The crowds, the pollution, the obvious divide between the poor and the privileged: these are universal observations that can be made in our global village. Dutch photographer Martin Roemers (1962, Oldehove, The Netherlands) decided to document the rush of the metropolis, starting with Kolkata, the urban restlessness made tangible with a slow shutter speed. It is in the patience of the camera, the symbol of modern snapshots, that the irony of our times is reflected.

Just recently Martin won the first prize with this series in the Daily Life Stories category of the World Press Photo competition.