Artist: Sammya Brata

Medium: Photography

Price: 0.2 ETH

Edition: 1/1

This photograph is one of those treasured possessions that I took back from Mumbai during my maiden visit to the City of Dreams. Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai has always been a street photographer’s favorite hunting ground not just because of the colors, textures, action and stories but because of the wonderful light that penetrates through the perforated rooftops at various corners of the hub. And the best part is, this light is pretty much there in the later half of the day for almost the entire year – however, as a street photography enthusiast, it is perhaps not enough of a fodder to capture any natural phenomenon without a story telling component in it. Thus began my wait for the right moment pretty much inside the furnace of Dhobi Ghat with the heat getting the better of us with every passing second. I think we waited there for almost 2.5 hours before we started spotting clutter-free frames; but there was still something missing. I had surveyed the entire area meticulously over this period to gauge possibilities of an interesting action-packed moment that might create a memorable frame, but it seemed like non-existent. However, at around 3:55 PM, I witnessed 2 little kids who were studying at the farthest corner of the pavement got an unexpected break and their exuberance drove them into this little path that was bathed in sun-rays. I reckon the raw action and momentum captured in this frame coupled with the smile on one of the kid's face pretty much created a frame to be treasured for the rest of my life. It does depict the fact that even the vulnerabilities of life are often bypassed by the purity of the heart and zeal to speed past those difficult moments of life.

Image specifications- 3987 × 5852

Shot in year - 2018

Device- Nikon D750

About the collection: Chasing light or "finding light" has been quite a fascination for me right from the childhood days. Not just because of the sheer visual delight that it brings on to the table, but the way it adds a strong element of story-telling to your otherwise mundane photographs. I have been shooting "God-light" both early in the morning during winters as well as late afternoon but one thing is in common- these "dramatic" images often end up inducing the feeling of "enlightenment" and contentment in the entire process.

This is the first series called "Enlightenment" and has 15 images shot across India primarily during the winter season when the impact of sun-rays is the maximum. You can connect with me on Instagram @Deckle_Edge for better understanding.

About the artist- Sammya Brata is an award winning street and documentary photographer, who has won the Canon Photo Marathon India in 2019 and has been an established educator, mentor and a TEDx speaker.