Shahidul Alam

Shahidul Alam is something of a legend when it comes to encouraging photojournalism in the developing world.

His Drik agency in Bangladesh lit a beacon for home-grown talent and has helped allow media outlets in that country and beyond to recruit top-class practitioners locally.

He sees a bright future for agencies but recognizes the dangers that the internet can pose.

Says Shahidul: “The idea behind setting up Drik was to take the agency to the photographers rather than having the photographers come to the agency.

We were specifically dealing with Bangladeshi photographers then but the concept of building 'local' agencies that represented 'local' photographers has been part of the core vision. It was not simply a question of geography, but also politics.

We felt that local photographers had something different to say that would not be said by visiting photographers on short term assignments.

We did not have the services that western agencies were used to. No labs, no bank loans, no archival facilities. The photographers didn't have equipment, studios, training, books.

Despite this, having decided that we would be physically in the hinterlands of the photo market, we needed to ensure we provided high quality images, research and delivery in order to compete.

We also needed to provide a much stronger support for local photographers than a typical agency would ever consider. So we built darkrooms and studios that photographers could use. Later we built galleries.

We needed efficient communication mechanisms to compete with western agencies and set up the country's first email service. Later we also developed publishing facilities, in print and on the web.

The logic in each step was to build the support structure that photographers needed, in a manner that was financially viable. Later we set up a school for photography, and eventually our own festival of photography.

We campaigned for legal reforms that protected the rights of the photographers and even ran programs on national television in order to educate the public.

Ironically, it was the web that allowed us to compete from a distance. And now it is the web that is a potential threat. Our challenge is to turn it around and make it an opportunity.

The availability of cheap or free images through the Net means we have to find a niche. The boutique will never be able to compete with the supermarket in price. It has to offer something special. The dollar-a-piece image is generic.

We need to offer something specific. So our emphasis has been on quality and exclusivity. Images that require special access, that are rare and context that separates them from the run of the mill. All that, plus a huge emphasis on ethics.

Our clients know we can be trusted. Our pictures will have passed a stringent quality control, in terms of technical and aesthetic quality. There are rigorous fact checks and an assurance of ethical standards. People who buy our pictures also buy peace of mind and a sense of well-being from the knowledge that the images have been produced by caring individuals who are respectful of their subjects.

We have also used new technology by setting up a portal for majority world agencies. We developed the search engine ourselves so we can constantly upgrade it using feedback from the photographers we serve. So the system is designed to work with low bandwidth. We know how to make do.

Our strategies have all been long term. The presence of Drik allowed the formation of The South Asian Institute of Photography, Pathshala. The combined support of Drik and Pathshala led to initiating the Chobi Mela festival.

The three together form a formidable package. But it is dangerous to get complacent and Internet based Drik TV, our latest venture, will keep us at the cutting edge.

Dhaka is fast becoming an emerging capital of photography. Former students are in key positions in most leading newspapers and TV channels. The awards are coming in thick and fast.

There is a revolution taking place, and the agency is at the heart. Not simply through selling pictures but by nurturing individuals and through leading a movement."