Young photographers shine bright under the shade of the flag

Aspiring photographers from Neelum Colony were given the opportunity to explore their talent

KARACHI: Art has no boundaries and therefore cannot be restricted to a select few; it is a medium for everyone to find out their hidden capabilities.

This sentiment was echoed at the 'Is Saye Kay Parcham Talay' [Under the flag of this shade], organised by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr, grandson of Pakistan Peoples Party founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, on Sunday at his house in Clifton, for children between the ages of eight and 20 from Neelum Colony to explore their photography skills and talents. The children were given the freedom to explore the world through a camera lens. They were given disposable cameras to capture beauty and interesting things around them, the best of which were selected and displayed at the exhibition.



Every child brought something interesting to the exhibition. A young boy, Sonu, captured a tub with water being poured into it from above and explained that it was a metaphor for how necessary water is in our lives. "I wanted to capture the moment the water strikes the ground," he added.

Another participant, Neha, took pictures of Hindu idols, which she considers the most important thing in her life.

"We have given a chance to these kids to capture whatever they like," explained Bhutto. He also distributed certificates among the children for their efforts. He added that they chose a small neighbourhood in Neelum Colony where mostly Hindu, Christian and Sikh families reside to recruit children for their photography project.



Some parents were also present at the exhibition and seemed quite excited to view their children's photography. These opportunities are rare for our children, so we are thankful to the organisers as it was a learning experience for all the kids, said the mother of a young girl named Enjila, who took a beautiful shot of the courtyard in her house.

The 20 children were given 10 days to take photographs of the world around them. The opportunity was one that these children would not be able to experience on their own and gave them a chance to explore their skills and passion for photography.

Kanwal, a young girl with three photographs on display, told The Express Tribune that while the children were aware that their photos might not be technically perfect, they enjoyed being able to capture whatever they liked.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2016.