Birth anniversary of Raghubir Singh, here it is to the best of Raghubir Singh on his Birthday
When we talk of photography and photographers in India, one of the first names that come in our mind definitely include Raghubir Singh. Singh, an Indian photographer, born in the pre-independence times, became one of the most renowned for his landscapes and documentary-style photographs. Singh has worked with one of the most renowned magazines and organisations including National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, The New Yorker and Time and has published the most astounding work of art in the form of books that are his documentation of his visit to different cities of the country. He is phenomenally known as the man who introduced colour in photography when photography itself was absolutely a marginal art form. Singh was a self-taught photographer whose work was and is still being well received by the world.
Singhs work can be seen as an amalgamation of modernism and culture, beautifully portraying lives in vibrant colours and emotions. He has published 14 books on his native Rajasthan, Grand Trunk Road, Ganges, Calcutta, Benares, etc., all representing the unconventional stories of people and places of the respective city. His work is today, a part of a permanent collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art.
Below are a few handpicked photographs by Singh that are not just our favourite, but are images which hold our eyes, and make us wonder how he must have shot them.
Raghubir Singh. Pavement Mirror Shop, Howrah, West Bengal, 1991
This Image is worth a gaze. We looked at it for a while, just to understand what is happening in the image and we are sure, so will you.
Raghubir Singh. Ganapati Immersion, Chowpatty, Bombay, Maharashtra, 1989.
Monsoon Rains, Monghyr, Bihar (1967)
Raghubir Singh. Man Diving, Ganges Floods, Benares, Uttar Pradesh, 1985.
Raghubir Singh. Barber and Goddess Kali, Calcutta, West Bengal, 1987.
And the list won’t end, we know, you will not forgive us for outing only these five because all images of him are marvels, are beauty. We wonder if Raghubir Singh Ji will forgive us for showing just five here, but we are sure, these images are pretty enough for you to understand the magnitude and depth in his photographs. What we find the best and absolutely love in his photographs is his precision of clicking the motion and keeping things so organic yet, beautiful. What part is your favourite, let us know in comments.
