Author: VIBGYOR Group of Schools

Every child is seen clicking photographs these days, opening up avenues of their becoming potential photographers. VIBGYOR conducted a series of ‘Capture Your Imagination’ photography workshops to provide direction to the children, and a chance to express themselves. The first set of workshops were conducted on 17 June 2017 with a session at 10.30 am in VIBGYOR High, Malad, and the second at 2 pm in VIBGYOR High, Goregaon. These workshops were open to all students from grade 6 to grade 12, and there was a remarkable turnout! A total of 51 students from VIBGYOR High, Malad, and 77 students from VIBGYOR High, Goregaon attended these fascinating sessions. The second set of workshops were conducted on 15 July 2017 with a session at 10.00 am in VIBGYOR High, Balewadi, which had 40 participants and the second at 2 pm in VIBGYOR High, Magarpatta where 60 students and parents enthusiastically participated.

Mr. Girish Menon, a renowned photography expert, was the esteemed guest speaker at these workshops. He is also an experienced teacher of photography, having held workshops and classes for over 3000 students earlier, and currently a visiting faculty at University of Mumbai. He started pursuing his passion for the craft since 2003, and has been using cameras to capture various stories and journeys ever since. With long hours of on-field experience, Mr. Menon is well-versed in multiple forms of photography, including people, portrait, street, travel, wildlife, and macro styles.

The main aim of the workshops was to get students to understand various design aspects and technical factors involved in the process of capturing a balanced and professional picture. In order to do so, the workshop started with an introduction to how digital photography works, the types of cameras available, and the different components of a camera. “As beginners in photography, children tend to click photographs abruptly with a phone, or get into the frame without any thought about how photography works. This workshop was really helpful in introducing to them, the actual process involved,” said a VIBGYOR parent.

The students were taken through the integral steps of clicking a photograph by Mr. Girish Menon, who showed them different captures of the same object with varying camera settings. Through visual examples, and a step-wise explanation of how a camera should be handled, he showed participants the meaning and importance of shutter speed, aperture, and lens focus. The excitement of the students was visible throughout the demonstration, as they noticed remarkable differences caused by simple adjustments to the settings. Apart from the technical components, Mr. Menon also introduced them to the basics of picture composition, from planning out the angle and background of a capture, to the kind of lighting that needs to be involved in each one. Speaking about his experience at the workshop, Mr. Girish said “I was glad to know that the students are interested in photography, and extremely enthusiastic about making pictures with their Smartphones. I was very impressed with some of the questions that were asked, the one question that I distinctly remember is, ‘An entry-level camera with a professional lens or a professional camera with an entry-level lens: which would you rather choose?‘ That’s an excellent question. I look forward to seeing the students implement the suggestions that were discussed at the workshop.“

The students were also shown a slideshow of photos from multiple genres, taken by various Masters of Photography. This was followed by a session of questions, with the VIBGYORites eagerly putting forward their queries, as well as their interest in learning more about the processes involved! A parent present at the workshop said, “It was great that the students had a one-on-one interaction with Mr. Girish. This was a great initiative and the children have learnt several nuances involved in photography. I hope more workshops will be conducted in the future to take this to the next level.”

Overall, the workshops were a tremendous success, owing largely to the invaluable contributions of Mr. Girish Menon, as well as the eager participation of the VIBGYOR students.

VIBGYOR High Balewadi and Magarpatta

VIBGYOR High Malad and Goregaon