A Dead River by Sumon Yusuf

Saturday, 26th September 2009

A Dead River

by Sumon Yusuf

Once a mighty river, now merely a canal! On the bank of the river Turag, Dhaka was once built. The merchants would carry their goods in big boats or ships and sell them in the markets of Dhaka in Bangladesh. The riverbank was the heart of all the business. Now victim of all sorts of abuse, the river is dying slowly but surely.

Equipment: Nikon D70, 18-135mm zoom

Sumon Yusuf

Sumon Yusuf was born in 1980 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. His passion for photography began with a periodical published in Dhaka in 2001. A Minolta 300X Camera was his first tool to begin Photography. Sumon saw what he describes as “a childish and curious expression in people’s faces” which attracted him to advance in the world of photography. He completed a three month basic course on photography in “Centre for Asian Arts and Culture” in Dhaka in 2002. He also completed a Diploma on Photography from “South Asian Institute of Photography”, Pathshala, in 2005. After that he worked as a freelance photographer for the last three years. His major client is “Save The Children (Australia)” “James P.Grant School Of Public Health, Brac University” “Standard Chartered Bank” “Grameen Phone” “Bangla Cat” “Inter Speed” Bench Mark” etc. In 2006 he worked with some Bengali leading newspapers the Daily Porthom-Alo and the Daily Samakal. Recently making a photo essay on indigenous “Shaotal” community and indigenous “Murong” people in Bandarban hill-tracts district of Bangladesh.

Website

14 Comments

mike Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 1:56 am
You captured it well.
Anurag Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 7:53 am
This is a splendid shot, both artistically and journalistically.
Su Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 8:06 am
What a social commentary this shot is, congrats.
Jonathan Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Looks like shot from the bridge in Ashulia. Well done, Sumon!
Pauline Jones Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 8:32 am
This is a difficult one because those factories represent jobs and people who are not starving. Maybe the people weren’t starving before the factories were built but how could it be possible to reverse this?
Jonathan Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 8:45 am
@Pauline…difficult one, indeed. People were starving before those factories were built; they’re still starving. The added color is that some of them are now also suffering from the ill-effects of the poison that those smoke stacks spew out.
Syed Hamde Ali Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Sumon, a good shot and well done, as my friend Jonathan has already said. But Jonathan, you might have pointed out to Pauline that those are not really factories in the sense she means, but merely brick works, which are not labour-intensive.Not many jobs, but a whole lot of pollution.
wanda krack Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Well-executed in black and white!
Grete Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Incredible and impress your journalistic document. Excellent composition and B&W shot. The social content is touching!!! Congrats Sumon!
Adam Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Great shot. Very sad.
Renee Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
great b/w excellent shot!
Don Stilton Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
B&W is most appropriate for this shot. The lack of color dramatically enhances the photojournalistic story. Great job.
Marie Dunphy Harding Says:
September 27th, 2009 at 12:20 am
You’ve done justice to this very personal image, thank you.
shoobie Says:
September 30th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
incredible shot…i really feel the power of it. what a horrible race we are