A qualified IT engineer, Oindrila Bhol always had an artistic bent of mind. The photography bug bit her during a long trip to Mexico where she experimented with the camera for the first time. “I bought a Canon Rebel T5i and started clicking random pictures. It was then that I realised and decided to pursue photography seriously,” recalls the 32-year-old shutterbug.
After she returned to Kolkata, she learnt everything from scratch on her own and started taking up fashion assignments. “I want to grow as a fashion photographer and make a name for myself nationally. I keenly follow all the technical developments and try to learn from the artistic techniques that the Western world follows. I pay a lot of attention to light set-up besides expressions and the depth of my models’ eyes. You might not wear great costumes or have a good background or light intensity, but a great pair of eyes can always get you a good frame,” says Oindrila, who is quietly making all the right noises in the city’s fashion photography circuit for the past five years.
Among the pictures of the models that she submitted for this column, she finds Pooja to be inherently positive and extremely expressive. “Rakhi has the zeal to become a model and she is a very good listener and obedient when it comes to shoots and puts in a lot of effort. Sulagna too has a lot of perseverance and determination and has a pretty face to go with it. Dolon is very presentable and has an aura of a strong persona,” says the lenswoman, who is also a trained singer and an avid traveller.
Oindrila Bhol can be reached at 9073185969 or mail at oindrilabhol@gmail.com Instagram handle: @oindrilabhol
Pooja Dasgupta | 30, height: 5 ft 1 inch
An engineer by profession, Pooja is currently pursuing an MBA in rural management and loves to do modelling and blog about fashion during her spare time. A new mom, fashion to her means using each outfit in every possible way. “I believe in sustainable fashion and hence even during my pregnancy I didn’t invest in maternity wear and wore all my other clothes differently instead. I generally love clothes that are flowy and comfortable and can be worn in multiple styles. Cotton and linen are what I live in and my favourite colours range from pastels to dark grungy shades,” tells Pooja.
When it comes to traditional wear, saris are her staple and she loves pairing them with equally elegant blouses with frills, collars or wearable art. Accessories mean mostly big neckpieces or earrings in silver and makeup is just a heavily kohled pair of eyes with nude or red lips.
Instagram: @dialifestyle
Rakhi Shah | 39, height: 5 ft 2 inches
A math teacher, Rakhi loves dabbling in modelling and acting and loves the comfy look when it comes to fashion. “I like attires that are stylish and comfortable and I mostly wear T-shirts and track pants and love the athleisure look. I find cotton to be the most comfortable and all bright colours, especially fluorescent green, are my favourite,” says Rakhi.
Get-togethers and pujas mean occasions to wear the nine yards for her and she loves to flaunt a silk or handloom piece in solid colours or prints. “I love wearing designer blouses with three quarter or half sleeves and at times, deep back. I either wear a neckpiece or hoops and makeup means just a tinted moisturiser, kajal, mascara and gloss for me,” adds Rakhi.
Instagram: @rakhi8367
Sulagna Das Poddar 39, height: 5 ft 5 inches
A model and a finalist at Mrs India beauty pageant, Sulagna, who hails from Kharagpur loves ethnic wear including kurtis, long frocks and palazzos in light fabrics like cotton, khadi, georgette and chiffon. “Apart from black and white, I love bright colours like orange, yellow and red. Occasions call for saris, mostly designer ones with sequin work. I like wearing all kinds of blouses but usually prefer short-sleeve, backless ones. I like accessorising my looks with bangles and earrings,” says Sulagna. When it comes to make-up, she likes to highlight her eyes and cheekbones.
Instagram: @poddarsulagna
Dolon Dutta Chowdhury 40, height: 5 ft 5 inches
A banker by profession, Dolon enjoys her spare time experimenting with makeup and blogging about the same. “For daily wear, I stick to a mix of ethnic and fusion wear including kurtas, shirts, jeans, trousers and salwar kameez. I love cotton and linen and the colour palette consists of all bright colours varying from blue, red, yellow to purple. Traditional wear means saris for me in cotton or pure silk weaves with contrast three-quarter blouses. I always wear silver earrings and at times neckpieces and I prefer the smoky eyes and neutral or red lips look,” says Dolon.
Instagram: @poutpretty