under the Minar....

The Making of TTL Group Shot at Shaheed Minar
17 March 2012
Central Shaheed Minar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

TTL's (Through the Lens: Bangladesh group of Flickr) group shoot right before the Bangladesh in Frames (BIF) exhibit has become something of a yearly event for the last several years now... its an event that produces a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of expectation... last year's shoot at Martyred Intellectuals Monument was a big success and created expectations for this year.... its never an easy job to handle that many people for a single shot... there isn't anything called perfect that you can achieve from such a shoot... usually you end up being happy with something that is workable... and because of the involvement of so many people, luck plays a important part as well... meticulous preparation leaves less to luck and can make the shoot look more an outcome of planning... that was ultimately the aim, but there are always some things that just don't go according to plan.... and you have work around it... thats the reality... always...

anyway, the shoot's original idea came from Avik Bhai (Avikbangalee)... he devised the the idea of shooting in front of the Central Shaheed Minar... we were to illuminate the Minar with light in low light conditions and bring everyone's face out in the dark with another source of light... that source of light would probably be candles.... so, candles in the foreground in everyone's hands and flash on the Minar... some drama it is... but it had its inherent challenges...

I paid a visit to the Central Shaheed Minar couple of days ahead of the shoot to do some feasibility study.... the main problem there was getting a formal permission... I went there on a Thursday and the crowd there was appreciable... Saturday (shooting day) was likely to attract even more people... and the more people there, the harder it would be to get a cleared ground.... and without a formal approval, people are not likely hear us... there weren't any big shooting challenges though... the only challenge came from the big lights there on the sides.... the lights may cause flare on the lens if they somehow end up in the frame's corners...the lights were possible to be kept out through composition though.... if the group was positioned in the centre, right in front of the Minar, it would be much easier to avoid the lights... but if we wanted to be a bit creative and shoot from a corner, there were possibilities of getting the lights in the frame... because of the stairs in the front of the Minar, use of some sort of ladder was a must to get a bit higher vantage point.... on the shooting day, we decided to shoot from a corner, which also presented with a higher vantage point... and with the ladder on top of the position, it was even higher.... this corner position allowed us to use some creative composition, using some designs (Alpona) on the ground that were drawn during last 21st February, International Mother Language Day...

safe shot at 5:39PM

the other thing that played a very important part on the shooting day was weather.... it already rained before the shoot and threatened to wash it away while we were shooting.... in fact, we were just about lucky as heavens broke down the moment we packed things up!!... the weather dictated the duration of the shoot.... because of the time constraints set by weather, we went for the safe shots at the start... just available light... f9 for depth and shutter between 1/60 and 1/160sec.... pushed the ISO with consent from Avik Bhai, as the light was really low to start with.... he was going to be end user of the photo, as the huge banner to be produced in front of Drik Gallery for the exhibit was to be ultimate outcome of this shoot, and Avik Bhai was to be the editing guru for that... we shot at 1600 ISO.... and got at least something if it rained off completely...

 second shot at 5:56PM

as rain stayed off after the safe shot, we went for the second try.... we used a similar setup as that of last year's.... one big light illuminating the group and the Minar to be illuminated only by ambient light, which was by then pretty low.... one Elinchrom Ranger RX unit was the main light for this... f11 aperture, shutter varied between 1/60 and 1/20sec.... because of the use of flash, we could bring down ISO to 250...

 final shot at 6:26PM

with the second shot done, we could go for the ultimate idea... the one with candles... it was difficult still, as it was windy, but it wasn't raining as yet... although there was lightning around... it went dark enough to light the candles... this time we moved the Ranger unit to the back and illuminated the Minar with it in 'full power'.... yep, that it... all 1,100w/s of it!!... the group was illuminated by six speedlites (4 x YN-560 + 2 x SB-900)... now, why use speedlights when you have two candles in everyone's hands?.... well, this picture was to be printed really big... sharpness was critical... if we exposed for the candles, there was a possibility that candle lights on the faces would make the faces blurry.... it not physically possible for 60+ people to stay absolutely still for a period longer than 1/15sec... so, we decided to expose for the flash keeping just a bit of exposure from the candles... f10, ISO 100.... it was possible to bring out the faces more in post production, but the image wouldn't lose sharpness in that case...

