On the Move in Mumbai: Photographs by Sue Darlow

Another Subcontinent presents our second exhibition of photographs by Sue Darlow. This exhibition will be featured on Another Subcontinent from Feb 3, 2007 to Mar 2, 2007 and will then be archived in the "visual" section of our features archive (see links at left).

The photographs are grouped into six galleries of six images each. To view them click on the thumbnails on the right. Each will open a larger image in this center window. To view a fresh set of thumbnails click on the gallery links; to return to this introduction click on "front". Copyright for all images, captions and text is retained by the artist and these images may not be used, disseminated or displayed without her permission.

You are also invited to discuss this exhibition on our forums. Those interested in acquiring prints of these photographs should email Sue directly.

Sue Darlow on this Exhibition

During August 2005 I was in India in connection with my Parsi project (featured on Another Subcontinent in December 2004), and in between photographing material in relation to that, I took other, unrelated photos of subjects and situations which interested me.

Glimpses from Mumbai Taxis: The photos were taken during journeys made by taxi around Mumbai. I did not attempt to seek out any particular taxi to photograph. With plenty of time to while away, I took to recording some of their features, and the ways in which drivers have tried to personalise the space in which they spend most of their waking hours. I also recorded glimpses of life just outside the window.

On a Train from Gujarat to Mumbai: More observations during a train journey in second class, unreserved. I was particularly taken by the way a young mother and her two children interacted, while sitting jammed next to me.

Rockpools at Malad: These rocks were mostly buried by sand until July/August 2005, when a mixture of flooding caused by heavy rainfall, and unusually high tides broke down a boundary wall and washed the sand off the rocks, revealing exquisitely eroded shapes.

A Note about Equipment: All the photos here were taken on a 3.2 megapixel Point & Shoot digital camera, the Minolta DiMAGE Xi. It is truly pocketable, measuring just 85 x 72 x 20 mm and weighing 130grams without batteries. While it is a take anywhere kind of camera, it does have its limitations, which may be evident here. Many of the photos where shot under less than ideal conditions, either in a moving vehicle, or with very low or contrasty light, or both. With the camera set to 400 ASA, you wind up with a very grainy looking image, but the fact that you can get anything at all is what I find so exciting.

About Sue Darlow

Sue Darlow was born in Bombay in 1960 to a Parsi mother and an English father, and she spent most of her childhood there. After emigrating to England, she became a freelance photographer in 1984, spending much time travelling around India. She worked for Manushi magazine in Delhi for a year. Her work during the 1980s was mostly social documentary, concentrating on the work of women, and development issues. Her work was represented by Format Photographers in London, which started out as the first all women photographers' co-operative. During the 1990s she also specialised in cycling photography, being associated with Open Road and Bike Culture, and having her worked promoted by Stockfile. After marrying and moving to Italy in the early 90s, she branched out into food photography and that aspect of her work is currently promoted by The Anthony Blake Photo Library Ltd.

Over the years, her work has appeared in numerous publications, including New Internationalist, The Times Literary Supplement, The Economist, The Times Educational Supplement, The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, Our Baby, Reader's Digest, The Vegetarian, Country Life, Sainsbury's magazine, Food Illustrated, New Cyclist, Bike Culture, and Encycleopedia, as well as various books and peripheral publications. She has also held shows in England and Taiwan.