post news network, Bhubaneswar, April 8: He presented a ‘photo film’ – a story told through a series of still photographs – some months ago and was thrilled by the response he got from his ‘viewers’. He, in fact, was taking part in a photo exhibition. The photographer in question is a 20-year-old engineering student of International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bhubaneswar and the exhibition was held on his college campus.
This would-be engineer and budding photographer, Prabhat Kumar Panda, is a member of his university photography club, PhotoGeek. The club “was formed in 2012 by our seniors to give budding photographers a platform to experiment with their passion. The members of this club meet regularly to discuss the latest trends in photography as also to share their works with fellow lens men. We also regularly organise seminars and workshops where senior practitioners train the young generation the art and craft of photography,” said Prabhat.
The story Prabhat told through his ‘stills’ was a love story with a difference – a story where a boy, en route finding his love, traverses the by lanes of suspense and thrill only to know that the girl – depicted at the very beginning of the series as writing diary entries of her experience of falling in love, of her feelings and emotions – who was in love with him was already dead. Prabhat’s viewers, his university buddies, were thrilled. So was he. Such appreciation eggs wannabe photographers to soldier on.
“In our college, we often hold photo exhibitions where many budding photographers get the platform to exhibit their work and the appreciations we get from others propel us forward. In these exhibitions, many students from other colleges also take part. This is, for us a great de-stressing work, which infuses in us a sense of happiness and satisfaction,” says Manas Kumar Raut, a 2nd year BTech student from the University.
Much like Prabhat, many students of IIIT, have got the chance to narrate some of their or other’s stories through this photography club. Sandeep Roy, 3rd year BTech student from the University said, “We often try to depict a story involving some people that we regularly come across. Many people have many stories to tell. They just need some people who can tell those, on their behalf, through proper channels. We try to capture some good moments in and around our campus and city. Sometimes we capture some great expressions, which speak thousand words.”
Samir Pattnaik, another IT student from the University said, “Photography is a powerful medium to express feelings. We are really thankful that our club at the university gives us a platform to experiment with our ideas. We often try to experiment with new things. I am still exploring the themes on which to click photographs. Now I just click photos on varied topics that I come across daily.”
The photography club on the IIIT campus right now has around 30 members. The club members take part in selected photo exhibitions organised at other colleges and in other cities in order to showcase their work to a wider audience.
