3rd place
bronze star award
Farida Alam
bangladesh
title
THE STORY OF AN ENTANGLED AFFAIR
Bede people has a long history in our country. For decades, they used to travel through the rivers and canals of Bangladesh. Nowadays, due to the decrease of riverways, they are losing their traveling life. Although some Bedes still live in boats due to old habit; but they don’t travel anymore. Most of them live in camps on encroached land or rented houses. They are famous for their entertaining activities and charming characters. Charming people with snakes is the prime source of their earning.
We all get scared with the name of the snake. But when I got to know Bede people, I realized there is a different melody between the Bede people and their snakes. They respect the snakes and treat them as their family members! They understand each other’s need so heartedly that life became fearless for the Bede people.
Bede people claim that they have magical power, which they believe they use to make the snakes obedient. In my series, I have used the black background to showcase their belief. Also, as their belief and lifestyle are very much inspired by this magical power I did not try to separate the human figure from the background so that the viewer can also feel the strength of their magic.
Snakes are mostly a colorful reptile. Bede people also love to wear a colorful dress. It seems the harmony in their lives also gets reflected through their choice of lifestyle. The intimacy is so pure between the Bede people and their snake it is almost impossible to describe. I just tried to frame this intimacy through my lens.
I believe in immersion photography and spend months listening, observing and talking with my subjects over the course of a project. Photography has become a part of my identity - a force that makes me think, feel and understand human being and the human condition.
Currently, I am working with different social groups that are deprived of basic human needs. However, at the same time, I am exploring their traditional lifestyle and learning from it.
I have completed basic and foundation courses from “Pathshala South Asian Media Institute “. Later on, I also participated in a documentary photography course of Counter Photo, another renowned photography institute of Bangladesh. Currently, I am pursuing Diploma in photography from Alliance Francaise de Dhaka. I am a lifetime member of “Bangladesh Photographic Society (BPS)” and also a member of PSA (Photographic Society of America.
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entry description
Snake Charmer!!! Still, I get goosebumps with these words. When I was a child, I used to see them very often but nowadays, they are very hard to find.Bede people has a long history in our country. For decades, they used to travel through the rivers and canals of Bangladesh. Nowadays, due to the decrease of riverways, they are losing their traveling life. Although some Bedes still live in boats due to old habit; but they don’t travel anymore. Most of them live in camps on encroached land or rented houses. They are famous for their entertaining activities and charming characters. Charming people with snakes is the prime source of their earning.
We all get scared with the name of the snake. But when I got to know Bede people, I realized there is a different melody between the Bede people and their snakes. They respect the snakes and treat them as their family members! They understand each other’s need so heartedly that life became fearless for the Bede people.
Bede people claim that they have magical power, which they believe they use to make the snakes obedient. In my series, I have used the black background to showcase their belief. Also, as their belief and lifestyle are very much inspired by this magical power I did not try to separate the human figure from the background so that the viewer can also feel the strength of their magic.
Snakes are mostly a colorful reptile. Bede people also love to wear a colorful dress. It seems the harmony in their lives also gets reflected through their choice of lifestyle. The intimacy is so pure between the Bede people and their snake it is almost impossible to describe. I just tried to frame this intimacy through my lens.
about the photographer
My inspiration for photography comes from the people and my surroundings. I love to experience other cultures, meet different people from diverse communities.I believe in immersion photography and spend months listening, observing and talking with my subjects over the course of a project. Photography has become a part of my identity - a force that makes me think, feel and understand human being and the human condition.
Currently, I am working with different social groups that are deprived of basic human needs. However, at the same time, I am exploring their traditional lifestyle and learning from it.
I have completed basic and foundation courses from “Pathshala South Asian Media Institute “. Later on, I also participated in a documentary photography course of Counter Photo, another renowned photography institute of Bangladesh. Currently, I am pursuing Diploma in photography from Alliance Francaise de Dhaka. I am a lifetime member of “Bangladesh Photographic Society (BPS)” and also a member of PSA (Photographic Society of America.
back to gallery