Visiting Mercedes Benz FIAP Nature Biennial World Cup exhibition at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad was one of the agendas for the last weekend. About 500 photographs involving 32 countries were on display at the exhibition which is on till October 12. Anil Kumble inagurated the exhibition and this exhibition provided an oppurtunity for people from all walks of life who visited the exhibition to understand the nuances of Wildlife and Nature photography.
Images varrying from Landscape to Extreme Macro to Birds with Kill and Mammals with Kill were up for display. The theme which India participated and won were corresponding to the themes “Bird with Kill” and “Mammals with Kill”.
Below are some of the key things which i “personally” felt like expressing through my blog and I admit all of them are my own views and there is no influence of who so ever around me regarding it.
a. Firstly presentation is the key to success – I was really overwhelmed by the presentation of images by France and Italy. This (art) is something which we have to learn (from Europeans) for future contests. Even a average or a small image when professionally and uniformly presented can give a whole together diff perspective to the image.
b. Prints make huge difference to web or any other “e” presentation. There was a slideshow of the images in one of the halls in CKP but one has to admit the joy of seeing the actual image in print is unmatched compared to the slideshow.
c. Pitty that people (“We”) still feel that its only super action or kill related or tight framed bird/mammal are the only images which can be considered as “good” wildlife / nature image. The macro images and animal scapes had even bigger impact I felt.
d. I personally felt the Landscape images had better dimension than many of the images of BOS or Portraits or action shots.
e. With regard to selection of images from our country – I did feel some of the senior (also read as Famous) and budding photographers alike had much better images (both technically and subject wise) than what had been finally shortlisted.
f. The “Group” (who proclaim that they are the only “art photographers” in India) need to start looking beyond their inner limits and open the stage open for much wider audience or participants to take part in such international contests than just themself handpicking entries with what ever visibility they have. A photographer need not be forced to be a part of a community/group to start participating in contests or taking good images.
g. Sharp images are good but “Oversharpened” images are &*^%$#. We definitely need to learn that excessive use of USM does not make the image outstanding/out of world (yeah images have won prize already – but just a thought!)
h. To who so ever immature audience who had come there who had fun taking their photos next to each and every photograph in the exhibition than actually appreciating the images and the effort by the photogrpahers – “Please Grow Up”.
A hearty congratulations to TEAM INDIA in winning the World Cup and special congrats to my friend Mandanna who won a induvidual prize in Mammals Projected image category and also big round of applause to all the people who were behind this huge event esp M N Jayakumar sir, Anil Kumble, Youth Photographic Society, each and every of the photographers who participated and have won their share of joyus moment.
NOTE: Anything and Everything told above are just my personal views and are expressed in my blog for sharing my thoughts and comments on the event. This does not relate or point to any induvidual or photographer or a group in any forms.