Fresh Frames

“We,shutterbugs,now want to be known for those ten perfect pictures that we have clicked,rather than a CD of 100 pictures which no will ever have the time to see,” says Ashish Sahni,16,as he perches over a tall building to take a long shot of Sector 17. A technique that he picked up at the just concluded workshop at CII-

Yi chapter. At the one-day event Sahni,in a batch of 70 also

acquired technical lessons in

optical zoom,aperture and shutter speed.

The Mass Communication Department of MCM College,kicked off its Photography Club this month. “The enthusiasm of students to learn photography is encouraging,” says Puneet Bedi,Principal of the College. He tells us the club was formed as a result of rising demand of students to learn photography. While,the club aims at nurturing budding photographers and providing them a platform to enhance their knowledge and skills in photography,they also hosted a caption-writing competition. “The event saw a rush of students vying to showcase their potential. Each wanted to add something creative to photographs,” Bedi,like many others,is taken aback by the number of youngsters who are taking photography seriously.

“Whoever said that digital age has made shutterbugs go easy on getting that perfect click in the first shot,has some serious rethinking to do. The increased exposure has indeed made them realize the importance of getting that perfect frame,” says ace-photographer Navneet Saxena,in between answering online queries. His inbox is flooded with youngsters,mostly in the age group of 15 to 23,asking him for photography tips.

While,some feel the increased interest in learning is because of a rise in the number and quality of exhibitions in town,others says the new space created online has taught them a thing or two. “Log on to Facebook or personal blogs,no one page is without photographs and these are not a series of photographs,of say,the same trip . There is one great picture that tells the whole story,” says Rana Gurtej Singh,an amateur photographer. He’s already hosting lessons for friends in Panjab University Law Department. They call professional photographers for instructional work like lectures and presentations,

review and exhibitions around the city. There is even a spot photography competition at Panjab University Youth Fest for the first time this year.