Subhamita Poddar ; Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Who is real - the body that the soul wears, or the soul that the body protects? Ratrish is a woman’s soul wrapped in a man’s body. She is an aspiring model and singer; a human being born with much talent and promises to shine as a star
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Who is real – the body that the soul wears, or the soul that the body protects?  Ratrish is a woman’s soul wrapped in a man’s body.

She is an aspiring model and singer; a human being born with much talent and promises to shine as a star; but the society tags her to be a transgender.

I got to know about her from my friends who happen to be Ratrish’s friends also. After following her for sometime on the social network, I had a feeling that she is quite active on such platforms and she is keen to be heard – loud and clear. Even after being tagged for a distorted identity, she never took to faking and creating false impression while so called normal people on these public forums are in plenty who pose to be the person they are not. The idea of narrating her story through my camera grew up inside me. Though I had an apprehension about her reply, but to my utter surprise, she readily accepted when I offered her, with much hesitation, to capture a day of her life. In fact, she was not only welcoming the idea of being captured by my camera, but was quite enthusiastic and excited about it. From that moment on, shooting her was no longer a project of me alone. It became ours.

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

I met her for the first time at the Ghat (Bengali for bank of river) of Ganges, and on the very first meeting I felt home with her. I got to know that she loves to spend time by this riverside just like I do. I came to know that she may be a transgender for the rest of the world,  but for her mother she is the world; for whom she can stand against the world. She also told me that she loves this old city of Kolkata and feels blessed to be here, though she has been born and bought up in Northern part of West Bengal,and also how she wants all her friends and loved ones to never leave this city so that she can be with them and this city forever.

Ratrish works for a Non-voice BPO of an MNC but that is not where she wants to be. Her goal is to stand out as a famous model,an actress and above all, a singer. A brilliant one at that, Ratrish wants to be in the limelight by pursuing her skills. She plays the tanpura as beautifully as she sings the song of Lalan Fakir, the legendary Baul singer of Bengal. She loves poetry and is an amazing elocutionist.

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

All these are just tit bits about Ratrish which didn’t suffice my desire to know more about the human Ratrish. So I asked for spending a couple of days with her, in a small apartment in North Kolkata where she lives with her mother. She agreed and we were on with our project. All this while, I saw how she is struggling to make a place of her own. Not just in terms of career or better living, to live the life that she dreams of.

In our society where transgender are typically and openly discriminated and showed down, standing tall and facing the so called mainstream is a challenge that rarely someone takes. Ratrish is among those few rare people who have taken on.

When she is home, she is just another human being like all of us. There she is just another girl who wants to be pampered; who loves to cook and watch horror movies, while striving to fight her own flaws, get over her sorrows enjoying small happy moments, being just the baby to her mother.

Her body of a man gives in to the soul of a woman that takes over. I felt her tremendous fight within herself and her confidence that many of us lack, to defeat all odds and live the way she is. My photographs are my salute to the human called Ratrish, for her inspiring and ‘never say die’ spirit.

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

About Subhamita Poddar

Subhamita PoddarAn amateur photographer who enjoy the simplicity of life and the living.  She’s fond of capturing the lucidities of people and the randomness of their actions. She enjoys art in any form. The accessibility of art to relieve one’s mind amazes her. Every photograph is special to its author and so is hers. She’s fond of travelling and exploring places. The journey excites her more than the final destination.

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…
Subhamita Poddar | Tribute to the spirit of Womanhood…

More Stories

Those who beat drums for others by Pritam Dutta

Those who beat drums for others by Pritam Dutta

Durga Puja, the grand festival of  West Bengal is incomplete without the rhythm of Dhak. For every Bengali out there, waking up to the sounds of the dhak playing is one of the biggest symbols of Durga Puja.
Toronto by Adrian Morillo

Toronto by Adrian Morillo

His photography work has a documentary approach that allowed him to document different cultural traditions from the south of Spain as the flamenco music scene or the bullfighting and create a body of travel photography from places like Morocco or Cape Cod.
How to live to 100; Photo essay on aging and longevity by Arianne Clément

How to live to 100; Photo essay on aging and longevity by Arianne Clément

The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the deplorable living conditions of seniors in many countries around the globe. The weakening of family ties, the deterioration of social connections and the precariousness of front-line workers have given rise to a model of geriatric care based on marginalization, a model which has revealed its flaws and forces us to rethink old age.
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.

