Family photographer since age six, 29-year-old Iman Ghoshal loved clicking anything and everything with her point-and-shoot reel camera. But it was only after completing college, while she was undergoing a deeply personal crisis that Iman fell back upon photography heart and soul to build on self-acceptance.
The journey of a portrait photographer that kicked off in 2011 with a Canon 1000D landed her into the world of wedding photography in 2014, where this Khardah girl is doing reasonably well. “Though we just lost a whole wedding season to coronavirus pandemic, things are looking up slowly now and we have been booked for the upcoming wedding seasons in December and 2021 February already,” smiles the spunky girl, who now wields a full-frame Nikon D750.
Though Iman’s family and friends are extremely happy with the success she is receiving now as a lensman, initially, her parents had niggling apprehensions about the scope of such a precarious profession. “A win in a photo fest organised by Jadavpur University and a NatGeo camp made them confident about my choice of career,” recalls Iman.
What sets this shutterbug’s work apart is her stress on the subject she is shooting. “I always converse with my models and try to understand them to bring out their persona best. I usually prefer shooting outdoors and go for spontaneous and candid shots,” she mentions.
Talking about the models, whose pictures she has submitted for this column, Iman says, “Panchali is a very good communicator and executor and her hair is her biggest asset. Sreya is very lively and has a piercing look in her eyes. All her pictures come out very vibrant. Tina’s complexion comes out very well in the camera. and Malancha is extremely confident and comfortable in her skin”.
Iman Ghoshal can be reached at 7687962055 or imanghoshal16@gmail. com Instagram handle: @imonghoshal
Tina Ghoshal | 34 height: 5 ft 3 inches
This professional folk and fusion artiste goes for jeans and t-shirts, kurtis, tunics and long and medium-length dresses for her daily wear. “I am most comfortable in cotton and my favourite colours are green, red and black,” tells Tina.
Traditional occasions call for saris, especially the handwoven geecha, tussar and matkas and Tina loves pairing them with handwoven designer blouses especially the boat neck ones. “I don’t like neckpieces particularly and usually settle for the chandelier earrings in copper or silver. Make-up is always nude or natural and I am addicted to lipsticks with a collection of over 100 in every shade conceivable. Right now, I am swooning over browns and maroons,” tells the crooner who loves to surf the net whenever she gets some spare time.
Instagram: @tina_Ghoshal_folk
Panchali Kar | 32 height: 5 ft 2 inches
A non-binary person for the past six years, theatre practitioner and gender activist Panchali wears anything and everything that’s comfortable but mostly ends up wearing either shorts and tops or one-piece dresses in any size. “I love experimenting with my looks and wear all kinds of prints. But basically I am a solid colour person with red, white and black being my favourite shades,” tells Panchali.
Traditional wear comprises saris from Panchali’s mother’s eclectic collection of silks, dhakai jamdanis and south cotton. “I love pairing them with experimental blouses including croptops, bikinis, t-shirts and shirts. For me eye-makeup is very important along with bright lipsticks in hues of red and maroon,” tells the activist, who loves to write and dance at leisure.
Instagram: @panchaliclicks
Malancha Mitra | 35, height: 5 ft 1 inch
A conceptual model by profession, Malancha vouches for comfortable and high-on-style clothing when it comes to daily wear. “Tops and culottes and knee-length dresses in solid colours and prints like floral and stripes are what I am drooling on currently,” tells the vivacious woman, whose favourite colours are beige and blue. Comfortable mostly in cotton and khadi, Malancha sticks to her knee-length dresses even for the more formal and traditional occasions and doesn‘t opt for ethnic wear.
“I love wearing interesting neckpieces like chokers. I am also finding the longer neckpieces very flattering to my neckline and I like them in metallic silver. I love carrying tote bags and make-up comprises a base, highlighter, kohl and red lips,” says Malancha, who’s currently obsessing on learning French perfectly.
Instagram: @malanchamitra
Sreya Bhattacharyya | 25, height: 5 ft 5 inches
A full-time actor, Sreya is mostly seen in her jeans and t-shirts or long and mid-length dresses. “I am not a very print person and I am comfortable in cotton the most. Blue and black are my eternal favourites,” tells Sreya. For traditional occasions and family gatherings, Sreya prefers handloom and handwoven saris in linen, cotton and khadi with three-quarter blouses.
“When it comes to accessories, I mainly wear nose pins and neckpieces, mostly chokers in silver or beads,” she says. Make-up for this pretty-young-thing comprises only heavily kohled eyes.
Instagram: @sreyabhattacharyya205