Works of youngsters on display at the three-day photography workshop Kids with Camera in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, June 11: A total of 15 young photographers turned a cold shoulder to the sizzling summer heat and set out to capture some of the defining facets of the city.

With young photographer Kanika Sharma as their mentor, a unique photography programme — “Kids with Camera” — came up with what can be best described as shots that speak volumes.

The three-day summer photography workshop that began on June 8 and was organised by the Bhubaneswar Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT) had students from various institutes and of varying ages taking part.

The workshop’s aim was to give a peek into socially sensitive issues through the lens and this it successfully managed to do. The works of the young shutterbugs have been exhibited on the BIFT campus in Saheed Nagar.

Members who attended the workshop. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

The youngest photographer of the lot was 16-year-old Altamash Khalil, who gave an insight into the importance of petrol conservation through his pictures. Lipsa Mohaptra, a student of Piloo Mody College of Architecture, captured the wide chasm between the haves and have-nots. Pratik Mohanty’s photography illustrated how the rampant cutting down of trees was affecting the environment.

“I love photography. For me, it has always been about capturing the emotions of an object. Through this workshop, I learnt how to tell a story through pictures. It was quite an exciting experience,” said Pratik, a participant in the workshop.

Kanika also gave a lesson on diptych photography — a concept that her students seemed to love the most. Anirudh Kedia’s black-and-white picture-story of the gradual transformation of the temple city into a flourishing capital was an attractive ensemble.

The other attractions were anti-tobacco campaign, protest against child labour and conservation of agricultural land. The workshop also included in-depth discussions on what the eminent world photographers were capturing at the moment and also held classes on various technical aspects of photography.

“Looking at the growing interest towards photography, we are planning to organise a comprehensive workshop of around 15 days of a similar kind during the winters,” said Kanika.