By Manish kumar
Post News Network
Manas Ranjan Ojha
Bhubaneswar, Jan 28: Thirty-one-year-old Manas Ranjan Ojha, a passionate photographer now, found himself at a crossroads five years ago. He was an engineer by profession unable to decide what to choose between money and passion. Family advised him to stick to his job in a drug transcript firm in Gurgaon, but his heart longed to capture the special moments around him. Manas, however, finally succeeded in quitting his job and pursuing his dream and passion.
Five years down the line, Manas has no regrets. “I went against the will of many people close to my heart. Sometimes you realise that your life should have some value. Everybody is born with some unique virtue. Photography was my calling and I pursued a career in it as it quenched my passion. I am happy. Nothing can be more satisfying than living the life you want to live,” he says.
Manas recently launched his exotic calendar on which he has toiled hard for four months to get that perfect blend of fashion and nature in order to reflect large social concerns. Social maladies of every distinguishable hue ranging from acid attack, smoking, poaching to health and pollution are displayed in the calendar in perfect aesthetic ordering.
“I have tried to display social menace from a different perspective. I experimented on the topic by using the twin themes of fashion and nature. Most of the shooting was done in Orissa. I travelled to different parts of the state looking for the perfect locations. I zeroed in on Chandrabhaga beach and forests near Dhenkenal among other hotspots to portray my message. The entire team was eager to make the best use of indigenous resources to make the calendar look more appealing,” says Manas.
When asked about the popularity of calendars as a means of conveying messages through photography, Manas says, “The art of calendar-making through the use of high-quality photographs conveying pre-planned messages is still at a nascent stage in the state, though it is popular in other parts of the country. We are not taking about the commonplace calendars that we get to see in bookstalls which use random photos and quotes. Professionally crafted calendars showcase an original concept draped in innovative designs and perspectives.”
Manas who has already experimented with candid photography and other such innovations is hopeful that his new calendar would elicit good response. He is now looking to explore some other novel concept in the domain.
