Kolkata, India, still popularly called Calcutta, even by the locals, is little changed since British rule.
This city of 15 million is a place of sensory overload. The sights, sounds, smells, and tastes can be confounding at times. The vibrancy of color in Kolkata can actually be distracting. The subtlety of light and texture can be lost. Black and white photography can add a sense of timelessness and mystery. It can provide starker contrasts, a purer image.
With that in mind, here are a few images of Kolkata life in black and white
These men are struggling to load an effigy of the Goddess Durga on to a truck in preparation for the Durga Puja, one of the largest Hindu festivals in Northeastern India.
Sitting in front of a store, or more accurately, sitting in a store front, these guys are busily chatting with others passing by. The man on the left is amused at me photographing them.
Small fishing boats are moored at quay along the River Hooghly in the heart of Kolkata.
Peering down one of the labyrinths of back alleyways where millions of Kolkata’s residents live.
An open air street side butcher shop just down the street from the local Hindu Temple. A bit of a surprise because Hindus are predominately vegetarians.
Refresh yourself, or so the Coke sign behind the men suggest.
A man is starting to prepare his dinner on a small derelict cargo boat tied to the quay along the River Hooghly.
