Photography exhibition: 8 days, 65 photographers and an infinite space of ideas

Young participants from across K-P Khyber Agency come together to highlight what they think is important in the region

PESHAWAR:

“We want to highlight the peace and beauty of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P),” said Ayesha Saifullah, one of the participants of the two-day photography exhibition organised by student societies and the Pakistan-US Alumni Network.

Launched on Tuesday, the event was held at the University of Peshawar (UoP), titled, ‘Model National Geographic Photo Camps and Exhibition 2014’.

Sixty-eight participants – mostly from K-P and Khyber Agency – displayed their work after eight days of photography training. More than 200 made up the exhibit, creating a diverse body of work.

“I have tried to capture the culture and heritage that exists everywhere, around us; I want to project a positive image of our society,” Safiullah added.

Another amateur photographer, Sadam Hussain Shinwari from Khyber Agency, managed to capture the beauty of a football ground; always busy with football players, however, under the shadow of guns. This, Shinwari believes, has made a dent in the number of healthy activities that take place in the region.



“The world only sees one aspect of our area – guns and wars. But what about our vibrant cultural, social and intellectual life? No one talks about it,” said Shinwari.

Other budding photographers had photographed the miseries of poverty, child labour and other burning issues plaguing society.

According to Saira Ali, whose photograph of schoolchildren won second prize, her work “was meant to create awareness about the darker side of society – where people face several layers of issues.”

In the few days of training, Ali managed to capture hundreds of images from across the province, but displayed her three best photographs.

UoP Photography Society Media Manager Waqas Khan told The Express Tribune, “The purpose of this activity is to give young people a chance to learn photography, a positive activity which is acceptable by society.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2014.