CHAITALI SHOME,OP
Bhubaneswar: There is hardly a person who does not wish to store and share his cherished moments – happiness, sorrows and special events. Earlier, it was a tardy task as one had to rely on a photographer to click their moments. But with smartphones becoming common, these days photography is everyone’s game.
August 19 is celebrated as the World Photography Day across the globe. On this occasion, Orissa POST takes a look at the top city photographers as well as the evolvement of photography in the state.
The first announcement of a photograph was made on August 19, 1839 in France. In 1840 British army bought photography to India. The first studio in India was Bourne and Shepherd was set up at Chowringhee in Kolkata.
Back home, in the Temple City, 80 members of the Utkal Photography Club will hold a photography training and workshop session on the occasion of the World Photography Day.
Celebrations notwithstanding, the founder of the club Shri Krishna is of the view that ‘as far as photography is concerned, the scenario here seems to be dark due to lack of interest in people to learn this art. “Correct learning and regular practice together with an inner feeling makes one a good photographer,” he observed.
Ace photographer Raghu Rai had once said, “I am very allergic to all colourful gimmicks on Instagram and Facebook that are being passed in the name of photography. It’s a joke played by illiterates who have no knowledge of photography. Serious photography and its passion seem to have vaporised from today’s creative photographers.”
Rai, however, appreciated that there are a few young lads from Odisha who are doing well. “But again they need to come out of their cocoons and experiment on a larger scale to be called real photographers”.
Another photographer, Debanshu Siddharta Patnaik seems to differ. According to him, these days people are learning and trying their hands in both art and commercial photography.
Gautam Pyari Mohan, a photographer for the last 15 years, feels that in Odisha nobody wants to compare their work as they always feel threatened by the others’ work. According to him, one must learn to appreciate others’ work and should be brave enough to accept criticism also.
Prafulla Chandra Dhir, a veteran photographer and winner of the national Lalit Kala Award is of the view that absence of government initiative to open an institution like Photography Academy to train raw hands is also responsible for the pathetic state of photography in the state.
In 1973, Dhir established the Camera Society of Odisha in Bhubaneswar. His seniors like Purna Bidhani from Baripada, late Nirmal Mohanty, late TC Das from Sambalpur have earned laurels at the national and international levels.
According to Dhir a good photographer is one who has the eye to capture finer aspects and photograph them. These days, very few possess this quality, he rued.
However, the good news is that in the long cloak of despondency there is a ray of hope as Photo Flick Club of Sambalpur is organising an all-India photography contest and an international photography competition this year.
