Newspapers are instant chronicles of history and news photographs are frozen frames of history. For a news photographer camera is just a tool that he or she uses to present a snapshot of events and occurrences. What make a good news photo stand out is the news sense of the photojournalist and his or her understanding of the culture and idiom.
The 110 news photos by 21 photojournalists of the Vizag Photo Journalists Association put up on show at the two-day exhibition organised by the VPJA at the Visakha Museum to mark the World Photography Day drive home the innate news sense of each of these chronicles of history.
One of the photos on display is one showing a woman shows her slipper to a riot policeman, geared in protective gear during the last year’s agitation in Vizianagaram, in a display of contempt to the administration’s effort to use brute force against ordinary citizens. There was another showing the Joint Collector writing notes at a grievance day in a dark room using light of an emergency lamp. The shadows may speak of the technical quality, but the news narrative is more important it talks of how even the district administration was crippled by the strike by electricity employees during the last year’s Samaikyandhra agitation.
Even though one would have seen these pictures in some or the other publication, they are a visual treat when viewed in the large size format at the exhibition. The frozen frames of history put up on show are a delight that is bound to linger in the minds for long. District Collector N. Yuvaraj told the students of different schools who gathered at the inauguration of the exhibition that visual narrative was important and was in vogue right from the days of cave carvings and paintings. He urged the students to get inspired by the visuals on display. GVMC Commissioner M. V. Satyanarayana, Curator of Visakha Museum M. N. A. Patrudu and senior journalists from various publications were present.
The exhibition will be open for public from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
