Learning to See 07: Eye Openers

Starring: Mumbai Local Train Network

A boy with a brand-new toy
or an old dog with a juicy bone to chew?

You decide. 

Imagine photographing the city of Mumbai long before it got that name officially in English. In those days, newspapers were yet to print photographs in colour, and printing in India was in the medieval age. Photographs were shot on film rolls, in black and white, and newspapers and magazines developed prints in darkrooms just in time for printing after big battles with time. That’s when Chirodeep Chaudhuri, aka Chiro, started shooting the streets of Mumbai. 

For more than three decades, he has been exploring the streets of Mumbai while working for newspapers and magazines and, for the last few decades, as a Freebird Freelancer. His photographic collaborations with the city’s best storytellers in the previous three decades gave us books that defined Bombay then and Mumbai now. Chiro’s own photobooks are stunning and a must-have for anyone who collects photobooks and photographs of Mumbai or India. After all this, he can even become a boy with a new toy when he discovers a new camera setting on his phone. 

A new toy called 65 x 24

Source: Hasselblad

Chiro’s phone has a super-wide camera with a 65 x 24 aspect ratio. It was inspired by the Hasselblad XPan and lent itself to a project he is currently working on. He showed it to me while we were recently loafing around the city's periphery and passed on the XPan bug. I found an app that allowed me to shoot XPan style, and I am suddenly shooting a lot more with my phone.

I shot a few photographs on my way to work over the last week and discovered they’re a great format for capturing one of my favourite topics, our railways.

Rush Hour - Kurla Platform 7/8

Sphinx Pose on Mulund Platform 1

Ghatkopar Platform 1

Wadala Junction Platform 4

Running to cross from platform 2 to 1 through a stationary train at Kanzur Marg.

No hurry on Platform 1, Bhadup.

One of Chirodeep Chaudhuri’s photobooks is called Commuters.
About the photobook in The New York Times.

From Chiro’s book.

While loafing around Navi Mumbai with Chiro

Back to a wide-eyed view of commuters and sights along the tracks.

A rain-ready cop on Harbour Line. Chembur.

The weather last week with the Westerlies reviving one last time before the Monsoon withdraws from our coast.

The gangmen keep the trains running. Vidya Vihar Station.

Nahur Station Platform 1

Gang women? Nahur Platform 1

And then there are sights along the tracks.

Nahur

Matunga Workshop

Wadala

And outside the station.

Pom Pom Idliwallah outside Vashi Station offering a quick breakfast of Idli Vada Sambhaar to early morning commuters.

The Labour Market/Naka/Chowk outside Mulund Station where daily wage workers find employment every morning.

And finally, before I go…

Chuck Gopal (who has the lovely Things of the Internet substack + he is also an advertising/digital guru) and Utsav (popular podcaster - Postcards from Nowhere with Utsav) have started The 6 Percent Club.

The best people to start a creator’s coaching platform for working professionals who want to develop an idea, interest, or passion into something concrete and lasting.

We three had a conversation a couple of months back that is now online. But why me? Documenting the city is my second life. It’s another tried-and-tested passion, advertising, that pays my bills. I guess I am a decent fit to discuss finding your Voice as a Creator. I did it in a very slow way but there are tricks that you can use to push it a little bit and find you way faster.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src=

I also found this video by one of my favourite artists, Alicia Souza, worth listening to.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

That’s all, folks!