If you ask me as a trainer which session was the most exciting for the children at the Sheopur photography workshop, and expect me to say ‘shooting’ that would be incorrect.
While shooting did generate high excitement because of the rides, new places and the freedom to use the camera, it was the review of their photos that the children most eagerly looked forward to.
Every shoot was followed by a review: what worked, what didn’t and why. And despite being tired after the outing in the scorching sun, children were the first to assemble in the hall awaiting results of their efforts.
Enlarged photos were shown to them and the photographer will share what made him or her click that image, what worked out and what didn’t. Then the rest of the children will share their comments. Unlike adults children need no coaxing to comment on each others photos. They were forthright. And as the images were projected on to a screen one after the other, children's comments just followed:
‘She has cut off the top of the fort. She could have turned the camera to the vertical position to include it.’
‘The house is small. He should have gone closer, it would then be a better photo’
‘The people are too stiff, they could have been more at ease’
‘I like the reflection of the tree in the water, I too would like to try it’
And when an image appeared on the screen which almost everybody felt was a perfect picture and clapped for it, Prithiviraj Meena, Std IV, GPS Bijarpur, Sheopur, stood up and drew our attention to a subtler aspect:
‘Bahoot achcha hai lekin thoda soonsan hai’ [A perfect picture but looks a bit deserted]
I realised it was time for me to pack my bags and move on to the next workshop at Bhatinda, Punjab.
Author: Rajendra Shaw, a freelance photographer is training children, men and women through Naandi's Freedom of Expression project.
1 comment:
When you are born in a parish where you have incalculable experiences which you crave to share with others to make them known to the accredited world outside you, the only viable option that you arrive unanimously is the medium. Naandi foundation has instigated to provide this medium to the speechless subalterns, who by using the media technologies can make the world to acquaint with their narrations. In today’s commercialized media industry, modicum of TV channels has the time to represent these unrepresented masses.
Naandi’s Freedom of expression project will facilitate these marginalized children to capture the world around them to liberate their subjugated thoughts.
Freedom of expression in this pro west liberal democratic world is of canonical importance. But as perceive it freedom of expression itself is the concept of the west that in India is borrowed. So my point is why we need a borrowed title for this authentic work, why don’t we give it our own title, the title that is more innovative and more apt for the project.
Raoofmir
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