The Sound of Silence by Thomas H.P. Jerusalem

The Sound of Silence by Thomas H.P. Jerusalem

One of the strongest arguments against photography as an art form is the ability of a viewer to simply and quickly take in all of the aspects of a photo, and move on.
Tones and shades of grey; The Oculus by Joseph O’Neill

Tones and shades of grey; The Oculus by Joseph O’Neill

When we hear the words “black and white,” we often assume that is all we’ll see, but in this series of photographs I utilize tones and shades of grey. This grey expresses and gives this work its emotion and depth.
Rapa by Carlos Cazurro

Rapa by Carlos Cazurro

'Rapa' tries to show the thoughness of a centuries-old Spanish tradition called 'A rapa das bestas' that happens every summer on a few northern towns, mainly in Galicia, in which a few men (known as "aloitadores")
Fine Art Photography; Ronny Behnert

Fine Art Photography; Ronny Behnert

Ronny Behnert was born in Luckenwalde, a small city in the south of Berlin, Germany. Since 1989 he lives and works in Berlin but during this time he had his second home in Frankfurt
How was your day? by Mano Svanidze

How was your day? by Mano Svanidze

"how was your day?" collects scenes from kindergarten life of children. With this project I show parents what their kids do when they aren't around. I tried to create imaginary space for parents to observe kids and their daily life in an unmonitorred space the kindergarten is.
Five minutes with Cam Attree

Five minutes with Cam Attree

My ideal photographic situation probably changes quite a bit depending on my influences at the time.
He / She by Stefania Pucci

He / She by Stefania Pucci

Andrea is a woman. In a man's body. This is the definition of h*self that everyone has when it has to do with him. This description, however, doesn't tell what exactly Andrea is. This description doesn't tell anything about strength,  anything about the pride, doesn't tell anything about the road h* traveled to be here now.
Anatomy of a Photograph by Gianluca Micheletti

Anatomy of a Photograph by Gianluca Micheletti

The image consists of two photos mounted in post-production. I used a Sony A7 camera for both, with a Nikon 70-300mm lens for monkey photography and a Tamron 90mm Macro for the capsule photo.
Marco Lorenzetti : The Mortician’s Grandson Volume III- Reliquiae

Marco Lorenzetti : The Mortician’s Grandson Volume III- Reliquiae

The pictures began with religious objects from my grandparents funeral home. The group grew to include prayer cards given at funerals, postcards, and personal object
Burning down the house by Norman Behrendt

Burning down the house by Norman Behrendt

The project 'burning down the house' offers an in depth look at Berlin’s graffiti writer scene for the first time. Against the backdrop of publicly accessible and non-accessible surfaces being continually written upon
October 2017 : Most Popular Photographers

October 2017 : Most Popular Photographers

The Most Popular Photographers published in Dodho Magazine. The great stories by Ilva Beretta, Iwona Pinkowicz, Timo Heiny, Massimiliano Mozzano, Michael Seif, Ying Tang, Salvatore Matarazzo, Wojtek Ryzinski, Ken Hermann and Manuel Armenis
Five minutes with Philippe Mougin

Five minutes with Philippe Mougin

I process the films at home and then scan them. I work on an image for a few weeks or a few months thinking about how i wish the final image to appear.
The portraits of Vibeke Johansson

The portraits of Vibeke Johansson

In many years I have worked with graphic design and webdesign, so photography is relatively new to me.
Exotic Companions by Frank Trimbos

Exotic Companions by Frank Trimbos

In South Africa, the market for trading exotic pets, either legally or illegally, is big. It all looks so nice and cool, having an exotic animal as your pet, and inspired by stories about the ‘real Tarzan’ and the ‘lion whisperer’, a lot of people want to be the next exotic animal whisperer.
Chorrillo Esperanza by Tamara Arranz

Chorrillo Esperanza by Tamara Arranz

“El Chorrillo” was founded in 1915 by workers and students, mostly African-descendent, who arrived to the Panamanian capital looking for a job at the Canal.
Kunduchi Minimalism by Abhijit Bose

Kunduchi Minimalism by Abhijit Bose

It took me to reach Kunduchi around half an hour from Dar es Salaam city. There is a Beach Resort and one needs to pay to enter and sumptuous lunch and dinners are available at the restaurant. But the magic happens much before that.

Featured Stories

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.
Portraits by Justina Soulas

Portraits by Justina Soulas

The pictures that I make are my way to travel to the past. I make these pictures to reconnect with who I was. With a slower pace. With the colors of yesterday. With my childhood and with those games.
The photography of Luis María Barrio

The photography of Luis María Barrio

This project is based on a miscellany of photos that I have been collecting during my travels to India, Morocco, China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Burma and Romania. A selection of individual images that are not interconnected and in which I show characters
Oblique rays of light by Guillaume d´Hubert

Oblique rays of light by Guillaume d´Hubert

Walking through the garden where the famous French author was raised leads me to connect with ancient feelings surviving around like perfumes in the air.
Bin Uthup ; City-Monochrome

Bin Uthup ; City-Monochrome

Binoy Uthup is a City, Architecture, Interior, Landscape and Wildlife photographer who uses techniques such as Digital Blending, HDR, multiple exposures, vertical panorama, etc., to create unique looking images.
A Hindu funerary rite in a Calcuta crematory by Joxe Inazio Kuesta

A Hindu funerary rite in a Calcuta crematory by Joxe Inazio Kuesta

Today we are going to go to a different site that will interest you, which will impress you, Rahul told me. Where? I asked. You'll see, he answered. Rahul was my guide: a boy who slept in the street. And he was right, it was impressive, exciting.
Curious Devices by Jeanette May

