State's first-ever Masterclass on Social Photography begins
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, November 11 2022:
A two-day Masterclass on Social Photography facilitated by Padma Shri awardee and renowned Mumbai-based photojournalist Sudharak Olwe began at Preview Theatre, MFSDS, Palace Gate here on Friday.
The first-ever photography class in the state is organised by Win Foundation Manipur in association with Photography Promotion Trust, Mumbai and Photo South Asia, USA.
Sunzu Bachaspatimayum, managing trustee of Win Foundation Manipur, introduced the Masterclass with a brief objective of his Trust which, he said, is founded by media professionals who are keen to empower the marginalised section, especially the youth by skilling them in media tools.
He also said that the Win Foundation identifies deserving students and provides them scholarships for their careers.
Manipur's famed photo-artist and journalist Ratan Luwang opened the class with an introduction to the status of photography in Manipur and its growth over the years.
He said that local photographers need to stay updated with the changing photo technology and be aware of how to present a story.
He expressed admiration for Sud-harak Olwe, who he met in Bangladesh in an international photo exhibition, for his photo presentation style and his perseverance to get to the essence of his story.
Ratan then said: "It's the first Masterclass in social photography held in Manipur.
There is a need to understand the importance of storytelling through images.
We struggled a lot in the initial days as we were unaware of how to present a powerful story that evokes emotions and human aspect through images.
But today visual storytelling has gained a lot of currency and it is crucial for all of us to understand these nuances" .
Sudharak Olwe has traversed the length and breadth of the country over the years and documented the lives of the people who hail from marginalised backgrounds.
He was conferred the Padma Shri, India's 4th highest civilian award, by the President of India in 2016.Be it his rare projects on Manipur like 'Meira Paibies - grandmothers of Manipur from Ima Market' or 'The Refugee' - photos of children from refugee camps, or the project of maternal and child malnutrition in tribal areas, the project of documenting the lives of the women in the sex trade in Kamathipura - the red-light area of Mumbai, Maharashtra, the participants were familiarised on the nuances of throwing light on the human aspect through visual storytelling when it comes to social issues.
The Masterclass saw participants, comprising professional photographers, amateurs and university students enthusiastic to learn about photography and visual storytelling, engaged in discussions on the art and process of storytelling, consent in photography and so on.
The participants also got a chance to share their own pictures, and their photo-stories and received feedback from Olwe and Luwang.