Monojit Dutta, a photographer with a clear appreciation for both logistics and childlike wonder, arranged for a large bundle of balloons to be waiting for him when he arrived at Canning station in West Bengal. It was a Sunday - a fact that becomes relevant.

“I usually visit new places on Sundays to explore and take photographs,” Dutta explains, “and on this day, annual school exams had just finished.” He found local children playing in a field, handed out the balloons, and asked three boys to run and jump. He claims he did not guide their movements beyond that, which is either a testament to his directorial restraint or his luck in finding three naturally photogenic children.

The result: two boys leaping in the air on the left, one boy lagging behind on the right. Dutta later realized this created “a nice balance in the frame,” which is photographer-speak for “I got lucky.” He made minor tweaks to saturation and contrast on his phone, because even pure, unscripted joy needs a little digital polish.

“I wanted to showcase a life where children can play freely under the open sky,” Dutta says. “And I wanted to show the joy of Sundays.” Mission accomplished, though we suspect the joy might have been helped along by the free balloons.