final output.... edited by Avikbangalee

we used Elinchrom Skyport trigger for the shoot... one receiver was with the Ranger unit... and two with two speedlights... the other four speedlights were in optical trigger mode, taking orders from the other flashes.... Avik Bhai's name doesn't need mentioning as he was co-producer of the shoot... big thanks to Shudipto, Kamal, Tahmid, Hameem and others for helping with the shoot in many ways.... Nasif gets all the credit for the BTS video shooting... and how can I not thank everyone else for their patience and enthusiasm?.... it was the spirit of TTL that lived through.... it rained heavily right after the shoot... in fact, it was already raining when we were packing things up.... we needed some hands to keep the equipment safe....it was a great experience... and was lots of fun....



don't forget to enjoy the BTS video... lots more blog posts coming.... stay tuned....

Day Five: BIF-3...... end credits.....

29 March 2011
Drik Gallery, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

the wonderful times just came to an end..... we knew it was gonna come to a finish one day..... so, from the word go it was more of a countdown to the finish.... but another countdown just began today..... the countdown to BIF-4.....

BIF-3 has been a landmark.... a joy of achievement, classroom of ideas, center of learning, spark of creativity... all that combined gave us something to remember.... all the TTL-ers own this success..... but there are some who made this happen.... Shudipto's name had been mentioned too often; almost too many times..... because thats how he is..... he is a one-man Army..... a storm of driving force.... Faisal Bhai has always been the inspiration..... Andrew Biraj has played a wonderful catalyst, as he has always been.... Avik Bhai has proven his worth time and time again as one of the most creative brains in TTL..... then there are the wheels..... Kamal, Tahmid, Kamrul, Raian, and others who relentlessly put their effort.... Nurur Bhai, Mishuk, Juthy, and others played important parts in his unique areas...... and they were joined this time by some young dedicated TTL-ers who really proved their worth and showed the way to the future..... Galib, Raquib, Rizwan, Tokon, Nasif, Zaim, Sakib, Ronie, Xoaher, Partha, Sureed, Chandan, Dhrubo, Rahul, Dipa, Fahim, Munmun, and many many others..... I think I'm missing too many names..... plz do pardon me!!

the last day had a new event..... this was discussion on photos, especially the photo-stories that were hanging from the walls..... it was a great addition.... and the discussion resulting from the event opened eyes for all of us..... ideas were flying and it was for everyone to catch... it was an extended learning session..... Faisal Bhai conducted the session and Biraj Bhai led the way with his expertise here..... it was a very interactive session worth mentioning...... this sure would be one of the most important considerations for the upcoming BIF exhibits....

the programs ended with prize giving among the Nokia N8 photo competition winners (from photowalk called "Walk in the Past")..... Faisal Bhai and Biraj Bhai ended with thanks and future expectations..... Biraj Bhai has embraced TTL like no other..... an honour and achievement that is for every TTL-er to share..... Biraj Bhai's vision from his position has to be considered unique..... views like these from professional quarters don't just happen......

right when the galleries were being emptied, I had tried to implement some ideas with some photographers..... though my thought of taking portraits of all photographers with their photos in hand didn't materialise, I still thought there was time enough to take at least some portraits...... this is a unique moment.... so, making the best of this would be the best idea....

Vashkar Bhai is one unique piece.... his experience in life has made him prepared to talk about virtually any subject.... a close friend of Avik Bhai, he is a creative guy and a good debater..... I always wanted to take some portraits of him..... this time some technical problems (radio trigger battery expired!!) cut short a potentially satisfying session.... his purple shirt game me some reason to try several times despite the technical problems.....

From BIF-3, March 2011

D700 + 20mm f2.8 + Elinchrom Skyport
Strobist info: one SB-900 with DIY grid-spot (held by Zaim) on camera left

Marland Miller has embraced TTL in a very very unique way..... his American origin was never a barrier to become part of a mostly young and occasionally crazy photographers group..... he has already joined us in one of the Safaris and has proven his fitness at his relatively advanced age..... his spirit has to remain as a great inspiration for every one of us..... he came to the exhibit every day despite severely damaging his left foot.... he was depending on scratch, yet his smile never melted away from his face..... I just had to take his picture.....

