India; Bricks of Labour by Bharat Patel

My project on the Brick Kiln Workers was an off-shoot from my bigger project on Women Workers in the informal sector. It came about while travelling to document women workers when I got drawn by black plumes billowing from large chimneys across from a farm.

My project on the Brick Kiln Workers was an off-shoot from my bigger project on Women Workers in the informal sector.

It came about while travelling to document women workers when I got drawn by black plumes billowing from large chimneys across from a farm. I just had to go and investigate. What I saw was a brick kiln works that was straight out of mediaeval times. 

Since then I continue to visit many kilns all over India. Being able to speak the language meant that I had unadulterated conversations with the labourers; I heard about their lives and their hopes but also about their beginnings, how they became kiln workers. Most were more than happy for me to photograph them and indeed I could come and go as I pleased; a few were shy because of their poverty and perhaps they were a little embarrassed about it.

The Brick Kiln industry is a huge business, India being the second largest manufacturer of bricks in the world. Approximately 15 million labourers work in these kilns and over 35 million tons of coal is spewed out annually into the sky; dark clouds choking the surrounding farmland. However it is not just the environmental issues of the brick kilns that are a worry; other issues include skin and long term breathing problems for the workers as well as heat exhaustion in the summer months. 

These people all have similar things in common, lack of education and no economic opportunities locally. They are thus prepared to take long journeys to other states in India in search of jobs. Many are often trafficked from their villages, lured by the prospect of good job and cash advances. They become the internal migrants travelling in family units and vulnerable to scrupulous operators.

In the brick kilns there is work for the whole family. The cash advances from traffickers become the debt to the kiln owners but these debts can take a very long time to pay off, sometimes never. Whole families including children work and live in very poor conditions. The process employs workers of multiple physical abilities, be that children, teenagers or adults to produce upwards of 2000 bricks a day. The weaker member of the family; the children as young as 6 and the elderly carry out simple tasks of turning the newly molded bricks to dry or of guiding donkeys laden with bricks. The more able members dig out the soil and mix it with sand and water, mold the bricks in rows, stack them up after drying and transport them into and out of the kilns – this last task is physically demanding and often carried out in extremely dusty and hazardous conditions. There seems to be a quiet acceptance to something that is totally out of their control and which is essentially modern-day slavery.

When I’m working on such projects, I need to justify what I am trying to photograph, what story I am trying to illustrate. These are stories of generations of families that are essentially trapped within a system that hasn’t changed in centuries. 

About Bharat Patel

Bharat is an Indian born photographer now living in Oxford, UK. He has lived and experienced life in four different continents with vastly different cultures. From a young age his inclination to connect everything has had an influence on his photography. He uses both black and white and colour images depending on what he wants to portray.

Bharat’s interest in photography goes back to his early teenage years. For many years it had stayed on the back burner. However, over the last 20 years photography has become his passion, at first embracing its many genres but now concentrating on contemporary photography. He has amassed a large collection of images for his many humanitarian projects and travels, some of which are available as books.

Over recent years he considers his work as “Photography for a Purpose”. This can be seen in his long-term project on “Nomadic Tribes of India”, “Brick Workers” and “Women Workers in the Informal Sector”. He is always looking to preserve his work and hence the history, so as to retain the importance of what is present and that which may inform the future. [Official Website]

More Stories

Steel City Serenade by James Kezman

Steel City Serenade by James Kezman

Architecturally, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania punches above its weight. For a mid-sized American city, it has a rich agglomeration of fascinating buildings, largely thanks to the city’s storied industrial past.
Street Photography; New Orleans by Michael McGrane

Street Photography; New Orleans by Michael McGrane

As a photographer, my goal with this project was to capture the essence of the unique and ever-changing New Orleans cultural landscape and preserve it for others not fortunate enough to witness these colorful events first hand.
Childhood Lost by Justyna Neryng

Childhood Lost by Justyna Neryng

Childhood Lost is an ongoing autobiographycal project (self portrait in a different body) exploring the nature of portraiture and memory.
https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bannerpr.jpg

We invite you to participate in the first edition of the Portrait Photography Awards. Our call is open to any artistic interpretation of portrait photography.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BAnImage.jpg

ImageRights provides intelligent image search and copyright enforcement services to photo agencies and professional photographers worldwide.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/mono2022.jpg

The best 100 images along with the winning images published in the yearly book “Monochromatic – Best Photographers of 2022”

Call For Entries #24 | After 23 editions and more than 100 published photographers, our print edition has proven to be a simply effective promotional channel.

