The Great Outdoors

“At the age of 24,many would feel I am too young to have a solo show but I know I am ready. Photography has been with me through school and college years and I wanted to start with an exhibition in my hometown,” says Sharma. A graduate from the University of Wisconsin,Milwankee,USA,he speaks to us on Skype,as we look at his 28 frames that take one through beautiful locales.

If one photograph zooms in on melting snow on a tree that is balanced half on the shore and half in the sea,another is a close-up shot of pebbles in clear water. Sharma captures the clarity of the pebbles and their colour,shape and texture with professional dexterity. “These are from hiking trips in one of the national state forests in the United States,” says Sharma,as he talks about other images that showcase luminous landscapes,clear beaches and various hues in the skyline. But one photograph that catches attention is that of a beachside,with the sun in the backdrop and a bonfire set in such a way that it resembles a wrecked boat. “It was taken at the City of Mequon,during one of my many trips as a sailor,” says Sharma,adding that he is happiest when surrounded by nature and his photographs reflect that. While Essence pictures a forest divided into three zones — green trees,red sand and pearl white snow — Nature is a close-up of a beach on a sunny morning. The photographs make for perfect postcards or calendar art.

“I travel across the US to get the perfect setting and do not hesitate to camp in places with freezing temperatures either,” says Sharma,as he shows a photograph that has a shack in the middle of what looks like nowhere. There’s only one photograph that has a human figure in it and is shot at Kettle Moraine

Forest,which has his friend Cooper standing in the open fields.

The exhibition is on at Girl in the Cafe,Sector 17,till February 12.