, THE HIDDEN EMOTIONS IN THEIR GAZE, HANDS, FACES, AND EVEN THEIR CLOTHING. I HAVE TRIED TO MAKE THE PHOTOS EXPRESSIVE AND BREAK THE SEAL OF SILENCE ON THE THOUSANDS OF UNSPOKEN WORDS OF THESE INDIVIDUALS.- MEHDI ZAVVAR “I am a portrait photographer, but I enjoy all genres of photography as a visual art for communication and storytelling. Photography is my greatest passion and I have been practicing it for about five years. I do not have any formal academic training in photography; my work has been primarily experimental, although I have also read several photography books alongside this experimental practice. Street portraiture, especially, has received less attention. In most…

Straight Out the Hood is a long-term documentary that delves into the dark and unseen side of the streets, from rough areas to poor neighborhoods in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. These photographs have been a constant presence since the project's inception; it is the reason I embarked on my photographic journey and stand as the essence of my life's work. I capture the world as it is because nothing is more intriguing than reality. In this series, my goal is to guide the viewer beyond the typical postcard-perfect shots or the familiar streets we encounter deeper into the city's diverse and historically rich fabric. I strive to offer a glimpse of its complexity and the lives of its people through equally intricate and candid moments of daily life, which…

We Are Not Invisible is a photographic odyssey that traverses the landscapes and lives of the Afro-Mexican communities along Mexico's La Costa Chica, spanning the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. This project seeks to capture the nuanced interplay of heritage, identity, and daily life in a region where African roots intertwine with Indigenous and Spanish influences, creating a unique cultural tapestry. Through evocative imagery ranging from portraits to landscapes and scenes of daily activities, We Are Not Invisible aims to tell the stories of resilience, tradition, and change within these vibrant communities. My early fascination with photography began as an only child. I was looking through the pages of periodicals such as LIFE, Time, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Conde Nast, and Travel & Leisure. As a dreamer, it was often…

“In my portraits, I show emotion through facial expressions, body language, and composition. Placing a person in a space with context is something I love. Light, lines, textures, and space give the photo new meanings, giving rise to new stories. Imaginary portraits. However, I prefer it when the space becomes manageable. The ideal location for me is quite minimalistic. One of the most essential conditions in a shoot is trust between the model and the photographer and freedom of expression. Marina Terechov is a portrait photographer based in Mannheim, Germany. Originally from Crimea, Ukraine, Marina Terechov grew up in a regular family without any special artistic background. She holds a bachelor's degree in physical Rehabilitation and has been a professional athlete for over 10 years. In 2017, she moved with…

I SEEK TO CAPTURE WHAT IS CULTURALLY FAMILIAR TO ME YET PRESENT THE IMAGE WITH AN APPRECIATION OF HOW AN OUTSIDER'S EYE MAY SEE THE PEOPLE AND CULTURES I EXPLORE THROUGH MY WORK."-ROBI CHAKRABORTY ”After a career doing both commercial and press photography, I became drawn to exploring the cities and villages of my native India, seeking out and photographing the people whose cultures and ways of life are quickly becoming lost in the contemporary, more homogenized world of today. Now based in the US but having lived in Africa, Nepal, and India, where much of my work is focused, I have a unique connection to and understanding of my subject matter. As an artist who sees myself as a global citizen, I seek to capture what is culturally familiar…

In the heart of the Amazon rainforest lies the territory of the mysterious "Feline Tribe," known as the Matsés. It is considered one of the most secluded areas with minimal exploration, making it inaccessible for most tourists. The Matsés are an indigenous people of the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. Their traditional homelands are located between the Javari and Galvez rivers. The Matsés have long guarded their lands from other indigenous tribes and struggle with encroachment from illegal logging practices and poaching. The Matsés are skilled hunters and specialists in using bows and arrows. Arrow shafts are made from cane and decorated with cotton string and golden grass. Prey includes spider monkeys, white-lipped peccaries, tapir, woolly monkeys, and armadillos; in the dry season, they also collect river turtle eggs(2). DEEP IN…