Arjun Kamath Instagram – I made this portrait of Shri Kishan Ghanshyam Chauhan, a 35-year old worker, a couple of weeks ago near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. It was nearly dusk and I was on my way back from Paithan to Aurangabad when I saw a cluster of men gathered around a factory in their respective bullock carts. At first, I thought of just letting it be since I was already headed for my destination. However, an eccentric gathering such as this got the better of my interest, so I decided to stop the car and explore.
As I was walking amidst the group, where men clad in all-whites were loading and unloading piles of sugarcane from their carts, I stumbled upon Kishan. The only one in a somewhat coloured attire, his gripping eyes gained my attention and I approached him to figure out the commotion. He told me that workers & farmers of the area make this trip to the factory about 4 to 5 months a year, where they stand in a queue waiting for their turn to deliver sugarcane. I was surprised to find that this task sometimes goes on all night, and was moved when Kishan mentioned that he has been doing this for 17 years.
After our brief conversation, the chap continued his work & I stepped back to take a picture of him. As Kishan toiled to provide food for his family of three, I could see the sky slowly turning dark & making way for the night. Delicate smoke floated from the factory just behind him, where the sugarcane he was unloading would likely end up in a couple of days.
What I treasure in this photograph is how the fading sunlight complements the mood of the picture, depicting the effort that these workers put on a daily basis. And the fact that I caught Kishan’s stern gaze in a genuine moment while he was engrossed in work, which helped me translate his story for what it is. Finally, this turned out to be one of those cinematic evenings where a portrait was made because I felt like I needed to stop. I listened to my heart and it led me to meet with this gentleman, who was kind to explain his work, and through it, give me a glimpse into his life as well as a story I will remember for years to come.
#CapturedOnCanon with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV & a 24-70mm F/2.8 #SPiCollective | Posted on 14/Jan/2021 21:14:25



