A passion so strong ran in his veins that to pursue photography 30-year-old Srjib Das left home and stayed on his own for four years, facing the resentment of his family. My parents were never really happy with my decision to pursue photography as a career. They vehemently protested, and things went to such an extent that I had to leave home. I got a small apartment on rent and lived there for four years before they came around and called me back two years ago,” recalls Srijib.
An aspiring fashion photographer, this young and down-to-earth lensman, was attracted into the world of frozen moments, when he chanced upon a motley crowd of young shutterbugs on a bustling alley in Sealdah, one of the busiest spots in the city. “I was pursuing a management degree in marketing back then. But I became so interested in photography that I enrolled myself for a basic course at an institute parallelly and further sharpened my skills with advanced online courses,” says Srijib, who started off doing work for television serials like poster shoots and look-test shoots.
“Gradually I shifted my attention to fashion photography and began getting quite a few assignments to take care of my needs,” says Srijib. In fashion shoots, Srijib takes care that everything looks glamourous and larger than life in his frame. “I mould myself as per the requirement of my client. If it’s a fashion designer’s shoot, the focus remains on clothes. If it’s a make-up artistes’ shoot, the face gets more prominence, and if it’s a portfolio shoot, then the model’s personality must come out. I love playing around light and shadow and lay a lot of stress on the balance of brightness and contrast. I never go for full-open pictures,” he adds.
For this column among the pictures that he has submitted, he found choosing Madhumita‘s pictures to be extremely difficult. “Madhumita is extremely hardworking and never shies away from giving countless expressions and poses. That makes my job harder to choose from a heap of good pictures. She is very expressive and enthusiastic about her work. Debopriya was absolutely new to the profession when I shot her and the way she has turned out is very commendable. She is a self-taught model and perseverance is her biggest asset. Shraboni is very expressive and Swarnali is very motivated and has a good fashion sense,” tells Srijib, who loves to write short stories during spare time and dreams of making a film someday.
Srijib Das can be reached at 8910241702 or sriju1343@gmail.com. Instagram handle: @srijib_photography
Swarnali Banerjee | 22 height: 5 ft 3 inches
This final-year student of electronics engineering, whose Bengali music album is slated for release, is also a good classical singer. “I love wearing Western formals mostly, whether it’s pantsuits or nicely cut jumpsuits. Left to myself, I am equally comfortable in joggers and tees. My favourite colours comprise yellow and red and I also love miniature floral prints. Usually, it‘s breathable handloom cotton for me but I also like linen clothes,” says Swarnali.
This spunky girl loves to look different on traditional occasions too and hence opts for IndoWestern attires like ruffled shirts and palazzos with a gorgeous statement jewellery piece. “At times, I also settle for a sari, mostly South-Indian silks in white or yellow and complement the look with a shirt blouse to stand out,” she mentions. Not quite an accessories person, Swarnali loves wearing watches with rosegold metal straps. “Make-up is always light and natural for me with pink shades for lips. But I love doing smoky eyes,” shares Swarnali.
Instagram: @swarnali976
Shraboni Sarkar | 22 height: 5 ft 6 inches
This professional from the F&B industry loves pursuing modelling during free time. “Highwaist fitted jeans with crop tops is what I love to wear, apart from one-piece dresses and kurtis,” offers Sharboni, whose favourite colours includes black, red and blue. Traditional wear, always calls for a bit of glamour and the leggy lass prefers gorgeous sequinned saris in georgettes and chiffons for parties, while for Pujas or family get together it has to be the more traditional dhakai jamdanis.
“I prefer sleeveless, deep back blouses to go with my saris and wear chunky oxidised earrings to complement the look. I love wearing pencil heels and kitten heels and make-up is always natural for me,” explains Shraboni, who loves to cook at leisure.
Instagram: @ lifu6661
Madhumita Mondal | 20, height: 5 ft 4 inches
This sophomore undergraduate student aspires to be a full-time model. “In casual wear, I love both Western and ethnic options and wear everything from jeans to dresses to kurtis and one-piece dresses. I love cotton since it‘s comfortable in weather like ours and occasionally also go for the silk,” says Madhumita, whose favourite colours are black, white and royal blue. For traditional occasions such as Pujas or weddings, this pretty girl prefers to wear mostly heavily embellished lehengas with short blouses or gorgeous silk saris with full sleeve blouses.
“I am not much of jewellery person but if I wear, I never wear earrings and neckpiece together. Usually, I prefer a small stud in gold. But I love wearing watches especially the ones from the brand Herman Hansen. Make-up is always a light base, shades of red for the lips and mascara,” tells Madhumita.
Instagram: @im_madhumita
Debopriya Pal | 20, height: 5 ft 1 inch
This final-year student of Bengali, at Rabindra Bharati University, loves modelling and aspires to become an actor. “I have already done a few short films and intend to hone my acting skills further. I love wearing both Western and traditional outfits and I am mostly in my jeans and tops,” says Debopriya, whose favourite colours include all shades of pink and black.
Accessories have never attracted this young girl much, and she likes to keep it minimalistic with small earrings and bracelets. When it comes to occasions, she loves wearing long, ornate gowns in georgettes and other gorgeous material with sequin work. “At times, I also love wearing saris. For parties, it’s chiffon. Daywear calls for light handlooms with sleeveless or three-quarter sleeved blouses. I usually don’t like much make-up on my face and I keep it simple with a light shade of lipstick and a hint of kohl in my eyes,” explains Debopriya, who loves dancing.
Instagram: @monali.roy.583671