From BIF-3, March 2011

D700 + 20mm f2.8 + Yongnuo RF602 radio trigger (borrowed from Nasif)
Strobist info: one SB-900 on camera right (held by Shuvro) shooting into a white collapsible reflector (held by Mithun)

Nasif had featured in front of my camera several times on my request..... but this time it was Nasif's own request to take a portrait of him with his photo..... so, we went to the first floor of the exhibit where the gallery was almost empty.... it provided us with a unique opportunity to shoot in an empty gallery.....

From BIF-3, March 2011

D700 + 20mm f2.8 + Yongnuo RF602 radio trigger (borrowed from Nasif)
Strobist info: one SB-900 on camera left (held by Rahul) shooting into a white collapsible reflector (held by my wife Lisa)


Safina jumped after seeing Nasif in front of the lens.... she was really pushing for a short session for herself as well.... I couldn't refuse..... it was a portrait similar to Nasif's with the empty gallery, though in a different posture.....

From BIF-3, March 2011

D700 + 20mm f2.8 + Yongnuo RF602 radio trigger (borrowed from Nasif)
Strobist info: one SB-900 on camera left shooting into a white collapsible reflector (all held acrobatically by Nasif)

and that was that..... we did extend the timing of Drik Gallery by some margin.... we did a great group photo session...... but it had to come to a close....... we emptied the galleries and were thinking how we passed the last five days.... it would miss these moments for some time to come..... and thats the time we start planning for our next journeys....

go TTL!!.....

Day Four: BIF-3...... counting hours.....

28 March, 2011
Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

its been truly a wonderful week.... we now come down to the point that some of us are all familiar with..... its coming to an end..... its really tough to let go.... difficult to believe that there won't be another adda at Drik on Wednesday.... I pass Drik regularly..... I would miss that glorious banner in front of Drik sporting the faces of 71 enthusiastic TTL-ers..... it was a heart-filling experience seeing this event in action..... a gallery full of photo enthusiasts and visitors....

I was privileged to receive Nigel, who came in Bangladesh flying in from the UK to see the Gorai Bridge at Kushtia, which his father built many years ago as an engineer..... he came here with his brother and a friend, who also showed his passion for photography..... spending the evening with them explaining the splendid contents of this exhibit was a great experience.... their nice company made the evening a worthwhile one for me.... it was an honour representing Bangladesh in front of the guests.....

it was already evening when I arrived at Drik.... and when Nigel and company left the scene, it was almost closing time..... but I can hardly write a blog without a photo..... my plan on the eve of the opening day was to take portraits of the photographers with their photos on their lap..... well, for some unknown reason, the project didn't really happen.... I thought it was time to do that at least for once.... I picked up Ronie Amin.... apparently an unusual choice for a subject.... there are people like Avik Bhai, Tinku Bhai or Sadia, who would always attract photographers.... but there are some others who always slip through that net of attraction.... they almost remain invisible in front of other photographers..... I decided to pick him..... he was more than happy to bring his photo from the ground floor to do this.... his enthusiasm made my day..... we got a photo....

From BIF-3, March 2011

D700 + 20mm 2.8 + Elinchrom Skyport
f7.1, 1/60sec, ISO 100
Strobist info: SB-900 triggered by Elinchrom Skyport, on camera right, above subject, (held by Zaim) shooting into a white collapsible reflector (held by Kamrul)


Zaim released his fantastic promo on BIF-3 on Youtube today.... lovely work by a very dedicated TTL-er.... great creativity.... enough to heat up the spirit!!



the last day would make everyone sad.... :(

Day Three: BIF-3..... creative sparks flying!!

27 March 2011 Drik Gallery, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

day three at Drik was not as crowdy as the previous two days.... it was expected; its not a weekend.... but there was a huge gathering of photographers, as usual.... more so because of the special event named Story in Frames..... this is one of the prime attractions of BIF for the last three years.... audio-visual presentations from various photographers were displayed in front of a full house.... we also had photo stories displayed in the exhibit on the walls.... that was a first-timer as well.... the main difference of "Story in Frames" event with photo stories on the walls is that Stiry in Frames is an audio-visual presentation, which may contain audio, animation, words; in other words, its almost a moving story without being a motion picture video.....


