Ready. Set. Shoot: Bringing creativity to life

KARACHI: Alliance Française de Karachi in collaboration with Fuji Films has opened its doors to showcase the work of amateur photographers in an exhibition titled 'Aaj Ka Random'.

Speaking about the initiative, the man spearheading the project, Sajid Dadabhoy, said it started as a closed group on Facebook.

Obaid Chawala

"I would click pictures on a daily basis and tag friends to it titling the clicks as 'Aaj Ka Random'. With the passage of time my friends started doing the same and invited their friends to this group," he explained. The group was made for people to appreciate and cherish different things in their life which have been captured through the camera, he said.

Saira Malik

Johara Alatas

Dadabhoy informed that "Participants include [different people] from 38 cities over the world with as many as 57 photographers, including 40 women."

The photographs included a varied range of themes and topics. Some focused on nature and animal life from Saira Malik photographing a squirrel perched on a tree to Aliya Imran capturing a crow drinking water from water pond and Annie Holbrook's click of a dog running near the ocean's shore.

Amir Islam focused on capturing different shots of landscapes, cultural heritage and people in Pakistan. His images include Shah Jehan Masjid in Thatta, a young girl's portrait from Harappa and a view of the Hussaini Bridge in Hunza Valley.

Amir Islam

Ihsan Nusrat

Speaking about his images, Islam said "I find a lot of potential of tourism in Pakistan, however, the lack of law and order has gravely affected this industry." People here are afraid of camping while the transport system is not up to mark either, he added.

Another photographer, Johara Alatas, one of the few participants who were present at the event, claimed she has been experimenting with the camera for the last 20 years "for the sake of some fun."

Her work captures three landscapes in three different countries including fish in a river in Malaysia, beautiful landscape of Bali, Indonesia, and Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.

Alliance Française, Karachi, director Jean-Francois Chenin told The Express Tribune that he found the images to be "beautiful and spontaneous. Let's see how the critics view and review [the work of these amateur artists]."

The show will continue till September 29.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2016.