Tokyo Hotel Story by Nathalie Daoust

Tokyo Hotel Story by Nathalie Daoust

Nathalie Daoust’s photographs reflect a love for random places and a wild, inexhaustible sense of inquisitiveness.
Circus by Tim Booth

Circus by Tim Booth

Circus is a series of images setting out to show the beauty, strength and symmetry in the performances of young contemporary circus performers in the United Kingdom.
Vertigo by Gihan Tubbeh

Vertigo by Gihan Tubbeh

Vertigo is inhaled upon excess. The explosion of reality arises upon an anguish born under the physical encounter with things. Little happens on the ground, only from time to time emerges a horse, a soaring bird
Five minutes with Mike Ruiz

Five minutes with Mike Ruiz

Mike Ruiz is a world-renowned photographer, who also happens to be a TV personality, former model, actor, spokesperson, creative director an director. With his wide array of esperiences an interests
Chatting with Tamara Knight

Chatting with Tamara Knight

I have always wanted to be a painter. When I was a kid my school art teacher told me that I need to study art to become an artist. I never did but always wanted to.
Grids by Francesca Pompei

Grids by Francesca Pompei

The series Grids focuses on the pure clean-lined geometries of the architecture. My works feel like controlled exercises in constant repetition and serial iteration.
Sottosopra by Fabrizio Intonti

Sottosopra by Fabrizio Intonti

Fabrizio Intonti is a photographer and author. His photographic production, in addition to professional activity, extends to the visual arts, often relies on the contamination of techniques
Still….

Still….

Love cannot be defined. It is both an essential part of the human experience as well as an entirely personal one. It mutates through time and our relationships with different people. It unites and divides us.
Pocket Beach by Salvatore Matarazzo

Pocket Beach by Salvatore Matarazzo

A beach long 2,5 Km in Marina Di Massa, flanked to historical buildings, dating back to the Fascist period, that still at a distance of years, affect the territory and vacationers who frequent the beach.
N.O.A.H by Tao Ho

N.O.A.H by Tao Ho

Compared to the subject he photograph, he is more aware of the relationship between him and the photography. Sometimes it is close, sometimes opposites.
Tacloban: Two Months after Typhoon Yolanda – Roland Nagy

Tacloban: Two Months after Typhoon Yolanda – Roland Nagy

On Nov. 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda (International name: Typhoon Haiyan) hit the Philippines recorded as the most powerful tropical cyclone and deadliest typhoon.
Resilience in the creative process: how can we feed it?

Resilience in the creative process: how can we feed it?

We live in a technologically advanced but emotionally primitive world; a world in which we often keep the feeling and the living totally at a distance which, instead of mutually supporting and helping, they hinder each other.
Madagascar; Zaza maditra by Cédric Spilthooren

Madagascar; Zaza maditra by Cédric Spilthooren

In Madagascar, 92 percent of the population lives on less than $2 per day and poverty has sharply increased in the past five years (four million more people in poverty than there were in 2008 ).
iPhone Photography; Passing Praise & Prosperity by Star Rush

iPhone Photography; Passing Praise & Prosperity by Star Rush

"Towns are like people. Old ones often have character, the new ones are interchangeable," Wallace Stegner, American writer. I'm not convinced of Stegner's point about new places, because I'm working out what I think about "character" and changeability.
Inside the Camera Bag of Alfredo Macchi

Inside the Camera Bag of Alfredo Macchi

Normally I travel with two camera bodies, a Canon 7D and an old Canon 30D, two machines to read but very reliable, even under extreme conditions. I carry tree objectives: a 10-22 1: 3.5 - 4.5 which is the one I prefer, a 17-55 1: 2.8 which is good for all situations and a 70-200 1: 4 in the case of subjects distant.
A New America by Robert LeBlanc

A New America by Robert LeBlanc

A New America” is the sophomore book release from documentary photographer Robert LeBlanc, shot in over a length of three years, 32 states and 20,000 miles.

