Satish Lal Andhekhar photographed the mass nesting process of ‘Aribada’ or Olive Ridley turtles on the beaches of Odisha. Photo Credit: Indian Photo Festival 2024

The Indian Photo Festival (IPF) 2024, to be held in Hyderabad from November 21 to January 5, will be its tenth edition. The annual festival will resume, offering workshops, masterclasses and portfolio reviews to help aspiring and emerging photographers improve their craft. Interactive sessions and exhibitions entice visitors to consider photography as an art form and as a storytelling tool, as well as a reminder of photography in the pre-digital age.

IPF Founder and Director Aquin Matthews says, “Since IPF’s founding a decade ago, we have used images to give participants a 360-degree view of photography as an art form and to sensitize people to important issues. Have tried to do.” To illustrate the impact of photography, he gives the example of an architecture student visiting IPF in 2022; Seeing Smita Sharma’s photographs on the rehabilitation of trafficking victims, she was inspired to join a voluntary organization to help similar victims.

Aquin remembers hearing a talk by Chris Rainier, a National Geographic explorer, documentary photographer and filmmaker in Australia a decade ago. “His talks inspired me to organize a photography festival in India and this resulted in the establishment of IPF.” Since then efforts were going on to make Rainier a part of the festival. This year, the photographer is one of the speakers and will be exhibiting his images in an exhibition titled Masks.

Chris Rainier’s participation is one of the highlights of this year’s IPF. Aquin, who frequently travels to international photo exhibitions and is constantly on the lookout for interesting work, says that IPF hosts workshops, masterclasses, and facilitates portfolio reviews, as well as showcasing curated exhibitions (physical and digital). Will continue to build on its existing format.

review

Between exhibitions, pay attention to retrospectives. The Photography Strictly Prohibited exhibition will showcase selected works of (the late) cinematographer and still photographer Nowruz Contractor.

A photo of Pt. Navroz Contractor by Bhimsen Joshi | Photo Credit: Indian Photo Festival 2024

Twin Sisters with Camera will showcase photographs by Deblina Majumdar and Manobina Roy, who were among India’s early women photographers.

Did you know that Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya of Tripura (1837-1896), ancestor of Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, was one of the first people to own a still camera in India, along with Lala Deen Dayal? Prints of the Maharaja’s photographs will be displayed in the exhibition Reflection of an Era. “It is interesting to know how the Maharaja took photographs of his family and his surroundings. He even took a selfie (in 1885) using a long pneumatic bulb remote control,” explains Aquin.

homegrown talent

Hyderabad-based photographer Kishore Krishnamurthy’s exhibition will present a view of the General Elections 2024, taking a close look at the campaigns of major political parties in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Budding photographer Rajesh Vailepu turns his attention to Telangana’s Pirla Panduga, which is celebrated by both Hindu and Muslim communities during Muharram, showcasing religious harmony.

Bhumika Saraswati’s exhibition Unequal Heat will focus on the glaring difference with which different economic classes try to cope with the scorching heat in summers.

in international headlines

Chris Rainier’s photo of Kathakali artistes in Kerala. Photo Credit: Indian Photo Festival 2024

Exhibitions showcasing the work of international photographers range from the displacement of indigenous tribes in the Amazon jungle (Pablo Albarrenga’s Seeds of Resistance – Human Stories Beyond the Trees) to the anti-LGBTQ bill in Ghana (Clara Watt’s exhibition The Promotion of Prosperity). Focused on issues. Human Sexual Rights and Family Values) and Violence Against Women and Its Emotional Wounds (Silent Screams – a group show), and many others. A selection of exhibitions also focus on environmental issues ranging from marine plastics, food and hunger to the conservation of Olive Ridley turtles off the coasts of Odisha. “All of these issues – environment, gender and human rights – have global resonance,” Aquin says of the curation.

Nicole Tung, considered one of the finest contemporary war photographers, will also conduct a session at the IPF. Matt Black of Magnum Photos, recognized internationally for his documentary photography, will conduct a masterclass. “Their workshops usually cost ₹60,000 to a lakh, but IPF is offering the sessions for free,” says Aquin.

(Indian Photo Festival 2024 will be held at the State Gallery of Art, Goethe Zentrum and other venues. For a detailed program of workshops, masterclasses and exhibitions, visit Indianphotofest.com)