Aug. 2020 Vol 01 | Issue 01
Candid
A New Normal by Santosh Padme
Mumbai based Street Photographer & PPT Alumni
Work from home, Zoom meetings, learning new recipes over the weekends, handling work pressure in front of family, showing composure and patience with the children around and frequent coffee breaks from work, have now become the new normal. Every passing day overwhelms us with growing insecurities, internal struggle to adapt to new health guidelines issued by the authorities, intimidating news stories about the new containment zones popping around the city. This surely has been driving people crazy. A wise soul had once said, “In the midst of uncertainty, Doubt stealthy in. And in the face of Doubt, One must hold steadfast to Hope.” We should not lose hope.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world to temporarily shut down, it has given an opportunity for us photographers to observe, experience and share some incredible moments of happiness, togetherness and sometimes even loneliness.
Many of us, including children, are going through difficult times because of being confined into the four walls of their homes, with restricted freedom to venture out. I just hope and wish that every child in the world, could feel safe, relax, and protected just like my sons feel and look at that moment.
Here’s what confinement looks like through my eyes:
Santosh Padme
Street/Documentary photographer from MumbaiHe is Procurement Manager by profession in L & T Mumbai, India. Santosh started his photography journey in the year 2011 and got interested to capture the unusual moments of the daily life, peoples, culture and festivals. He does not have any formal education in photography but has attended workshops conducted by master photographers and photo walks in this art to fine tune his skills and knowledge. He has spent more time outside on the field shooting people. The very nature of this genre, uncertainty, freedom of creativity suits to my personality. Street photography gives me freedom to break away from mental barriers.
Exhibition and Features:
“Chronicles of Nawas” photo series published on 121clicks.com in 2019; Kolkata International Film Festival Digital Display in 2019; Baby Stem Creation 2nd prize all over India competition in 2018; Documentary Photo series “With Pride. For Pride” published on huffingtonpost.com online News paper in 2017; Jahangir Art Gallery Exhibition in 2019 & winner of 2nd prize in “Peace in the City” competition; Part of the Book „Moments‟ Published by Photowalk Dubai in 2016.
Features:
Hardcore Street Collective; In-Street Collective; FOTOREPORTAGE, Italy; IndiaTravelgram, India; Urban Street Gallery; The Worldwide Street Photography Gallery; India Street Photo Collective