Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath was transformed into a colourful mini-India recently as he ‘Spirit of India’, a three-day photography exhibition, was held here. The exhibition was organised by ‘TGis’ (Thank God It’s Saturday), a group of photographers who meet on weekends to shoot, and Bengaluru School of Arts and Photography (BSOAP), one of the oldest photography schools in the City.

The collection included a repertoire of Indian motifs, including culture, festivals, landscapes, nature, people, animals, etc. Anand Sharan, director of BSOAP and founder of TGiS, said that curating the exhibition was challenging but interesting.
“It was tough to select the best 83 from over 300 photographs. In my own photographs and in the selection process, I laid a lot of emphasis on composition, not the technical aspect. But we avoided photographs that were clicked on a trial and error basis or had any content or digital manipulation,”

explained Anand, adding, “Most of the photographers are my students and it’s
been amazing to see their journey with the camera.”  Shankar Subramanian, founding member of TGiS, said that exhibitions like this are necessary as they allow
amateurs to know how they fare by professional standards.

“What often happens is that people learn the theory but don’t practise it. With
exhibitions like this, people go out and get a chance to  shoot their perception of the beautiful tapestry of India. Last year, our exhibition ‘Clicked2Help’ raised
Rs 2.3 lakh for the Karnataka chapter of Multiple Sclerosis Society of India. This year,
we have 83 photographs by 38 Bangalore-based photographers and hope that the response is even better.

All proceeds will go to Rotary RMV for their service projects,” said Shankar. He informed that the pricing was standardised – the 20’ x 30’ prints cost Rs 5,500 each, the 12’ x 24’ prints cost Rs 4,500 each and the 12’ x 18’ prints cost Rs 3,500 each. Considering that many of the photographers were working professionals who pursued this passion only on weekends, the quality of images was noteworthy.

Siddiq Zaman, whose abstract composition of weeds in Hebbal Lake and photograph of the Hesaraghatta grasslands were on display, said that this was a great opportunity for amateur photographers. “I’m participating in the exhibition for the second time. It’s great to see this effort because amateurs don’t get a chance to showcase their work. Such exhibitions are a real morale booster,” he noted.

   Uttam Panda, another photographer whose work was being showcased,
added, “I’m a software engineer by profession but on weekends, I see the world through my camera lens. The group has really helped me hone my skills and create possibilities for people to convert their hobby into their profession. It feels good to see my photographs in a frame.”