Shoot at Sight

It might look like just another torn leaf to many,but for Sanjay Kumbkarni,it’s an object of beauty — one that tells the story of the entire cosmos in one glance. So,he captures it using his camera. Kumbkarni feels that the dying leaf is providing support to a spider web as a fresh leaf is looking at it in admiration. The thorns are standing in an upright position,as if to protect it,while sunset brings in hues of blue,grey and orange. “Looking at this one leaf was like looking at life. So,I wanted to freeze the moment,” says the city-based photographer,looking at his photo. The exhibition hall at Punjab Kala Bhavan has 48 of his ‘nature’ photographs on display,in a show titled ‘My Little Finger’. Most of these pictures zoom in on one object at a time.

“Working with the Geological Survey of India took me to various places and that broadened my horizons,” says Kumbkarni,adding,“While on the job,I was happy to research on various aspects of nature and would keep taking shots if I liked something.” But this was until about a fortnight ago — until the day he decided to quit his job as a geologist and let the shutterbug in him take charge. “I now want to take a closer look at life,explore things and start from a fresh perspective,” he says,moving to showcase his favourite work — purple flowers blossoming against the backgroud of dry trees,with the moonlight adding a touch of romanticism. Incidentally,he also gives elaborate poetic captions to his works. “These are verses that come to my mind the moment I set my frame. They are as spontaneous as my pictures,” says Kumbkarni.

The exhibition is on at Punjab Kala Bhavan,Sector 16,till October 23