Debrani Das On How Street Photography Made Her Fearless
All images by Debrani Das. Used with permission.
“When I am in the crowd with my camera I feel the entire world is protecting me…”, says the street photographer Debrani Das. She adds, “I am communicating with the unknown faces in a muted way”. Her words will no doubt resonate with many people within the street photography community - she has plenty more to share.
There were several motivations to speak with Das. She has a wonderful talent for capturing the essence of humanity. And I especially love how she leans into the range of color that brightens up India, her home nation and one of the best places for street photography.
Underneath the eye-catching vibrancy within her frames, is a soul. Every shot has its own heartbeat, its own identity. I feel alive when I view her works, and for me, that’s what street photography is all about.
Das also created a successful series within two weeks. So successful in fact it was exhibited in New York City through Women Street Photographers. We’ll cover all that and more in this candid interview about the candid frame. Enjoy.
Meet Debrani Das
Debrani Das.
Debrani Das is a street photographer from in Kolkata, India and her talents have led her to becoming an official Fujifilm X ambassador. Das is also a member of the Unexposed Collective, and she’s received recognition from the likes of Baku Street Photo Festival, StreetFoto San Francisco and several more.
Them Frames: Hello Debrani! Talk to us about your relationship with street photography at this current moment, how’s it all going?
Debrani Das: After practicing street photography for almost eight years I would like to say it’s like falling in love and having a relationship. I trust the process and now I don’t rush for moments these days.
I allow them to unfold in-front of me. Just like a relationship. Street photography has given me the chance to direct my own story and present it visually to the audience which is candid in nature by snatching magical moments from fleeting seconds which are beyond control.
Them Frames: You're from India, the most populated country in the world. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of doing street photography in such a fast, crowded environment?
Debrani Das: India is not only a country with the highest population in the world but a perfect example of unity in diversity. This is a land with rich culture and heritage, a melting pot of many religions.
Surrounded by seas on three sides (east, west and south) and the great Himalaya range in the north, India celebrates diversified culture through its people. The vibrant colors of the lanes create an amazing mood. Every nook and corner is busting with life and laughter. Every season has its own flavor to offer.
When I travel through different states I witness different cultures are connected with a fine thread called humanity throughout the diversified landscape. People here know how to celebrate life irrespective of their financial status. They prefer bold colors to make their mundane lives bright , and choose wide smiles to make others happy too.
With the variety of culture and religion India is waiting to be heard and seen in innumerable ways and I am trying to contribute a small portion from my side in this process through photography. For me India is heaven for street photographers and I am blessed to live here.
Them Frames: Please can you share a shot that you think best speaks to your photographic identity? Tell us why you like it and why you chose it…
Debrani Das: This photo I took in the early stage of my street photography journey. Though I do not like to have any title for my street shots, I call this photograph “Bird Man ”.
This photo is a classic example of a decisive moment and when I captured it, I don’t think I was familiar with this term that was coined by Henri Cartier Bresson. Well I had completely forgotten about this shot after I took it. Almost a year later I was going through the archive and found it. In many ways this photo is very special to me. This is how I describe this photo…
This man is vested with a mission at the Ganges, Kolkata. He feeds disappearing pigeons with food and water. The pigeons are getting endangered because of pollution and scarcity of greenery. This problem is getting crucial on a global scale and this message should be echoed via this man from the soil of Kolkata. My shot capturing a winged bird man to metaphorically dispel a global message to all the netizens -"Save Us all to keep Earth Sustainable!
This photo got me many accolades worldwide and it has been part of prestigious books like Reclaim the Street and Women Street Photographers . This photo also won many awards and all these small recognitions helped me to become more confident about my work.
Them Frames: Let’s talk about your project Staten Island Ferry. You developed it in two weeks, which is a relatively short amount of time. What was the inspiration for the project and what were some of the difficulties of creating in such a quick turn around?
Debrani Das: Staten Island Ferry , the project I ended up exhibiting as a part of the annual exhibition of Women Street Photographers festival in collaboration with Leica Women Foto Project, helped me to experience the most compelling aspects of New York, that is the city's cultural diversity.
After spending the first few days in NYC and shooting the lanes I came across Staten Ferry. Apart from many other challenges, two important challenges that I faced while working on the ferry project were working within limited space and time.
But this project has given me enough opportunity to explore every possibility. The limited space gave me the chance to get close to people and remain unnoticed. People have always been the motivational factor for me.
After spending four whole days on the ferry I produced a cohesive body of work which was exhibited as my first solo exhibition at EI Barrios Artspace .
On my last day of shooting on the ferry I saw a man in his formals wearing a hat standing on the deck alone with a briefcase. His eyes were on the far edge and I saw the Manhattan view in the background. I realized the peace NYC holds at the end of the day despite being the busiest city is unparalleled. I then bow down to the universe for giving me such an incredible experience I had in New York City.
Them Frames: You mention the series led to an artist residency with Women Street Photographers. How did it feel to have your work selected and what was it like seeing it all printed and hung up in the gallery?
Debrani Das: I was living my dream in New York City after waiting for four long years because of covid crisis and delayed visa process in the month of April,2024.
Producing a cohesive body of work from New York which is the most photographed city is itself a challenge and the responsibility as an Indian photographer was tremendous. This is a very rare opportunity to have in the street photography genre and I was possibly the first street photographer from India to have such opportunity .
I was confident but at the same time nervous. This was my first solo exhibition and that too in a different country .
But all my nervousness came to an end at the opening ceremony. I was blessed to have Gulnara Samoilova , founder and curator of Women Street Photographers as the curator of my solo exhibition and Nina Welch-kling as my mentor.
They provided me a safe homely space which was filled with love and care; Always grateful to them. Seeing the series in print hanging on the wall was exciting but at the same time I was concerned how the audience would connect and interpret. And what an engaging audience I had.
Each and every visitor interacted with me and discussed my work. They expressed their emotional attachments with the photographs and I was happily listening to them and admiring their involvements .
This solo exhibition has given me the power to think out of the box, to feel more confident while in a new city, to admire uncertainties, to overcome the fears of mind and to work with limited resources.
Them Frames: It reads in your bio, “Photography not only opens up new avenues to explore but it also helps her to reinstate herself” Please can you go into a little further detail on how photography helps you reinstate yourself?
Debrani Das: Photography has given wings to my inner-soul who is a very shy introvert. I started my street photography journey in my mid thirties and suddenly I discovered a new me within me, a fearless and confident woman in the crowd every time she held the camera.
I started admiring unknown people who have shown me the meaning of humanity in every possible way. It has given me the power to observe the world differently and create magic.
Now I understand the value of every single moment as street photography deals with fleeting moments. It taught me to value the present. Photography has given me the power to understand how to live life and how humanity prevails despite many unwanted situations.
Them Frames: Finally, please finish this sentence: I need photography in my life because…
Debrani Das: It fills up the emptiness and provides a safe space where I completely forget my surroundings and immerse myself in a deep sense of self realization..
You can enjoy more work from Debrani Das by visiting her website and Instagram.
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