Paroma Basu
Canada
Biography
Paroma Basu is a documentary and studio photographer based in Barcelona, Spain.
Raised in Kolkata, India, Basu began her career as a science reporter, writing about the environment and health, for publications including the Village Voice, Nature Magazine and National Geographic News.
After working in print journalism for more than a decade, Basu made a self-taught transition into the world of photography and visual journalism.
In 2019, she participated in the VII Masterclass with the (former) VII Agency, and took her first steps in documentary photography. She is inspired by the human spirit, stories of cultural and environmental heritage, and the eternal interconnection between humans and nature.
Basu is a contributing freelance photographer for the Guardian. Her images have also been published by Getty Images, Annabelle Magazine, and the national Spanish newspaper El Diario, among others. She is a member of Woman Photograph, and a winner of the International Photography Festival Award, 2025.
In October, 2026, as a result of this award, Basu will present her first solo exhibition at MontPhoto, an international nature photography festival in Catalunya, Spain.
Project
“The Good Shepherdess” by Paroma Basu is a documentary photography project that explores the lives of modern shepherd-women in Spain and beyond, focusing on their work, resilience and deep connection with land, animals and pastoral tradition in a rapidly changing world. Basu follows a new generation of women who have left urban life to retrain as shepherds, documenting their daily routines, relationships with flocks, the landscape and the community that surrounds this ancient practice.
Through intimate, empathetic imagery, the series celebrates both the physical demands and personal fulfilment of pastoral life, foregrounding stories of empowerment, identity and cultural continuity against the backdrop of rural life and environmental change. The project highlights how contemporary shepherd-women navigate tradition and modernity, giving voice to overlooked perspectives in agricultural and cultural narratives.
