Symbiosis Focuses on Photography
Amy Mehta
Symbiosis School of Photography celebrated
the beginning of a journey for the batch 2017-
20 with a panel of honorable guests and a
room full of young budding photographers.
As a part of the event, a display of a hundred
vintage cameras, dating back to 1870 was
organized for the students to enjoy a hands-
on experience!
Mr. Sanjeev Deorukhkar, the Guest of Honor,
is a renowned photographer and a proud
owner of over eight hundred vintage cameras
and equipment. Thanks to Mr. Deorukhkar’s
passion for collecting cameras in Kolhapur,
the students went back in time and developed
a realistic understanding of the history of
photography. What would normally be
learned via a traditional lecture could be
learned by physically seeing how cameras
developed over centuries.
From the early 19th century-made pinhole
camera to the then “trendy” polaroids, the
students understood the functioning and
output of every camera displayed. They even
had their very own “Kodak” moment when
they witnessed ‘the Brownie’, a camera from
early 1900s in action. ‘The brownie’ is a basic
cardboard box with a simple meniscus lens
that took 2 1/4 –inch square pictures on a
117 roll film. The display of antique cameras
kept the crowd captivated as they saw various
kinds of pinhole cameras, large format,
underwater, and even spy cameras!
The learning that took place through this
display of vintage cameras, gave the students
a higher regard for the inventors and their
inventions. It definitely instilled a sense
of gratitude and admiration among the
spectators of this terrific exhibit.
Dr. Rajini Gupte, Vice Chancellor, Symbiosis
International University (SIU) prompted
the students to broaden their horizons by
thinking differently and dealing with their
environments more effectively to realise
their potential. Mr. Harminder Singh, one
of the top ranked photographers in the
country with an experience of over thirty
years in the industry was the Chief Guest. He
emphasized on the importance of thought
process over technology. Mr. Singh also
vehementlyadvocated that there were no
shortcuts to success and one must strive for
excellence
through
hard work – he said, “to
cut down a tree in five
minutes, spend three
minutes sharpening it.”
In closing, Mr. Nithil
Dennis, Director of
Symbiosis School of
Photography cheered students to strive for
excellence and seek beauty in the little things!
Symbiosis School of Photography offers a
unique three-year Bachelor of Arts degree
in Visual art and Photography at SIU’s
picturesque Lavale campus. With an intake
of 50 students every year, the programmeis
designed with a holistic viewin the domain
of photography to train and guide students
in ten specializations. Students enjoy state-
of-the-art facilities with access to five full-
fledged studios and quality photography
equipment. The course is designed to drive
students to excel in decision making, digital
understanding,
communication,
self-
confidence, oral presentation, collaboration,
self-analysis, research, and marketing skills.
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