Delhi Photo Festival: Pictures that tell stories

In its third edition, the Delhi Photo Festival (DPF) is showcasing over 40 photographers from across the world. An initiative by the Nazar Foundation, this year's festival — with the theme 'Aspire' — has shifted from its usual venue at the India Habitat Centre to the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in the Capital. Divided into two sections, the Mati Ghar Lawns and the Twin Art Galleries, the festival is on till November 8, 2015. Here's a look at some of the photographers and their work on display at the IGNCA lawns. (Text and photos: Shruti Chakraborty)

One of the works on display by German photographer Karolin Kluppel. The series is called Madchenland (Kindgom of Girls), which documents the women of Meghalaya's matrilineal Khasi people.

The lawns are peppered with areas where visitors can have a bit of fun themselves, and turn photographers as well as subjects. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

The set-up of Md Farhad Rahman's exhibit is as playful as its name — One Last Playground, while reminding you of the harsh realities of life. Photos are attached to twisted iron rods that the viewer has to navigate through, much like a zig-zag game of their own. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

The Bangladeshi photography student, Rahman, has weaved a story of a fantasy world of a group of children. The photos have a whistful over-exposed quality that give it a dream-like feel.

Documentary photographer Karan Vaid has exhibited part of his ongoing project on dog shows in India, titled The Indian Dog Show Project. He traces back the first dog show in India to 1896. The collection is a delight for any dog lover, with some really amusing frames.

Austrian photographer's series, Just the Two of Us, deals with the topic of transference and the desire to be someone else for a while. The images, showcased in pairs, takes from pop culture and literature, replacing the heads of the subject with those of animals or just decked up in the garb of popular (but warped) characters like the Madhatter from Alice in Wonderland. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

This interesting exhibit by American photographer Daniella Zalcman is called Sunday Soldiers. It shows the weekend hobby of many a British who love to re-enact events from the World War II. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

This touching display of images from India is part of student's workshop conducted over three months, called Aarohan. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

Conducted by Anshika Varma and Vidura Jang Bahadur, the workshop students photographed Indira and Balmiki camps situated in the Begumpur village. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

The exhibition is meant to not only provide a glimpse of life in Begumpur but also into the minds of the students behind the camera. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

One of the many workshops being conducted at the DPF is one by the India Photo Archive Foundation that is giving participants a chance to operate vintage cameras and develop their own photos. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

A participant takes a photo using one of the vintage cameras brought in by the foundation. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

Of course, along with the old comes the new. Not satisfied with just a print, the participant gives in to the urge of taking a digital photo of the camera and the subject as well. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

A Closet Full of Dreams is a project by Egyptian student-photographer Roger Anis, who takes a look into the closets of women in Egypt, showing their dreams, fears and stories in a society where women face danger, sexual harassment and oppression in the street every day. (Source: Shruti Chakraborty)

The series shows images in pairs of the subject and the one piece of clothing that lies in their closet, having been worn only once. Those garments that have been shoved to the back of the closet because they invited unwlecome comments and looks on the streets when they were worn that one time. Catch the Delhi Photo Festival at IGNCA from October 30 to November 8, 2015. (Text and photos: Shruti Chakraborty)