A weeklong photograph exhibition of Roby Das, a travel photographer from Kerala, opens at All-India Fine Arts Crafts and Society here this Saturday.
“Coloured Views-2010” showcases 100 exclusive pictures of people from different walks of life and places of interest.
A professional photographer whose favourite hobby is travelling, Roby has been moving across the country for the past five years to capture the spirit, vibrancy and multi-faceted ethos of the country. “Most of the pictures have been taken in my home State and Rajasthan. Other pictures include Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Delhi and the entire Southern part of the country. Only the North-East is missing as I could not travel to the Seven Sisters.”
Roby inherited photographic skills from his father, K.J. Das, who had a penchant for capturing images on his camera. “Though my dad was an engineer by profession, i photography was his first love. I was encouraged to become a photographer because of his interest and guidance. I worked as an assistant cameraman for the Malayalam film industry. Then I did advertising photography in Bangalore before becoming a full-time travel photographer.”
Roby believes that photography captures the essence of the moment and expression in all its purity. “It is the most effective mode of communication. I take the help of photography to strike a conversation with strangers on the road, railway stations and public places.
His two-wheeler has been a close companion in the forays to the remotest corners of the country making Roby and his camera accessible to some of the most exquisite locations. The depletion of natural beauty and pollution of rivers concerns him. Through his profession, Roby's attempt has always been to create awareness about environmental degradation. He is an advocate for conserving the environment.
Roby's first photography exhibition was a select collection of 100 photographs mounted at AIFACS Art Gallery in 2008. Encouraged by the response, Roby ventured onto a solo motorcycle expedition that covered 12 States. The expedition “Road Eagle” was flagged off from Srinagar on March 3 and traversed a distance of over 7,000 km culminating on March 31 at Kanyakumari. On the way, he created awareness on road safety by distributing one lakh pamphlets on traffic rules.
