Few of the exhibits displayed at the photography workshop in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, March 14: Freezing various scenes from life through their lens, shutterbugs from different parts of the country got together in the city to exchange ideas and try out new techniques in digital photography. Participating in a workshop on digital photography organised by Rashtriya Lalit Kala Akademi, Bhubaneswar, the photographers found a collage of themes to capture.

The five-day photography workshop organised by Rashtriya Lalit Kala Akademi involved field work as well as discussions. The participants went to Nandankanan Zoo on Friday to photograph the animals.

“Wildlife includes not only animals and their behaviour but the animal habitats including trees, water bodies, plants and bushes,” said artist-turned-photographer Vivek Tembe from Madhya Pradesh.

“Earlier, one had to be more careful while taking photographs since the 135mm film would allow few options. Now, we have the freedom to capture various moods of the subject and later choose the best for exhibiting or publishing,” he said, adding that the change in technique has helped professional photographers.

The participants also went to Puri and various parts of Bhubaneswar such as Old Town, Khandagiri and Udaygiri hills. “I love working on human interest as well as landscape photography. Puri sea beach was a treasure trove for me,” said Anjali Sinha from Bihar.

“I found some interesting subjects at the temples in Bhubaneswar. At one of the temples, I captured the image of two men taking care of a small kitten. That was my favourite theme during the workshop,” said Sinha, the lone woman participant of the workshop.

“I usually work on themes revolving around people and places. I found a new angle for my subject in the glaring neglect of temples in the city. I have tried to highlight that there has been a sea-change in religiosity with increasing urbanisation,” said Tembe.

There were three participants from each of the five states — Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa — at the workshop. Veteran photographers Anil Kamde, Tanveer Farooqui and many others took part in the workshop. Participants from Orissa included Ashis Dhir, Biswajit Patnaik, Samarendra Kumar Das and Shiba Prasad Sahu.

The last two days of the workshop featured a slideshow by each photographer. Many young art students and amateur photographers attended the event. “We saw a wide variety of digital photographs. This gave us an idea about the various styles of photography,” said Biplab Bhesra, an art student.

“I loved the pictures of Bhilai and Kumbh Mela that Anil Kamde showcased. We want to see the photographs all the participants took during the workshop in the form of an exhibition,” he added.