Sobha 2008
Amateur Nature Photography Contest and Exhibition:
By Ranga Chandrarathne
[email protected]
The work of nearly 500 photographers consisted in the Photography
Contest Sobha 2008, the forerunner to a programme on environmental
conservation initiated by DFCC Bank, the pioneer development bank and
its subsidiary Vardhana Bank.
The Contest and Exhibition was held on October 4 and 5 at the Lionel
Wendt Art Gallery. The exhibition featured 1,000 photographs on the
theme: ‘The Beauty of Sri Lanka’. The Contest held in a bid to encourage
new talent in the photography industry drew an overwhelming response.
“This is a unique opportunity for youth of our country to showcase
their talents through the appreciation of nature. This country has been
abundantly blessed with beautiful sights, flora and fauna.
We take it for granted that they will be around no matter how we
treat them”, said Rosheeni Wijesekara, Head of Group Corporate
Communications.
The exhibition is the first of a series of activities to raise
awareness on the need to preserve our environment. DFCC Bank hopes to
couple this programme with a corporate social responsibility initiative.
Though the exhibits are by amateur photographers, the work can hardly
be considered immature because they are extremely beautiful; most of the
contestants have captured defining moments of nature. Among other
things, the photographs remind us of the unparallel beauty of Sri Lanka
and how abundantly gifted by mother nature.
It should be noted that unlike any other field, nature photography is
an art which needs keen sense of observation and ability to capture
unusual movement or change in fauna and flora.
For instance, Gayan Pushpakumara captures subtle moments of a bird
and at time, he focuses on a lizard or a dragon fly. Although these
moments would not have attracted by a busy person who would pass by it,
Gayan was sensitive enough to focus his camera on seemingly
insignificant actions of animals. However, J.D.A.C. Piyadasa has
captured the Sri Lankan leopard in full swing.
It is a rare moment and apart from his power of observation, it
depicts the leopard in air with all its leg above the ground. As the
focus is on the leopard, the backdrop of the snap is blurred.
Kapila Weeratunga’s work is one of the rare pictures on nature. He
has captured the bright sun rays filtered through the forest cover into
a rain forest.
Apart from the surreal effect generated by the contrasting light and
shade in the section of the forest which is not fully exposed to sun
rays and the one which is exposed to maiden rays, the picture without
doubt reminds us of a paradise. A competent panel of professional
photographers selected the photographs.
The best entries at *Sobha 2008* will be featured on the DFCC
calendar for 2009. It is hoped that the event will be an annual
feature.n |
