Photographer Soham Halder trains his lenses on four emerging Kolkata models
Twenty-nine-year-old Soham Halder had never actively pursued photography as a professional choice. A qualified nutritionist, Soham’s first encounter with the camera took place when he was gifted a point-and-shoot reel camera by his maternal uncle at the age of 10. “My uncle was extremely passionate about photography and it was he who first stoked my passion in the art. I started clicking and experimenting with it. Then as time went by, it took a backseat due to my studies,” recalls Soham.
It was not until he took microbiology as his major subject in college that the camera came back in his life. “I had to take a lot of photographs for my practical classes and for that I bought a digital camera. That camera resurrected my love for clicking pictures and I started to shoot anything and everything with it again. I soon realised I needed a better camera and bought a Canon 60D, my first DSLR,” remembers Soham.
With that, he began shooting portfolio and portrait photographs, both professionally and for friends and family that earned him quite a repute as a lensman. “Work kept coming and I did a few brand and wedding shoots. That made me toy with the idea of pursuing it professionally,” the shutterbug tells us. Now, Soham uses a Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR and does commercial fashion shoots by the dozen.
“While shooting, my main focus remains expressions of the models and I love playing around with light and shade. Typical white light doesn’t impress me much and I love experimenting with warmer tones and creative lighting. I enjoy working in low lights. I feel expressions are best captured when they are at their natural best,” Soham says.
Among the models, whose pictures Soham has submitted for this column, he likes Arpita for her good expressions and natural looks. “She can pose very well and responds to the camera instinctively. Bitasta is an upcoming model and she is picking up the skills fast. Khushi is very new to the profession but she tries to put in a lot of effort and hard work. Shrimoyee has a great temperament and is fun to work with. She understands light and camera angles very well,” informs Soham, who loves reading and watching documentaries when he is not wielding the lens.
Soham Halder can be reached at 7998033369 or neelsoham@gmail.com Instagram handle: @dietician.neel.soham
Shrimoyee Ghosh | 28, height: 5 ft 6 inches
Casual, comfortable yet chic, is how Shrimoyee would like to describe her fashion choices. This full-time model loves to wear comfortable outfits, mostly jeans, loose tees and a pair of sneakers when she is not working. I am a completely cotton person and love block colours. I don’t like any heavy work or embellishments on my clothes and love pastel colours, especially white, lavender and ice blue,” she tells us.
When it comes to traditional wear, Shrimoyee likes wearing kurtis with ankle-length cigarette trousers and accessorises the look with dainty finger rings in silver. “If I settle for saris, I like to keep them simple and wear designer blouses to amp up the look. I keep the make-up minimal too with just a bit of mascara on curled-up lashes, lip balm, cheek tint and a hint of highlighter,” tells Shrimoyee who loves trying out new cuisines.
Instagram: @shrimoyeeghosh
Bitasta Sinha Roy | 21, height: 5 ft 4 inches
A full-time model, this final-year student of Political Science, has a very chilled outlook towards fashion in personal life. “I love the informal, relaxed look and usually settle for stylish maxi dresses with high slits and other such cool casuals that flatter my body. I also love wearing trousers with t-shirts and jumpsuits. Occasions call for lehengas paired with full-sleeve short-cropped cholis with a light and sophisticated embellishments. When I wear saris, I pair them with V-cut, deep back, full-sleeve blouses that enhance my collar bones,” she tells us.
To ramp up the look, she likes to wear big chandbalis in matte copper or bronze. “make-up is usually light with a little BB cream, mascara, blush and highlighter,” tells Bitasta.
Instagram: @bitastasinharoy1999
Khushi Sharma | 20 height 5 ft 7 inches
A student of Commerce, Khushi, a budding model, is comfortable in all kinds of outfits and looks. “When I am going out with friends, I usually wear comfortable dresses. If it’s during the day, I wear hotpants with crop tops and if it’s a night-out then short bodycons with a hint of shimmer and bling is what I go for,” tells Khushi.
Traditional occasion means lehengas and crop tops for her, paired with chunky earrings. “If it’s Western formals, I go for minimal or no-jewellery look with only perhaps a small pair of studs on my ears. I don’t do make-up at all. It’s just mascara and lip balm for me,” adds Khushi.
Instagram: @_khushi___._
Arpita Ghosh | 30, height: 5 ft 6 inches
A non-believer in trends, Arpita loves keeping her sartorial fashion plain and simple. “I love wearing anything that’s comfortable and in cotton. Rather than prints I love solid colours and the shades depend upon my mood and time of the day. If it’s day time I prefer pastel shades and for night outs it’s always the darker tones” tells the beautiful model.
In ethnic wear, it’s always a sari for her, but lately, she has also developed a fancy for the IndoWestern fusion wear and loving the outfits equally. “I am not really a big fan of make-up, and love to keep my looks simple with brown smoky eyes and muted lips,” tells Arpita, who loves to cook and try out different cuisines.
Instagram: @arpitag48