Featured Stories

David : As cold as clay by Jim Mortram

David : As cold as clay by Jim Mortram

Meeting regularly, David and I, in early 2013 began working upon the first instalment of an ongoing series of stories about his life with blindness. The challenging new day to day routines, learning routes into town with his stick or following behind his mother, Eugene.
Waiting Girls by Sadegh Souri

Waiting Girls by Sadegh Souri

In Iran, death penalty is given to the children for the crimes such as murder, drug trafficking, and armed robbery. According to the Islamic Penal Law, the age when girls are held accountable for their crimes is 9 years old, while the international conventions have banned the death penalty for individuals under 18.
To The Northwest by Giacomo Infantino

To The Northwest by Giacomo Infantino

His research is based on the in-depth narrative of those places in my province, those peripheral sites to which he has devoted his attention and constant attendance.
Inside Myanmar Monasteries by Irene Barlian

Inside Myanmar Monasteries by Irene Barlian

Traditions still hold out in the Myanmar’s countryside which has so far been relatively untouched. Myanmar was often seen as among the world’s most isolated nations. Although they had eased it’s 15 years restrictions on tourism, the country remains to be ancient and pure.
Kabuki players by Hiroshi Watanabe

Kabuki players by Hiroshi Watanabe

Those Kabuki players seen in the photographs are not with the mainstream Kabuki companies in Tokyo. They are with localized small groups located in various parts of Japan.
South Sudan; Smoker women by Ana Maria Robles

South Sudan; Smoker women by Ana Maria Robles

These women smoke tobacco, an ancient custom that marks their ancestry, identity and tribal pride. Their attitude was strong. Fierce. They were active participants of every ceremony and the Leaders of the communities. 
Havana by David Saxe

Havana by David Saxe

Havana is a city suspended in time, where life slowly drifts to a steady salsa beat. People are civil and friendly—they will argue baseball in the park, walk along the Malecon, make love, marry, and raise families
Ordinary days is beautiful  by Takako Fukaya

Ordinary days is beautiful by Takako Fukaya

Takako Fukaya has three daughters. They are so special to her. Also she thinks “Children” like them is a hope and a future in this world.
Gabriel Isak ; Experiences of the soul

Gabriel Isak ; Experiences of the soul

His imagery entails surreal and melancholic scenes inspired by the inner world of dreams and psychology, where he invites the viewer to interact with the internal world of solitary figures
Canary island; Captain Flint by Oliver Weber

Canary island; Captain Flint by Oliver Weber

Around me furnishings in the style of "Rustic German" dating from the 1970s. Hunting trophies, a skeleton, a treasure chest, swords and books. I am not alone. With me is Captain Flint.
New York City; Street Scenes by Paul Kessel

New York City; Street Scenes by Paul Kessel

New York City is considered as one of the best places to practice street photography. It has a history of being the breeding grounds of many of the finest street photographers over the years.
My mum by Viet Van Tran

My mum by Viet Van Tran

I started photographing my mother at the time she became seriously ill, (ten month ago) and continued shooting until my mother will get better, until now. I want to fix some moments forever, not only in my mind and heart, but alsoin a concrete and tangible shape.
Marine Species by Wesley Dombrecht

Marine Species by Wesley Dombrecht

The idea for the series ‘Marine Species’ started with my fascination for the sea, water and everything that lives in it. In this series I want to give the viewer a different look at a variety off sea life, that has been portrayed in a very aesthetic way, minimalistic, where the focus is on the subject, with a playful link incorporated in it.
Pride and prejudice by Renata Dutrée

Pride and prejudice by Renata Dutrée

Pride and prejudice project was selected and published in our print edition 23. This ongoing series of studio portraits of young men is intended to challenge the viewer with social constructs that are centered around masculinity and femininity. Gender bias, gender roles and stereotypes can affect everyone negatively.
Michele Palazzo ; Street Photography

Michele Palazzo ; Street Photography

Michele Palazzo. Italian by blood, Architect by training, and Photographer by heart. Visual storyteller, weaving narratives through people’s movements and emotions. He lives and operate in New York.
The photography of Lenghi Teng

The photography of Lenghi Teng

Lenghi Teng is a Dutch photographer based in Rotterdam. She was born in 1976 in Vietnam and grew up in a Chinese family. At the age of three she moved to the Netherlands. 

