A young girl sits perfectly still, her skin painted a vivid blue, as careful hands apply the final touches of paint to her forehead. This is not theater makeup or casual dress-up; this is transformation in its most sacred form.
Indranil Sengupta's image Make Up, part of his series Bohurupi, has earned him a Merit Award in AAP Magazine's #53: Travels competition. It documents a centuries-old tradition in rural India, where folk artists transform themselves into Hindu deities through elaborate makeup and performance.
During the annual Gajan festival in West Bengal, these artists are in high demand for their expertise in enacting mythological dance dramas; performances that both preserve ancient stories and provide their livelihood.
Technical approach
Sengupta captured this intimate moment using the Fujifilm X-T4, paired with the Fujinon XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR lens. His settings – 1/125sec at f/6.4, ISO 640 – suggest he was working in challenging ambient light conditions, with the f/6.4 aperture providing enough depth of field to keep both the young subject and the applying hands sharp.
The Fujifilm X-T4's 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans sensor is a useful tool in these documentary situations, offering excellent dynamic range that captures the subtle gradations in the blue body paint, while retaining detail in both the shadowed background and the brighter painted skin.
Meanwhile, the fast pro-grade zoom provided the flexibility crucial for documentary work. Sengupta would have been able to adjust his framing without moving and disrupting the delicate application process, as the constant f/2.8 aperture ensured consistent exposure throughout the zoom range.
Composition
Beyond the technical considerations, though, what really makes this image powerful is Sengupta's choice to focus on preparation rather than performance. While some might choose only to document the finished spectacle, this image reveals the vulnerable, intimate moment of becoming.
The composition draws our eye from the applying hand at top right, down through the carefully painted forehead decorations and the girl's serene expression. The weathered, rough-hewn walls provide textural contrast to her smoothly painted skin, while also telling a story about the humble circumstances in which this ancient art survives.
In 2026, Bohurupi artists face an uncertain future. As rural audiences shrink and entertainment preferences shift toward modern media, these traditional performers struggle to maintain their craft. Sengupta's series documents not just a cultural practice but a vanishing way of life, adding urgency to the work's documentary value.
What photographers can learn
For photographers interested in cultural documentation, Make Up offers valuable lessons. Rather than shooting from a distance as an outsider, Sengupta's intimate framing suggests trust and access built over time.
The natural light and unposed quality indicate a documentary approach that prioritizes authenticity over dramatic effect. And his choice to photograph preparation rather than performance reveals deeper insight into the tradition's human dimensions.
As the world-renowned travel photographer Steve McCurry once observed, "My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport." This image demonstrates how such wandering and observation can preserve cultural practices that might otherwise vanish unrecorded.
You can explore the full selection of winning projects in the AAP Magazine #53: Travels Gallery. For this, visit the AAP Magazine website.
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