If one had to choose to travel the streets of the world, and somehow see the entirety of life's spectrum at play, one may want to do so with the lens of Debojeet Das. (On Instagram as @being_banjara_)
Das is a traveller; a vagabond by spirit. At the snap of a finger, he may transport himself to an empty sand dune, a calm lake, or into the depths of an ocean.
He wants to see the world. And in return, he wants to capture it.
One can see the fierce independence and sense of responsibility in the personna of the young photographer on meeting him for photo projects. He thinks of the Indian subcontinent as a "street photographer's paradise."
But streets are not the only scenes for photographs on his mind. It is the people, moods, situations and stories surrounding them which arrest his attention.
This is easy to see from his growing collections which depict men and women of all ages, from all walks of life, at various times during the day.
What we appreciate most about Debojeet Das' photographs is his ongoing endeavor on making history, society and culture take centrestage, even while keeping his actual focus on groups and people.
Every picture of Debojeet Das is a riot of some kind: of color, of geometry, of light, or of sheer life, and activity.
In addition, it is as if the mind of Debojeet Das is a rich calendar tracking the most interesting social, historical, and cultural events in the world.
He knows about the times when one could spot particular species of birds migrating over a river. He knows about when tribal nomads might congregate at a desert. He knows when the light might filter through the net-like walls of a monument in precisely the most magical way. Most importantly, he knows how to give permanence to these supposedly small, fleeting and 'immaterial' moments, and bless them with meaning and purpose through thoughtful photo composition.
We look forward to watching the growing works of the young, cultural photographer Debojeet Das, and wonder what socially rich and diverse sights he might choose to make eternal with his cameras next.