The recently concluded 8th Kolkata Photo Festival, arranged by ‘Photography Chorcha’, a Kolkata-based photography club (of which Dr Ashutosh Jana is a member) in Mohar Kunja, was a spectacular affair.
The Honourable Councillor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Debasis Kumar, inaugurated the exhibition of club members’ photographs.
On the second day of the festival, ‘Basanta Utsav’ was celebrated by Renesa Dance Academy, where visitors were entertained by stage shows performed by the Academy’s participants. Various categories of photographs were displayed in the exhibition. However, the stall by Dr Ashutosh Jana stood out from others.
Dr Ashutosh Jana, a practicing ophthalmologist, showcased 20 photographs of portraits and landscapes. His theme in the show was ‘Art and Photography’. As photography is the art of capturing light with a camera, he emphasised that all photographers are artists.
However, merely pressing the shutter of a camera doesn’t always produce a work of art. In most cases, the image has to be improved in the light room during post-processing.
“Photographs are made, not taken,” is the famous quote of legendary photographer Ansel Adams, said Dr Jana.
In this exhibition, most of his photographs were of women in various moods, as the opening day coincided with International Women’s Day. Some images taken at the Prayagraj Mahakumbh this year were also included in his stall, which was highly appreciated by the viewers.