Trending Stories

Painting to Photography by Patrizia Burra

Painting to Photography by Patrizia Burra

From “Painting to Photography” is a world where you can be who you want. This project was born from a difficult time in my life. A moment when I had to keep my emotions under control.
Jack Savage ; Fine art photographer

Jack Savage ; Fine art photographer

Jack Savage is a fine art photographer and digital artist and an adobe certified expert in Adobe Photoshop CC and trainer. Winner of honorable mentions at IPA 2016.
Escapism by Amanda Mason

Escapism by Amanda Mason

Amanda Mason’s ‘Escapism’ series visually expresses an ethereal sleep state, a place between being awake and being asleep, a place where the mind is semi-conscious
Erotic photography – Reka Nyari

Erotic photography – Reka Nyari

Born in 1979 to a Finnish mother and a Hungarian father, Reka started painting even before she could walk or talk. This led her to New York to study Painting at SVA at the age on
In Rust We Trust by Bart Vos

In Rust We Trust by Bart Vos

The Navy Yard is A redeveloped old navy ship yard in Philadelphia. It was an important shipyard for the navy for almost two centuries.
Alveare by Isabella Sommati

Alveare by Isabella Sommati

I overheard these sentences while shooting in the locker room describe the daily micro eeality of the female universe: different interests, cultures and ages melting in a sport that is usually played by men.
5 Great nude Photographers

5 Great nude Photographers

The Best Nude Photographers published in Dodho Magazine. The great stories by Lilith, Olivier Valsecchi, Ruediger Beckmann, Larry Woodmann and Radoslaw Pujan.
Picasso’s Women by Cristina Vatielli

Picasso’s Women by Cristina Vatielli

The project was conceived to reveal the stories of the women who revolved around Pablo Picasso’s life, by strongly influencing the work of the most acclaimed artist of the XX century.
Interview with Thomas Phoon ; Finalist in our Black & White 2018

Interview with Thomas Phoon ; Finalist in our Black & White 2018

As for my opinion of Dodho Magazine, I only have words of thanks for the award and for the exquisite attention I have always received.On the other hand I think they do a great job in the sense of serving as a platform for dissemination for new photographers as is my case.
The Land Where the Roots Grow Deep by Rebecca Moseman

The Land Where the Roots Grow Deep by Rebecca Moseman

This series of photographs is part of an ongoing project about the African American people living in the deep south.
Secret garden by Fenqiang Liu

Secret garden by Fenqiang Liu

Secret garden was selected and published in our print edition 21. Spring, many nesting pairs of Great Egrets gather at Kraft Azalea Garden in Central Florida, the United States to begin their nesting rituals. I was inspired to share with the world the beauty of the Great Egrets.
Connection by Zuzu Valla

Connection by Zuzu Valla

I first met the lovely designer Anvita Sharma, from Two Point Two, the day after her show at London Fashion Week. We clicked immediately and wanted to work together as well as with Barnes Twins.

Other Stories

stay in touch
Join our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest stories, opportunities, calls and more.
We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use
We’d love to
Thank you for subscribing!
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted.
- Between 10/30 images of your best images, in case your project contains a greater number of images which are part of the same indivisible body of work will also be accepted. You must send the images in jpg format to 1200px and 72dpi and quality 9. (No borders or watermarks)
- A short biography along with your photograph. (It must be written in the third person)
- Title and full text of the project with a minimum length of 300 words. (Texts with lesser number of words will not be accepted)
This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Contact
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Get in Touch
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.