Profile --- In Love With Surrealism: Swarnendu Ghosh

"Profile"

-In Love With Surrealism- Swarnendu Ghosh

Born in Berhampore, (district Murshidabad, West Bengal-India), Swarnendu Ghosh AFIAP, FFIP, is associated with a well known IT services company as a software engineer. Swarnendu is a human being with an inventive taste. He keeps himself busy in giving shape to his imaginations through his camera and editing tools during the moments of leisure. He captures the subjects through the lens and then treats them with his mind's eye, compassion, love and sentiments. He is currently working on dark-surreal photography which is a combination of Dark Art and Surrealism.

He has got numerous acceptances and awards in photography competitions worldwide. His recent achievement is U.P State Lalit Kala Academy Award.

He is currently residing in Kolkata – the city of joy. His wife, Rudrita is also a passionate photo-artist.

Beside photography, Swarnendu takes interest in listening to music and doing painting. He loves folk music of countries around the world. This music inspires him to paint and to make surreal images.

According to Swarnendu, “Poets express their views through poetry and so writers through their writings. I love to express my philosophy towards life through art-photography. For me, photography is not only a medium to capture a moment of life but also a very strong medium to express my inner mind.”

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma

Event - “6th IIPC World Photography Day Annual Photo Contest-2012”

--Event--

“6^th IIPC World Photography Day Annual Photo Contest-2012”

Photography is accepted as an important branch of fine art globally. India International Photographic Council’s contribution to encourage this form of art has always been admirable. The organisation’s ‘World Photography-Day Annual Photo Contest’ is an occasion that gives opportunity to the photography lovers to share and polish their talent.

Similar to previous years, this year also the response of participants towards this contest was quite encouraging. A total of 512 entries from 38 participants from different parts of the country were received in five categories, namely B/W Pictorial, Colour Pictorial, Nature, Photo Journalism and Photo Travel. The entries covered a series of subjects. Out of total entries, 158 photographs got acceptances, 05 photographs received awards and 15 photographs got Certificates of Merit. The award winners are:

(1). Mr. G. Jaya Siva Rama Rao (Lakkavaram, Andhra Pradesh) for “Finishing Touch” (B/W Pictorial Section).

(2). Mr. V. K. R. S. Sarma (Nedunuru, Andhra Pradesh) for “Playing Cart” (Colour Pictorial Section).

(3). Mr. Satpal Singh (Lakhimpur Kheri, U.P) for “In Trap of Death” (Nature Section).

(4). Mr. T. Srinivasa Reddy (Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh) for “Irresponsible” (Photo Journalism Section).

(5). Mr. Vaibhav Jaguste (Thane, Maharashtra) for “Leh Monestry” (Photo Travel Section).

Dr. Pankaj Sharma, AIIPC, FFIP, IIPC Platinum, Mr. Bijan Das, LIIPC Mr. Deepak Ghosh, LIIPC, Mr. Gopal Sharma and Dr. Kamran Khan, LIIPC were Jury Members.

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma (Contest Chairman)

“Finishing Touch” By Mr. G. Jaya Siva Rama Rao, Lakkavaram - (Award--B/W Pictorial Section)

“Playing Cart” By Mr. V. K. R. S. Sarma, Nedunuru, - (Award--Colour Pictorial Section)

“In Trap of Death” By Mr. Satpal Singh, Lakhimpur Kheri - (Award--Nature Section)

“Irresponsible” By Mr. T. Srinivasa Reddy, Vijayawada - (Award--Photo Journalism Section)

“Leh Monestry” By Mr. Vaibhav Jaguste, Thane- (Award--Photo Travel Section)

Judging in Progress

Why do we celebrate 19th August as “World Photography Day”

Why do we celebrate

19th August as

“World Photography Day”

19th August is celebrated as "World Photography Day" all over the world every year. Most of us await the day with great enthusiasm and rejoice this day by organizing photo exhibitions, competitions, lectures, workshops, seminars etc. But a very few of us know why 19th August is celebrated as World Photography day. In fact the first announcement of a photograph was made on 19th August, 1839 in France. Francois Arago, 25^th Prime Minister of France, on 19th August, 1839, gave a presentation to the French Academie des Sciences and Academie des Beaux Arts, which described Daguerre’s process of photography (Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre was a French artist and physicist. He is recognized for his invention of the daguerreotype process of photography. He is known as one of the fathers of photography). Arago discussed its evaluation, predicted its brilliant future and offered its free use to the world (PSA Journal article, January-1989, 150 Years of Photography, By: Mr. George. E. Helmke, FPSA). In this way, the details of photography process were made public.

