ART NEWS
A virtual photo expo in the time of pandemic
From capturing the various moods of the forest, habitats of birds like the Telineelapuram painted storks to showcasing the tribal culture of Araku, Bhutan’s rich landscape and heritage and iconic structures of Visakhapatnam, the online photography exhibition hosted by Vivid Photography presents myriad shades of human emotions, architectural splendour and nature at its best. Photographers from across the country— professional and amateurs —are showcasing their works at the exhibition being conducted to mark August 19 as World Photography Day.“The pandemic has been hard on photographers, especially those specialising in landscape, nature and wildlife. This is a platform for everyone to showcase the best images from their portfolios. The images capture some incredible moments beyond the limits of time and space,” says Subrahmanyam Kotipalli of Vivid Photography.The group has opened its first online exhibition for photographers across the country. Each photographer can submit up to five images under categories such as wildlife, landscape, tabletop and food, portrait and fashion, sports and action, travel, fine arts, weddings and events.“The pandemic has significantly impacted travel and landscape photography. Every year, I attend at least three to four travel photography workshops and document critical habitats of Olive Ridleys and migratory birds. But all plans are shelved this time. I am utilising the time to learn about other photography software and pulling out old images of the city from my stock for online exhibition,” says veteran photographer K. Bhaskar Rao. Mr. Rao had captured several heritage spots and structures of Visakhapatnam region, including those that no longer exist. He has submitted a series on his recent Bhutan travel for the exhibition.New opportunities Photographers say that while the pandemic may have been hard on them, it has also opened up new avenues for learning. “Every year, most of our works would be limited to a certain city’s audience. With this online exhibition, we can reach out to a larger set of viewers,” says Manjusha Dangeti, a food and tabletop photographer. For her, the pandemic has presented a win-win situation. “Most restaurants and designer stores of jewellery will place their bet on e-commerce space now. So as a photographer specialising in these fields, it has opened up new opportunities for me,” says Ms. Dangeti, who completed her graduation in photography from Pune. Five of her works feature in the exhibition.Nature features prominently in many works. K. Sai Kiran has done a series on macro photography while Anil Dev Dutt has explored black and white photography with images from the rural side. The entries also showcase some lost professions such as pottery captured by Gadu Satyanarayana.