Photo credit: Saud Al Faisal

the event started off with a grand display of a promo video for BIF-3 done by Zaim, which warmed everyone up!!....... a total of nine stories were displayed during the exhibit..... Atikullah Sayeed displayed a tough work done on sex-workers.... M A Naser displayed a very unique work based on a poem by Jivanananda Das.... Xoaher displayed a conceptual work displaying his inner feelings.... there was a work on Rush Mela at Dublar Char done by Shabbir Ferdous.... Faisal Bhai displayed two works of his; one on stone workers of Bholaganj stone quarry and the other on "waiting" done at Kamalapur Railway Station..... Mishuk displayed his work on "underground" culture, which was also on display at the exhibit..... Avik Bhai displayed a touching work on his experience with cancer patients in Malaysia....... and I displayed a work on the people who call Cox's Bazaar beach their home....

there were short debates on the stories on display..... unfortunately the time was too short to spend substantial amount of time on each of the stories..... perhaps from next time onwards we can make this event grander..... nevertheless, it was an event where creative sparks were flying and it surely stands as one of the top events of BIF.....

two more days to go..... but I'm already feeling the pain on having to let go....

Day Two: BIF-3..... in full motion!!

26 March 2011
Drik Gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh

BIF-3 is rocking, not just Drik, but outside as well.... another great day..... the day started with an FM radio campaign on Radio Foorti.... Faisal Bhai and me went on air at 10:00AM to give an overview of TTL and BIF-3..... it was a pretty good exposure for the exhibit.... thanks goes to Radio Foorti for giving us the coverage.....





it was the Independence Day..... and as expected, the day was pulling a big crowd.... there was hardly a moment during the day when the galleries were not full of people.... Anwar Hossain was there with us for the second day in a row.... our selector Andrew Biraj also spent the day with us.... and the best part of the day was the cake!!.... it was TTL's birthday!!..... a big cake, symbolizing the national flag was introduced.... and almost immediately, it became the most photographer cake ever!!..... the cake-cutting ceremony set the tone for the day..... it was a day of fun.....

the outside weather changed during the evening and we had to remove all the images from the open-air gallery on the ground floor..... but our spirit remained high until the exhibit was closed right after 8:00PM..... the authorities literally had to throw us out..... but before that, we were able to exercise a bit of madness with lights and shadows......


model: Xoaher
D700 + 70-210mm @92mm; 1/400sec, f9, ISO 100
Strobist info: 2 x SB-900 + 1 x SB-600 firing from camera left; TTL, high-speed sync; placed on ground; shielded by human shield formed by several TTL-ers so that the light doesn't spill on to the back wall, which was lit by many lights... well, it still did!! :O
Editing: tilted the image around 90 degrees!! :O

Day One....... BIF-3, the landmark exhibit!!

25 March 2011
Drik Gallery, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

It was the grandest of openings to the Bangladesh in Frames II…. BIF3 is already a landmark and the opening was a landmark within that…. What can I say other than it was a landmark within a landmark??..... it really was an awesome feeling being part of such a grand venture….. we’re mostly amateurs and yet the exhibit image doesn’t make one feel so…. BIF3 is fast turning into a photo festival…. And with time, it sure will….. it’s a lot more than seeing one’s own pictures hanging on the wall of a big gallery…. The birthday cake in coming on the 2^nd day, TTL’s birthday (26^th March), which is also the Independence Day of Bangladesh!..... a great day a awaits us…..

The first day of BIF3 at Drik Gallery saw a great many people showing up…… the number of participants this time (102) tells the story, actually…. It simply had to get the publicity it deserved….. it was also a weekend, so, a big turnover was expected…..

For us, the day started from the morning, seeing the last-minute preparations…… can’t give enough thanks to Shudipto and his team for working feverishly day and night to make this happen….. Avik Bhai worked wonders with the banners, which made visitors stand and admire…… the group shot in front of Drik looked like an achievement….. our chief guest, renowned photographer Anwar Hossain took a pause in front of the group shot to take a snap!!..... that was enough of an admiration for the work!!

Faisal Bhai and me are going to Radio Foorti on 26^th to talk about the exhibit, some time after 10:00AM…. That’s part of the publicity you need for a grand event like this….. Radio Foorti had been a very supportive media partner for us……

The first day ended with some pictures as well….. I was looking for that opportunity to snap a few shots of my photographer buddies….. Kamrul was my first choice…. Big thanks to him for being a very cooperative subject….. Kamrul Hasan is one of the most talented young photographer that I know…. A master in the art of B&W, though of late he has proven his expertise in coloured photos as well….. a great photographer of people in his own right, Kamrul is an icon to a lot of young photographers of Bangladesh…. a very pleasant character; unassuming; a delightful company.... a good friend!

