School and college students and regular visitors to the Visakha Museum enjoyed the exhibition of news photographs reflecting the myriad hues of life, put on display by the Vizag Photo Journalists Association at a two-day show organised on the occasion of World Photography Day.
While the students wondered at who shot the pictures and how they were taken, the regular visitors were captivated by the pictures of people going about their lives and different angles of the city landmarks.
What makes the over 190 frames on display, by 28 members of the VJPA, so important is that each one is exclusive.
Captivating
On display were some poignant frames capturing the mood of a mother trying to shield her daughter from the rain with a broken umbrella, a street-side acrobat and a starving old man trying to sit on the road divider in front of the District Collectorate.
More often than not the photojournalist does not have time to focus on the subject and has to trust the camera and shoot. But then it is not just aim and shoot, the photographer has to anticipate the opportunity and get the camera ready for capturing the frame when it happens, senior photojournalist K Bhaskara Rao explained.
For example, action photographs of a cricketer flying in the air to catch a ball, a wicketkeeper stumping a batsman scrambling to reach the crease, a boy falling off the footboard of a moving bus, or a protestor collaring a policeman, all these require the photojournalist to anticipate and have the camera focused waiting for some action and then trust the camera to capture the moment for eternity.
The news photographs showcasing the development of the city have helped promote the city among outsiders, Commissioner of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation B Ramanjaneyulu said after lighting the lamp to inaugurate the exhibition.
He was fascinated by some of the pictures of the city from a different angle and wanted to use them in the GVMC official presentations.
Such pictures speak with more clarity than any news report or a feature can, Vice Chairman of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority K Sasidhar said.
CP’s promise
The news pictures help the authorities learn about the issues and problems of the people, Commissioner of City Police J. Purnachandra Rao said. He also promised to help the photojournalists perform better by taking into account their requirements while covering events.
While applauding the photographs, we must also appreciate the hardships of the photographers behind the camera, Cheruvu Ramakotaiah of Visakha Air Travellers’ Association said. After going through the exhibition some of the students found it difficult to tell which one they liked the best. Vijay Raghunath, Ramakrishna, PN Murthy and other members of the VPJA were present.
