Thursday, July 25, 2019

Artist of the day, July 25: Raghu Rai, an Indian photographer and photojournalist (#754)

Raghu Rai (Raghunath Rai Chowdhry) (1942) is an Indian photographer and photojournalist. He was a protégé of Henri Cartier-Bresson, who appointed Rai, then a young photojournalist, to Magnum Photos in 1977.

Rai became a photographer in 1965, and a year later joined the staff of The Statesman, a New Delhi publication. In 1976, he left the paper and became a freelance photographer. From 1982 until 1992, Rai was the director of photography for India Today. He has served on the jury for World Press Photo from 1990 to 1997. He is known for his books, Raghu Rai's India: Reflections in Colour and Reflections in Black and White.

Rai started learning photography in 1962 under his elder brother Sharampal Chowdhry, better known as S Paul who is an award-winning photographer, and in 1965 joined "The Statesman" newspaper as its chief photographer. Rai left "The Statesman" in 1976 to work as picture editor for "Sunday," a weekly news magazine published in Calcutta. Impressed by an exhibit of his work in Paris in 1971, Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated Rai to join Magnum Photos in 1977.

Rai left "Sunday" in 1980 and worked as Picture Editor/Visualizer/Photographer of "India Today" during its formative years. From 1982 to 1991, he worked on special issues and designs, contributing picture essays on social, political and cultural themes.

Rai has specialised in extensive coverage of India. He has produced more than 18 books, including Raghu Rai's Delhi, The Sikhs, Calcutta, Khajuraho, Taj Mahal, Tibet in Exile, India, and Mother Teresa. His photo essays have appeared in many magazines and newspapers.

For Greenpeace, he has completed an in-depth documentary project on the chemical disaster at Bhopal in 1984, which he covered as a journalist with India Today in 1984, and on its ongoing effects on the lives of gas victims. This work resulted in a book, Exposure: A Corporate Crime and three exhibitions that toured Europe, America, India and southeast Asia after 2004, the 20th anniversary of the disaster. Rai wanted the exhibition to support the many survivors through creating greater awareness, both about the tragedy, and about the victims – many who are still uncompensated – who continue to live in the contaminated environment around Bhopal.

In 2003, while on an assignment for Geo Magazine in Bombay City, he switched to using a digital Nikon D100 camera "and from that moment to today, I haven't been able to go back to using film." He has served three times on the jury of the World Press Photo and twice on the jury of UNESCO's International Photo Contest.

© 2019. All images are copyrighted © by Raghu Rai or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only.


Mr Raghu Rai

Bangladesh refugee camp, 1971

Mother Teresa, Kolkata, 1971

 Sunken suffering eyes, the refugees waited to return home, 1971

Dust storm Rajasthan, 1975

India, Lamas in Prayer - Laddakh, 1975

Woman pushing cart, Delhi, 1979

Delhi. Jama Masjid. Evening prayer. Mosque Jama Masjid, 1982

Kolkata. A cow and deities on the banks of the Hooghly River, 1987

 Migrating Seagulls in Jamuna River. Delhi, 1989

Through the doors of a wrestling school, Delhi, 1989

Calcutta, 1990

Drumers preparing for festival, Kolkata, 1990

 Jain Lord Swami Mahavir's statue being installed, Delhi, 1990

Portraits of a painter family, 1990

The Day Before,  Ayodhya, 1992

At a bus stop, Ahmedabad, 1994

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (the Toy train), 1995

His Holiness The Dalai Lama, 1995

Local commuters at Church Gate railway station. Mumbai, 1995

 Women carrying raw coconuts, Kanyakumari Beach, 1995

At Rajnish Ashram - Pune, 1996

Swamis of Swami Narayan, Sarangpur, 1996

Women out side a temple, Palitana, Gujarat, 1999

At a Punjab wedding, 2000

Cow eating wheat, Kandla Port, Gujarat, 2000

Cows in Baliawas village near Delhi, 2000

Morning activities, Hoogly river, Kolkata, 2000

Pramukh swami - in Sarangpur, 2000

Vidisha- diyas in Ganga, Varanasi, 2000

In Kumbh Mela, 2001

Migrating Labours, Kolkata, 2001

Skulls discarded after research at the Hamida Hospital, 2001

Portrait Of A Corporate Crime, 2002

Artist Studio, Kolkata, 2004

Hand building highway, Hydrabad, 2004

Tibetan Temple, Laddakh, 2004

Women worshiping Ganga- Men watching, Varanasi, 2004

A senior wrestler get massage from his colleagues, at a wrestlers' ground under howrah bridge, Kolkata, 2004

A ricksawman taking a nap in Jama Masjid Market, Delhi, 2005

In light and shade - Rajouri Garden, Delhi, 2005

Men watching in different directions- Manikarnika Ghat- Where Hindu burns their deads. Varanasi, 2005

Newly built: Akshardham Temple in Delhi, 2005

 Showing camel's teeth, Pushkar fair, Rajasthan, 2005

Celebrating arrival of spring, and festival of colours Holi at Ravindra Bharti Bhwan, Kolkata, 2006

The Dalai Lama fixes his heater

5 comments:

  1. wow!
    I am a big fan of this great photographer !!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Its wonderful how he focused on his country and showed his love towards his country. Great post.

    https://www.xpert.chat/?ref=arcv0

    ReplyDelete
  3. He is exceptional! His lens has captured all the details and moments covering the ugly and beauty side of our country! You have really picked some of his finest work.
    Check out this amazing 7 pictures with story behind each photograph https://magazine.xpert.tv/the-story-behind-raghu-rais-7-most-iconic-pictures-which-will-amaze-you/

    ReplyDelete
  4. The story of Raghu Rai is so inspiring and shows that how much talented he was. The all photographs took by him are so amazing even they are black & white. His photos have proper contrast and look so beautiful. The blog is also portrayed very well. Thank you for such a beautiful blog and keep sharing.
    If anyone would like to read about the top 7 books of Raghu Rai then visit this link - https://magazine.xpert.tv/top-7-books-of-raghu-rai-that-will-inspire-you-the-most/

    ReplyDelete