The India International Photographic Council (IIPC), New Delhi, under the guidance of its founder, Mr. O. P. Sharma, the world famous pictorial photographer of India, contacted many distinguished photographic luminaries, important ones in the field of photography art and photographic organisations of different countries to set a day to be celebrated as World Photography Day every year. The response was very satisfactory and the proposal was accepted in different countries. India International Photographic Council started celebrating World Photography Day 19^th August from 1991. Since then, 19^th August is observed as World Photography Day all through the world annually.

-----Dr. Pankaj Sharma

"Great Masters"

With Purity of Vision

B. K. Agrawal

Friends,

Born on 15^th February, 1955 at Bolangir, Orissa (India) in a business family, Mr. B. K. Agrawal had deep interest in different games and yoga in his childhood days. His fell in love with photography at the tender age of twelve when his brother gifted him a Kodak box camera. His eternal journey of creativity started step by step with Click III, Billy Record, Yashica Mat, Minolta SRT 303, and finally Nikon. Very soon he built up his own vision to observe the creations of God. He was interested in portraits and figure study since beginning. With his hard working tendency he established his identity as a master of these branches. He portrays human beings with originality of approach. His clicks seem pure, fresh and spontaneous.

Mr. Agrawal has so far 800 acceptances and more than 100 awards in different National and International salons of art-photography. India International Photographic Council has honoured him with most coveted Fellowship (FIIPC) in the year 1999 in Fashion and advertisement section. Academy of Visual Media, New Delhi has honoured him with Life Time Achievement Award in 2007.

He has conducted many fashion photography workshops in different parts of India. He has been a trainer for studio lighting for Companies like Kodak Limited. He is a gracious human being and feels himself in high spirits while helping the art-lovers. His style of educating is so impulsive and effective that even a beginner can easily understand the concepts of art.

Presently he resides in Visakhapatnam and looks his family business in Automobile tyres and tubes.

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma

Dashboard : "On The Way To Munsiyari"

"Dashboard"

On The Way to Munsiyari

Friends,

This time I am before you with a photograph, “On the Way to Munsiyari”. I was on a trip to Munsiyari (Uttarakhand, India) during the winters of 2011. This is a scenic place of North India. We can enjoy the amazing sight of magnificent Panchchuli Peaks from here. This was an evening when I passed through a small village. I watched a lady with a small girl at one side of the road. They were with a few containers, most likely for bringing water. A heavy vehicle, a moment ago, had passed speedily from the place. As a result, the dust rose in atmosphere. The sun light passing through the dust and falling on a particular portion of the land created magic. Furthermore, the greenery around the place and the house in background added charm to the scene. I used a Nikon D-90 camera with 18-105 mm lens to capture this moment. The aperture was 5.6 and the shutter speed was 1/200 sec. ISO was set at 200.

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma

My View : Camera Verses Vision

“My View”

Camera Verses Vision

Friends,

Creativity is the inborn quality of human beings. Man has given birth to various visual arts due to his innovative taste. To express the inner thoughts in artistic way, there is always a need of some tools or medium. A painter gives shape to his thoughts through different colours, brush and canvas. A sculptor carves a piece of stone through some instruments. Likewise a photo-artist needs a camera and other equipments to make a picture. A few art lovers (particularly beginners) think that a tool (camera) is the assurance of getting excellent pictures. They are right to an extent. Here we will have to consider two aspects, the technical and the aesthetical. No doubt, a high end camera is essential for a technically perfect image. So far the aesthetical aspect is concerned; this is the vision of an artist which results into an artistically perfect photograph. At this point the example of a writer is worth mentioning. A good pen is off course a requirement to record the thoughts of a writer; however this is the vision of that author which results into a good composition. The same is with the art of photography. We can never ignore the importance of a good camera in order to get finest images but vision is always higher than any equipment. Swedish painter and photographer, O. G. Rejlander has rightly said, “It is the mind of the artist, and not the nature of his materials, which makes his production a work of art.”

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma