Photogenic Group Meet and Discussion on Photography (Held at Abanindra Sabhagriha on June 6, 2015)

So, the members of Photogenic photography community gathered at Abanindra Sabhagriha near Nandan on Saturday, June 6, 2015. The occasion was the 2nd meet of Photogenic group and it was scheduled to discuss photography compositions and viewing and discussion of some selected photographs clicked by the members of the group.

The meet started sharp at 5 pm in the evening. The inaugural speech was delivered by Mr. Asok Samaddar, one of the admins of the group. He talked about the significance of organizing such meets and photography workshops for our group. Subsequently, some selected snaps of renowned photographers like Steve McCurry were shown on slide show. I had the opportunity to see the photograph which made McCurry famous and it is none other than the "Afghan Girl", originally shot in 1984. This photo was featured in the National Geographic magazine and has remained an icon since then. Mr. Samaddar also stressed on viewing photos from famous websites besides clicking them and increased participation in various photo contests.

Two mentors of our group, Mr. Goutam Mitra and Mr. Sanat Kumar Das, both members of prestigious photography associations of Eastern India, were present and they discussed about some of the exquisite photographs they captured during different periods. After this, the members were given the opportunity to showcase their works and talk a few words about their creations. Photographs of 20 participants were shown via projector. Both the mentors adeptly pointed out the positives and negatives of each photo and discussed how they could have been represented in a better way. We also enjoyed the snacks break in between the slide show of the members' photographs. At around 8 pm in the evening, the meet came to an end with the concluding speech by Mr. Samaddar regarding the forthcoming events organized by the group. I really enjoyed this meet and would look forward to more such meets by Photogenic in the future which would give me the real opportunity to learn the nuances of digital photography.

The photo album link of the meet is given below.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.986980324667659.1073741884.672990912733270&type=1

Red Hibiscus Flower in Yellow Hibiscus Plant (A rare phenomenon)

Hibiscus is a flower which is integral to the rituals and customs of Hinduism, especially Kali puja. Worshiping Goddess Kali remains incomplete if we don't offer red hibiscus flower to venerate her. There is a devotional Bengali song "Mayer payer jaba hoye othna phute mon", sung by many popular singers including Pannalal Bhattacharya. In the garden of our co-operative society (Keramik Co-Operative Housing Society in Baishnabghata Patuli Township), there are few hibiscus plants, which include both red and yellow hibiscus. One day, I noticed that the yellow hibiscus plant near the boundary wall of our premises has blossomed a red hibiscus flower and this is quite an uncommon sight for me.

The day before the same thing had occurred but I did not have the opportunity to see that or photograph that since someone plucked the flowers very early in the morning. This day, I did not let off the chance and entered the garden with my Canon PowerShot SX500 IS point and shoot camera. I took two snaps of the flower from the side because it was difficult for me to get a view from the front as there was not much space. The link of the two photos is given below. Next blog coming up soon!

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.971206442911714.1073741883.672990912733270&type=3

Freedom of a Sandpiper (A lifetime experience)

When I went to Purbasthali, Chupi Char in Burdwan, last year, I had a wonderful experience and I would like to share this with everyone I know. I went there on 30th January 2014 along with my friends Bimalendu and Soumyadip and spent around four hours in the famous oxbow lake, clicking pictures of various indigenous and migratory birds. Birds from the distant Siberia can also be seen here during the winter months.

During our exciting boat ride, at around 12 o'clock, we noticed something odd in a particular area of the lake. A common sandpiper was trapped in a fishing net and it was in such a bad condition that it was impossible for itself to come out of the trap on its own. We immediately felt bad and tried to push our boat as close to the tangled bird as possible. It was in the middle of a ditch and due to shallow waters and other hindrances in it like branches of trees, weeds, and leaves, our boatman (majhibhai) faced tremendous difficulties to reach the spot. At last, we could reach there and free the bird from its predicament. I could not resist the temptation of taking a few shots of this bird of rare species and the link of the photos is given below.

About Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

The common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) is a tiny Palearctic wader bird. It belongs to the genus Actitis and hybridization also takes place between the green sandpiper and common sandpiper. Its wingspread is 32-35 cm and its length is around 18-20 cm for adults. It has some similarities with the spotted sandpiper but the latter is somewhat bigger in size. Common sandpiper usually feeds on insects, is gregarious in nature and prefers to live in flocks.
 
Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.718000324898995.1073741857.672990912733270&type=1

Trip to Hridaypur, Barasat (29/04/2015)

I often love to set out for small trips in and around Kolkata and click photos. 29th April (Wednesday) was one such day and I boarded the Barasat Garia bus at around 10:30 am in the morning. The destination was Hridaypur, an area in the municipal jurisdiction of Barasat. Parijat Bhattacharya, one of my friends whom I met on the Photogenic group meet, had invited me to his house. He is like my younger brother. It took me exactly two hours from Patuli to reach Dak Bungalow crossing. from where Petrapole (Bangladesh border) is 59.6 km and Krishnanagar (Nadia) is around 89 km. There is no specified limit of Hridaypur and Kora Badamtala joins it with Madhyamgram.

About Hridaypur

If you go by local train, the distance of Hridaypur railway station from Sealdah is around 21 km or 13 miles. You can also go there by bus and it would take around 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes from Garia, Hridaypur railway station forms a part of the Sealdah-Bongaon railway track. The railway track of Hridaypur railway station divides the whole locality into two - East and West Hridaypur. The closest bus stop is Dak Bungalow more. You can also get down at Hridaypur more, which lies at the intersection of Jessore Road and Hridaypur Station Road.

Hridaypur is not a very big place but the eastern segment stretches to NH (National Highway) 34. On the other hand, if you want to see the countryside areas, then you have to visit the western portion of the place, which is bigger than the eastern portion as well.

What makes Hridaypur famous

Hridaypur is mostly famous for Pranavananda Matri Ashram. This ashram serves as a public institution for caring for the orphan girls, set up with the concepts and doctrines of Swami Pranavananda, who established the Bharat Sevashram Sangha. There is a school inside the ashram, set up with the objective of educating the kids of the locality.

I was overwhelmed by the welcoming attitude at Parijat's home. They treated me like their family member. Some photos I clicked there are available in the following link.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.963877023644656.1073741881.672990912733270&type=1  

Photogenic Group Meet on April 19, 2015

April 19, 2015 is another day which will be etched into my mind forever. On this day, I attended the group meet of Photogenic, a photography group on Facebook with around 1,130 members. This was their second meet and I attended it for the first time. I only joined the group few days back and was overwhelmed by its warm, friendly and welcoming attitude towards the members.

19th was a Sunday and it was an idle afternoon for me. So, I decided to walk out and join the meet with my trusted companion 1100D. The venue was fixed at Rabindra Sadan and I reached there at around 4:15 pm.

Everything evolves with time and photography is no exception. Previously, photography was mostly meant for documenting some crucial events. However, the meaning of photography has changed. Photography is not only a means of documenting events, but also one of the most popular hobbies in the world. However, it still has to go a long way to get the status of other forms of art such as films, painting and sculpture. However, avid photographers like us can make a huge contribution towards turning photography into one of the best prevailing art forms in the world. In fact, we can work as indispensable elements in this noble endeavor.

As time passes by, we are gradually becoming inhabitants of a virtual world. With the advent of mobile photography and Internet, the trend of capturing photos has somewhat changed. We can't swim against the tide. However, our objective is to see photos, take photos, and discuss about photos. A number of practical aspects associated with photography were discussed at the meet and the outline of the discussion is given below:

1) Bi-monthly meetups: The group has the plan of arranging meetups after every two months at a venue convenient to all the members. Experienced photographers will be invited to share their valuable thoughts.

2) Photo-walks: Members are independent to go for photo walks. They just have to mention it on the group wall. No specific permission is required for this outing.

3) Photography exhibition: Photogenic also intends to organize a photography exhibition in January/February 2016 at The Academy of Fine Arts or Gaganendra Chitra Pradarshanshala. The idea is to get a sponsor. If no sponsor is found, members will make small personal contributions to make it successful.

4) Awarding members/photographers: Photogenic has the idea of awarding the best photographers of the group. Authors of the three best photos of the year will get this award. The award will be something which will help them advance into their domain of work.

5) World Photography Day: We all know that World Photography Day is on 19th August. The group has the plan of celebrating the day in a special manner, if possible.

6) Book publication in 2017 Kolkata Book Fair: If all these efforts become successful, the group also has the plan of bringing out a book with a compilation of photos clicked by all the members in Kolkata Book Fair 2017. People who are interested in photography will know more about our group through this initiative.

7) Registering the group: If everything goes fine, the group can also be registered in 2017. There are multiple advantages of this, especially in areas where special permission is required for photography.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.958160767549615.1073741880.672990912733270&type=1

Trip to Mohor Kunja (12/04/2015)

The 12th day of April 2015 will always remain a memorable day in my life. This is the first time I went for a meeting of a photography group of which I am a member. The venue of this trip was Mohor Kunja, lying just opposite to Rabindra Sadan and it was organized by the members and Admins of the photography group - Exposure - A Happy Family. The objective of this gathering was to hold a general meeting of the members of this group and discuss the long-term objectives of the group. Besides this, an executive committee was also elected. The meeting started at around 3:30 pm in the afternoon and broke up at around 6 pm. I had the chance to communicate with a number of experienced photographers who were mostly senior to me.

After this, we had some tea and refreshments and visited a photography exhibition organized by Light and Shadow at Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshanshala or Kolkata Information Center. It was a memorable experience for me and I am looking forward to more such trips.

A brief history of Mohor Kunja

Mohor Kunja, erstwhile Citizen's Park, is a popular urban park in the city. It is situated just opposite Rabindra Sadan, on Cathedral Road. It was first opened for the public in 2005 and then its name was Citizen's Park. The name of the park was changed to Mohor Kunja in 2007 in order to pay tribute to Kanika Bandyopadhyay, eminent Rabindrasangeet singer, who is famous among all Bengalis as Mohordi. Mohor Kunja is a top tourist draw in Kolkata not only for its musical fountains or lush green lawns, but also for its outdoor stage for organizing various cultural programs. There is no entry fee for this park.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.954142464618112.1073741879.672990912733270&type=1 

Trip To Patuli Nursery (11/02/2015)

There are a number of nurseries in Baishnabghata Patuli Township. They are closely located to Dhalai Bridge, just before Shahid Khudiram Metro Station. They draw a considerable number of onlookers and customers on a daily basis. People who love flowers throng these places and look for their favorite choices. Starting from Patuli four-point crossing, these flower vending shops are scattered along both sides of the Eastern Metropolitan Bye-pass.

Types of flowers displayed in these nurseries

Flowers displayed here in these nurseries include but not limited to orchids, petunia, rose, sunflower, hibiscus, ornamental cabbage, nayantara (Catharanthus roseus), marigold, strawberry and so on. These plants are regularly watered and tended by a number of people who work for the owners of these nurseries. There are many nurseries across Kolkata but these nurseries are quite big in comparison to them, displaying a wide array of known and unknown flowers.

I went there along with my photography enthusiast friend Kunalda on 11th February, 2015 and clicked around 120 photos with my Canon EOS 1100D. The photo album link is given below. This might help those who are keen to buy flowers to decorate their balcony or lawn.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.921679677864391.1073741876.672990912733270&type=3