Md.Enamul Kabir – This Bangladeshi Photographer Takes You Deep Into Street Photography

Md. Enamul Kabir from Bangladesh, speaks deeply about nuances of shooting street photography, his approach, those factors which influence his vision and a lot more in this interview. He opens up about what makes street photography so special for him just like many of us. Speaking about his photographs, there is a clear juxtaposition in each photograph either to bring out the oddity or the resemblance between the subjects. Read on and stay inspired.

Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello 121Clicks readers. I am Md. Enamul Kabir from Bangladesh. I grew up in a small town called Kotchandpur. It’s a small but beautiful town. Now I live and work in the capital city, Dhaka.

Why Street Photography?

I think it is the uncertainty and the suspense derived from it that intrigues me most about street photography. You can’t tell what is going to happen the next second. You can’t control any of the elements that will be in the photograph.

Street photography is not like other forms of photography where a photo can be staged and lit perfectly. I do not even have any pre-conceived idea of what the photo should look like. It is not making a pictorial photo and there lies the challenge. Most days I come home empty handed from a street walk. Not even a single decent photo in the SD card to show for the effort. I have grown to like the feeling. Street photography helps me learn how to be patient, positive and keep on smiling, not only when it comes to photography, but also in real life. It helps me grow as a person.

Most of your photographs are clear Juxtapositions with perfect arrangement of subjects, how do you achieve them?

I prefer my photos to be concise and cohesive. I try to achieve the best result possible with fewer subjects. You can call it a minimal approach, although my photos usually aren’t minimalist in the traditional sense. It is a practice of aligning and arranging the subjects and elements, instinctively, to arrive at a visual harmony.

Each day, I try to see many photos by masters and peers – absorb them into my being. Call it the process of getting inspired if you may, but it surely helps me to get the best results.

What do you think would be the future of street photography?

The future of street photography? That is a heavy question.

In my country, SP is not much popular, yet. Things are changing, though. More and more people are getting interest in SP and it is slowly being accepted as an art form.

Worldwide, SP community is expanding hard and fast. Every day we are seeing lot of good street photos from around the world. Quite a few online platforms have opened up where veterans and newbie freely communicate and discuss street photography. People are learning by exchanging our thoughts, critiquing each other’s photos.

The term street photography’ is quite ambiguous, I think. It may mean different things to different people. Broadly speaking, I am sure many great photographers will continue to come out with fresh ideas, reinventing street photography along the way.

Your gear?

I use a crop sensor Canon 550D with the stock 18-55mm lens.

How do you want to stay unique from the pack of contemporary street photographers?

Honestly speaking, I do not have any plans. Uniqueness often referred to as style, which is something that comes naturally and cannot be forced. In photography, it is a personal statement. It is how one sees the world.

I always enjoy my photography. When I go out, I shoot what I like, from decisive moments to a portrait of a dog. I don’t allow the editor in my head to take the lead and let the photographer in me instinctively ‘feel’ the frame to freeze. It has been almost three years since I started shooting and I still feel like a child who doesn’t know much about the world and find it an exciting place. I feel the urge to keep on learning and grow as a photographer. Good friends like Jeff, Rammy and many more around the world help me to learn photography by exchanging each one idea and thoughts.

One advice Enamul would give to an aspiring street photographer?

Think fresh, shoot fresh.

Do not shoot what and how everyone else shoots. When you have to, shoot the same subjects in such a way that has never seen/done before.

Your Inspiration?

Imtiaz Alam Beg, the master of music photography in Bangladesh, is my first and foremost inspiration, if I did not meet this wonderful person, I’d never have found the pleasure and lifestyle that is photography.

Sakib Pratyay, a Canada based Bangladeshi street photographer, assisted me in finding my own path during my formative years. We are still good friends.

The other two members of the Insight Collective that I am part of, Muhammad Imam Hasan and Faisal Bin Rahman Shuvo, are good friends and fantastic photographers. It is always fun to go on a street walk with them or to have conversation about photography over tea.

Then, there are the masters photographers from around the world: Trent Parke, Elliott Erwitt, William Klein, Bruce Gilden, Masahisa Fukase – just to name a few. It is an ‘experience’ to view their works.

Thanks again for this opportunity with 121clicks.com, any final thoughts?

Thanks 121clicks for inviting me here.

Being a good human being is much important than being a good photographer.

You can find Md.Enamul Kabir on the Web :

• Website
• Facebook
• Insight Collective
• Flickr

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Md.Enamul Kabir. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.