While cutting a steel plate using oxy-acetylene torch in ship breaking yard Saiful Islam (47) lost one of his eyes when a tiny hot metal particle entered his eye. He was not provided with the mandatory protective eye gear used in this kind work. July 2008 Chittagong.
Statement: When I arrived the ship breaking yard, I didn’t understand from where should I start. After two days of taking photographs, I saw everything as usual…hard working labourers, bad living conditions, poor safety measures, unhealthy food etc like any other photo documentary on ship breaking yards done by the photographers. Then, I decided to take only the portraits. In this photo, I found almost everything what I want. The weathered face of the labourer, the untidy background with out-of-focused ship, messy sky…everything matched to what I like to show.
Bio:
After studying law and practicing it for two years, Adnan quit the profession to pursue photojournalism. He is currently based in Dhaka and is associated with DrikNEWS, an international news photo agency.
Website: www.wahidadnan.com
blade. . . 
I think Adnan is a very good young talented photographer. His ship breaking yard works make a fine line specially in portrait. I like very much this environmental portrait. I think it’s a good starting as a documentary photographer………………monirul
good portrait…
thanks
palash khan
photojournalist
http://www.palashkhan.com
I think that Monirul didn’t know how documentary photographer works. Adnan,s ship breaking photographs are more weaker than Saiful Huq Omi’s photo. So when you give a comments at first please clear about your skill that you know about Documentary Photography.
thanks a lot…..
I came to know about this site now a days. I went through both Wahid’s photos and Saiful’s photos. Saiful’s photos on ship breaking yard are visually interesting. But, there is a question in me about Saiful’s photos on it. Almost in every photos of ship breaking yard he took, I found no agony, no energy…found ultra high level photoshop correction….making the photos not photographic…but photoshophic….the workers in the photos seem that they are very happy because they have the chance to work in the ship breaking yard….all the photos are so dreamy….thus, I don’t agree with Mr. Hossain.
“Hossain” Thanks to visit Blade magazine. Please don’t mix-up with one photographer work to another photographer work. It’s depending on his/her working style or mode of representation.
I think you as a good critic would like to explain why Adnan photographs are weaker? I am curious to know the specific point.I think Adnan is clearly mention in his statement what he do.
May be I don’t know how the documentary photographer work or about the documentary photography (Your point of view) but we are learning. We are learning in time. I hope one day Bangladeshi photographers well known about the documentary photography and their work should be publishing world wide. But we don’t discourage our young talent. I hope in future to see your work in Blade magazine ………….monirul
@Mr. Hossain: As a young photographer Adnan is exploring the best of documentary. Photographers know its tough to work in the ship breaking yard. If you are a photographer yourself than you can understand how difficult it is to achieve the finest quality in this field. At first Adnan needs a compliment for his visuals. We can compare all the photographers who worked in the ship breaking yard but all remarks remain fake if the condition of the workers remain same. Those are the weakest images which only benefits us from the fate of the ship breaking workers…Adnan at least join the cause of change their lives…
With due respect to all, since I am a student of photojournalism and through my journey I am learning all the time, from my fellow mates, from the pioneers, from the masters..from the critics..and by myself. But my first lesson was, it is very much necessary to understand the photographer\’s view point while evaluating or exploring the photographer\’s work. As an art, visuals are important; but it is more important whether the visuals are supporting my words or not! Unless it is a total bullshit !
Another thing is, every person deserves some dignity. Different persons have different way of seeing, we should appreciate them according to our knowledge and ability to speak about the facts of the work. So by attacking personally, (while criticizing an art) what we want to achieve?
With thanks,
Sayed Asif Mahmud
.
j’adore!
I remember a statement by a well know artist – ‘ I do not worry about the professional critic, it is armatures that one has to look out for’. @ Hossain – Frankly you are not even an armature. YOU comprise one of the majorities of atypical who will never rise above petty jealousy and personnel vendetta. And Mr monirul has given you the best possible guideline – We are still learning. I am also curious to see your work also. Maybe I can learn a thing or two from your work too.
I’ll disagree with some words like…Student, learners, young photographer, armature etc..I belief when a photographer takes photo then he is a photographer, simply photographer…Style or presentation may be differs from photographers to photographers so i think MR. Hossain has no right to compare with specific photographers and attack personally like this. We should change and make constructive comments or suggestion rather than implementing personal believes.
and where is Mr Hossain i like to read his reply.
i just discoverd another photographer’s work on Ship breaking yard! you should visit! here is the link:
http://www.gmb-akash.com/view_gallery.php?album_id=20
Ashish – I disagree. Every profession needs a schooling – no matter how talented a person is. And every schooling has some stages to define them. And differing is normal – no big deal. But then again the quality parameters are obvious too. Beside you never stop learning. From a photographer perspective what we probably do not realize that every single image we click, that image teaches us something new – the angle, lights, elements if we take time to study them and then we click again. Now there is also a word for it. Practice. I would rather say – Shadhona.
MR.Sazzad It’s true and i’ve no debate on schooling and as u say SHADHONA! but can u tell me is it right to attack some1 personally as Mr Hussain did?