Perspectives: The Photography Club | Issue 3 @ IIMA Archives

STUDENTS' CORNER

Perspectives: The Photography Club

"The club has always focused on fostering a supportive community that encourages creativity and learning."

A passion for photography has marked many IIMA students over the years. The darkroom which used to be in D-11 adjacent to the space occupied by the dispensary today, was a meeting point for photography enthusiasts in the 1980s and 1990s. In this article, Bhushan Gaikwad and team reflect on Perspectives, the student photography club that functions on campus today.

Perspectives was founded back in 2009, with a simple goal of bringing together a bunch of photography enthusiasts to share their passion and further their photography skills by learning from one another. When Perspectives started out, one of the difficulties it faced was attracting enough people to sign up. So, initially, Perspectives was nothing more than a small group of people who enjoyed one another's company and had a passion for sharing tales and documenting events via the lens of a camera. But their hard work paid off; word got around, and the club grow steadily. Students wanting to become members had to apply first, and then undergo a round of interactions, during which photos and videos shot by the applicants were discussed. This process remains the same even today. Further, in addition to students of the PGP and PGP-FABM (Food & Agribusiness Management), PGPX and PHD participants have also joined the club. The club size during the initial years was around 16 members; this has grown to 34 members at present.

Our club has always focused on fostering a supportive community that encourages creativity and learning. From organizing workshops and photo walks to pitching events and workshops in Confluence, the student festival, we have always sought to provide a platform for our members to showcase their talents and to hone their skills. Some of the early connections between the practice of management and photography were made with workshops like 'Legal and Copyright Issues in Photography' and 'Role of Photography in Advertising and Marketing'. Since then, Perspectives has played a key role in educating the IIMA community about photography, and has also collaborated with other clubs to capture and document key events. Intrigued by the enthusiasm of Perspectives, the then Director, Professor Ashish Nanda, agreed to set up the photo gallery in the mess corridors in October 2014. This gallery continues to exhibit photographs taken by students, professors, staff and alumni.

***Perspectives Logo Transformation, 2009, and 2023 respectively.***

In addition, the club has encouraged its members and other students to compete in international photography contests. We've come a long way since our early days, and have accumulated a number of accomplishments. We've also had the pleasure of hosting many photography exhibitions and cooperating with several prominent photographers in the country on workshops at IIMA. These events have allowed us to interact with the wider photography community and get acquainted with a variety of styles and methods.

We are proud of the progress we have made. Our journey was made possible by the tireless efforts of our members and the continuous support of our institution. We look forward to contributing further to IIMA's thriving photographic scene, and aim to encourage more people to explore their love for photography and join us on this exciting adventure.

Bhushan Gaikwad (Coordinator) and Team Perspective.