Raghubir Singh’s photos of post-colonial India are photos I believe most people still reference when talking about India. Modern day children in the U.S have probably grown up studying these images without knowing the photographer behind it. Personally, the picture I enjoyed the most is “Trichur, Kerala, 1985”. The red inside of the car in contrast to the blues and greens is a play with colors I genuinely enjoy in photography. A lot of Singh’s pictures use a contrast in colors like that, which draws the eye more than if he did not do it. I think knowing that Singh actually lived through this time period adds extra depth to the picture. It is interesting to think about how he was not necessarily capturing these pictures to document a change in time, but simply to have the pictures. It adds a pureness to the pictures, a realness.
In this instance, I think Singh is both capturing reality and interpreting it. He is capturing, in essence, the truth of post-colonial India. It just is what it looks like. Going back to the idea of using pictures as proof, Singh’s pictures are, in a way, proof of a post-colonial India, after European influences that would bring about so much change. He beautifully captures India’s landscapes and culture with each picture. One thing I think is interesting is how he mixes India’s almost old-fashioned style in clothing, buildings, and architecture with more advanced technology. This is a part of capturing another segment of India’s reality. The change from before European influences to after can be really seen throughout his photographs. This can be really seen in his photo titled Bidar Fort, Karnataka. It depicts a very modern looking car, that was probably made in the 70’s or 80’s. But through the tinted window of the car, you can see a building that is relatively old. It probably has a great deal of historical context and meaning. To see it pictured in such a sense gives viewers the feeling that post-India is leaving this culture behind, or moving from it.
This is where I feel the photographs go more into interpreting post-colonial India. There is the question of if and how Singh is interpreting this change through his photography. And the answer lies in exactly how he photographs the reality around him. His interpretation does not have a negative feel nor a positive connotation. His photographs feel neutral, not judging or deciding. His photos show the everyday people of India going about their works, while the scenery around them changes. And it is not as if they are unaware that the change is happening, more as though they are accepting of it. These people have accepted the change and now are adapting as human do and are incorporating the features of post-colonial India into their everyday life. Singh is capturing the change and his interpretation leaves the viewers with the feeling that this is affecting Indian society, but how far, is yet unknown.
I agree with you regarding the eye-catching use of color among Singh’s photographs. We’re used to only seeing modern photographs that use color, and the use of color to depict post-colonial India brought it to life in a way that a black and white coloration probably wouldn’t have. I have to disagree with you when you say the photographs also convey Singh’s interpretation of the events. By not “judging or deciding,” I believe he is merely just laying down history through photographs, Though I feel the collection itself provides an interpretation of the times, I don’t believe its the lack of a positive or negative connotation of the photographs that provide the interpretation, but the specific events that Singh decided to capture.