Curious Devices by Jeanette May

Curious Devices project was selected and published in our print edition 23. Jeanette May’s still lifes reveal our complicated relationship with obsolete technology by juxtaposing the seductive designs and the inner workings of Curious Devices. Her photographs display a reverence for finely crafted merchandise, industrial design, and scientific wonders.
Selfhood by Vicky Martin

Selfhood by Vicky Martin

The series "Selfhood" was in part inspired by the proverb "The Eyes Are The Window To The Soul" and a desire to challenge the need to see the eyes within a portrait.
Lost America by Matthew Portch

Lost America by Matthew Portch

Lost America examines a quiet stillness in a forgotten landscape that is, in a sense: ‘on-pause'. Backwater towns and rural corners are juxtaposed against the ambiguity of isolated suburbia.
Timo Heiny ; My Africa

Timo Heiny ; My Africa

He felt immediately in love with this "paradise which respired greatness and freedom", as Tanja Blixen described in her poetic souvenirs in "Out of Africa".
Cairo; A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect by Jonathan Jasberg

Cairo; A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect by Jonathan Jasberg

The project title for his work on Cairo is inspired by an ancient Egyptian proverb that states ‘A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect'. 
Urban sprawl series by Emmanuel Monzon

Urban sprawl series by Emmanuel Monzon

Through my urban sprawl series, I want to photograph the in-between state found in the American landscape. So I capture places of transition, borders, passages from one world to another
Ethiopia; The art of disappearing by Harry Fisch

Ethiopia; The art of disappearing by Harry Fisch

The trucks continually roll past the roads that lead to their villages, spitting out so much dust that people living in the villages can no longer breathe. 
Life and culture in Ethiopia by Trevor Cole

Life and culture in Ethiopia by Trevor Cole

These images are a cross section of the diversity of life and culture in Ethiopia. The tribes of the Omo valley, the Afar of the Danakil desert and the Orthodox christians of the highlands.
Grey Matter(s) by Tom Jacobi

Grey Matter(s) by Tom Jacobi

For two years Tom Jacobi travelled to six continents, searching for archaic landscapes - mystical places that had been shaped over thousands of years by nature, yet they seem timeless, even modern.
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.

Trending Stories

Interview with Michiko Chiyoda; Published in our print edition #02

Interview with Michiko Chiyoda; Published in our print edition #02

After graduating from a college of art, Ms. Michiko Chiyoda started her career as a graphic designer of an advertising agency.
Far North by Irene Tondelli

Far North by Irene Tondelli

“Old, wild, north. Kiruna is the northernmost town in Sweden, situated in the province of Lapland. More than a decade ago, the mining city of Kiruna made a big decision: to move itself brick by brick 3 km to the east.
Elefantentreffen by Alessandro D’Angelo

Elefantentreffen by Alessandro D’Angelo

Every winter for the past 60 years, a few thousand riders from throughout Europe descend on Germany in the dead of winter for three days of laughter
Wildlife by Jessica Circe Rogers

Wildlife by Jessica Circe Rogers

These photos represent the very best of my trip to Kenya that ignited in me such a fire for photography. The breadth of color that I experienced there, from the wildlife to the landscapes to an amazing sunrise awoke a passion that I had not known before and for which I am truly thankful.
Bagree Market Fire by Pritam Dutta

Bagree Market Fire by Pritam Dutta

A story of 60 hour long fire fighting at Bagree Market, Kolkata. A massive fire broke out on 16th September at Bagri Market, a building in central Kolkata Burrabazar area.
Denali

Denali

There's no easy way to say goodbye to a friend, especially when they've supported you through your darkest times. Made possible by Patagonia . Generous support from: First Descents, Ruffwear and Snow Peak
Life in the monastery ; Bagan by Aga Szydlik

Life in the monastery ; Bagan by Aga Szydlik

Myanmar (Burma) is predominantly a Buddhist country, with 90% of the population practising Buddhism or embracing a monastic lifestyle.
Ganga Sagar by Kaushik Dolui

Ganga Sagar by Kaushik Dolui

India is blessed with diverse culture and each region has its own traditional and festivals they celebrate with proud and joy. Gangasagar Mela, spiritual and cultural event is one of such festival of India celebrated mid January every year attracts thousands of pilgrimage from all around the country.
Storytelling; Francisco Salgueiro – Fairs, Gypsies and Travelers

Storytelling; Francisco Salgueiro – Fairs, Gypsies and Travelers

For me photography is more than capturing reality, or getting a fantastic composition. For me, photography is above all, storytelling. I'm a published writer for over 12 years, with 3 best sellers and always several stories on my head ready to be written.
New Ghosts by Aki & Astrid Sinikoski

New Ghosts by Aki & Astrid Sinikoski

Aki and Astrid Sinikoski’s photo series New Ghosts portrays the relationship between father and daughter and their attempts to understand life, change, and the passage of time.
Photography and fantasy by Zuzana Uhlíková

Photography and fantasy by Zuzana Uhlíková

My name is Zuzana Uhlíková and I am a photographer, cinematographer and a student of Architecture. I was born in 1989 in Plzen. Shoot I started six years ago. I started photographing landscapes.

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.