Photography speaks a language of its own and the photographs of these eight third year BFA students of Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) will take you on a journey through the states of Telangana, Karnataka, Mahara-shtra, Ladakh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. “Pooja and I were just hanging around, talking about our photographs, when we realised the need to showcase our work. We spoke to our friends who were also into travel photography and selected a few of the best frames for the display,” shares one of the photographers, Rajaa Farhan.
The eldest of the lot, Barkha Merani, shares why she chose to venture into photography at the age of 40. “I had gone through various situations in my life. Photography for me is a way of expressing myself and about capturing the soul of the place,” she says. Describing her favourite shot, she adds, “When I was travelling to Ladakh, I got to know that the youngest member of a family goes on to become a monk. One day at a prayer meet, I saw a 2-year-old boy almost dropping off to sleep. He didn’t know what he was doing and why. The frame spoke about the helplessness and innocence of the child in a single shot.” Coming from a photography background, it was a natural progression for Pranavi Gupta. But that was not the case with the others. It took a lot of convincing for Pooja Mulchandani, Ailia Jameel and Sai Ram to take up photography professionally.
“Our parents were of the typical mindset that photography can’t be a career choice. But now, after seeing our work, they are proud of what we have achieved. They loved the shoot I did in Bylakuppe, a Tibetan settlement between Coorg and Mysore,” says Ailia.
Vivekanand Pokala says that he now plans to shoot a snow deer, which is a rare capture.
Shreekhar Khajandar, another member from the team, loves monochromatic work. “Colours do add a vibrant touch and capture one’s attention but if one has to tell a story through their soul, I think monochrome is the best way,” he says.
