An Exhibition of Photographs on Nature and Wildlife, an initiative by the NGO Uttorone, is an ongoing photography exhibition in the South and New South Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts. On till tomorrow, this week-long exhibition is displaying around 200 pictures, across two galleries, clicked by members of a group of travellers and nature lovers.
Uttorone, which is dedicated to philanthropic and welfare activities involving children and economically-backward women, also takes initiatives to support causes of nature and the environment. People from various walks of life belong to this nature-loving group of travellers, including veteran actors like Sabyasachi Chakrabarty and Chandan Sen, doctors like Sanjay Bhattacharya and Rajdeep Deb, lawyer Tirthankar Das, IT professionals like Niladri Kundu and Suddhasatwa Das, entrepreneur Soumya Sankar Dey, interior designer Rakesh Mallick and photographer Hirak Sengupta, among others.
“We came to know each other through a travel agency and we started travelling together. Later, we started planning our own trips. Last year, this exhibition that we did stood out to be a great success and that encouraged us to do it again this year. The idea behind doing this exhibition is to not show people how well we click photographs but to make people aware of the conservation process. We need to save nature and wildlife,” said Sabyasachi, who has been travelling with some members of this group since 1994 or 1995, before forming this group over two decades back in the year 2000.
The exhibition was inaugurated by the members of the group and chief guest Sonali Basu on November 13. The photographs on display captures striking moods and moments of wild animals in their natural habitat and are displayed with an aim to instill an interest regarding the conservation of these animals and the preservation of their natural habitat among visitors.
“Earlier also, whenever I did an exhibition, I did it with the same intention — to make people aware. Wildlife must be saved. People in this group mostly have their own cameras and are aware of photography. Through this exhibition, using the platform of Uttorone, we are helping in the process of the upliftment of the downtrodden, especially women. We are not selling from the exhibition. But if anyone wants to buy any picture they can contact us. The money will not only be used for the cause we are making people aware of but will also be used to help some underprivileged forest guards and their children’s education,” added Sabyasachi.