D700+20mm+Elinchrom Skyport

Strobist info: one SB-900 on camera right, above subject, shooting through a white shoot-through umbrella, held by VAL (Zaim), triggered by Elinchrom Skyport radio trigger

Then it was Tinku Bhai again…… a painful subject to shoot!!.... arghhhhh!!.... very demanding…. I now know how perfectionist directors are….. but what a subject he is!!.... so creative; always full of ideas; and what a luck for the photographer to just to make sure that the photo isn’t screwed up…. It’s a guarantee that it will be a killer idea….. it took me some time to figure out what Tinku Bhai wanted…. But once it clicked, it was like cakewalk….. only a handful of shots to make it perfect….. I fetched a scarf, which ultimately made the shot taken from “Good Bad Ugly”….. man!! was I happy?? :D

D700+85mm+Elinchrom Skyport

Strobist info: one SB-900 on camera right, above subject, shooting through a white shoot-through umbrella, held by VAL (Nasif), triggered by Elinchrom Skyport radio trigger

exhibit pics are here in this album....

A lot more to come….. stay tuned….

midnight madness!!

18-19 March 2011
Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

we did this for the third time in three years now..... we call it the TTL Posterwalk..... its more like experiencing it, rather than just overseeing postering...... BIF-III is (March 25-29) very near now..... so, publicity is now a top priority..... this year, the Posterwalk had been the biggest in three years, with more and more dedicated members willing to experience the extreme.... you gotta call this extreme.... going out, camera in hand, with a bunch of crazy folks, right in the middle of the night isn't something called normal behaviour..... and that too, to watch posters being pasted!!

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

well, whats in this world without a bit of madness??..... this event had been one of our unique calls ever since we devised the idea.... there's no way of hating this, once someone puts his/her name in there..... some say, photographers are crazy..... and its difficult to go against that statement after someone witnesses this craziness.....

experiencing Dhaka at the dead of night is something unique..... we are used to seeing the same places busy like hell.... all day long.... an empty place is gives a unique view and sort of an eerie feel.... but an experience that stays in memory for long.....

I was presented with the opportunity to do something that I had been trying to accomplish for some time..... that is to do some portraiture of some interesting people that I know.... and I got really lucky to a bit of that..... this goes along my new year's resolution on making 2011 a year of people photography....

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

this shot of Hameem was in available light; high ISO..... I just grabbed my camera finding him in the most unusual of poses.... he's one of the most important members of TTL, with great knowledge in photography, especially in his own area of slow-shutter...... thats now my area of expertise, which is why I went the easy way......

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

Avik Bhai (AKA) has always been one of most interesting subjects to shoot for any photographer...... not that I've not shot him before, but this is probably the first time I've done a portrait of him with at least some set menu...... one of the most creative guys I've known, he's a great friend and an important member of TTL......
D700 + 20mm f2.8 + Elinchrom Skyport
f2.8, 1/30sec. ISO 1600
Strobist info: one SB-900, camera right, shooting through a white umbrella, triggered by Elinchrom Skyport; held up by Kamal (Shadow of Dark)

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

then it was time for a smallish group shot with Vashkar Bhai, Avik Bhai and Kamal.....
same setup..... assisted by Rezwan (I believe)

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

then I switched my eyes to Tinku Bhai.... what a great subject he is..... his physical stature alone makes him a unique subject..... a very creative guy and it can be seen while trying to shoot him... he comes up with his own ideas and the photographer has to to just click..... well, clicking wasn't so easy though, as finding the focus in that tricky light was no small problem.... even a torch wasn't enough when there were car headlights as backlight.....
the setup was the same as above..... then I switched lenses and tried to get at least a different perspective....

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

From TTL Posterwalk, March 2011

we had our group photo session some time around 1:00AM...... its a pity that with some things to catch up in the morning, I had to avoid the night-long event..... I knew I was gonna miss some rare moments along that time..... but I didn't have that luxury for some reason..... just a participation in an event like this is a privilege.... such a walk in the street doesn't happen that often..... lucky to be a part of such a crazy bunch!! :)