Team Noksa comprising of five ace photographers in Kohima organised an event to showcase works of photographers in Kohima on the occasion of World Photography Day on August 19.
• Team Noksa commemorates World Photography Day with photo exhibition
• 100 photographs of over 20 photographers put up on display in Kohima
Morung Express news
Kohima | August 19
On an occasion like World Photography Day, cities would be abuzz with exhibitions and sales which otherwise has not been a usual affair for a place like Nagaland.
However, proving that nothing is as effective as fraternizing, five ace photographers in Kohima brought together an event for photographers, veterans, amateurs and enthusiasts to showcase works of photographers in Kohima.
The team including Vevozo Vero, Suchumayang Kichu, Vitoto Sakhrie, Shahilo Kent, Velukho Nakhro came together under the banner ‘Team Noksa.’
“It was just a span of 25 days, Vitoto Sakhrie and I called three other friends and decided to organize this event,” Suchumayang Kichu, one of the organizers said about the initiative. “We just did not want to let the occasion slip away,” he added.
From portraits of elders and children in far flung villages to landscape of valleys, hills and streams or mundane journals and streets, 100 photographs of different genres from over 20 photographers in Kohima were exhibited and put up for sale.
But what stood out was that, almost all of them were photographed in and around Nagaland.
For Kichu, more photographers, especially self-taught and freelance photographers have come up in recent years. But with both art and science involved, he shared that it is also better to get trained or get certification as photographers.
However, photography as a conceptual art form is yet to evolve in Nagaland. In this line, Zhazo Miachio a photographer and photo journalist said that, although there is niche for photography in Nagaland, there are less people to deliver.
One of the challenges here, as per Zhazo’s observation, may be the lack of recognition for work of photographers, given the professional and technical expertise. “Some people directly come asking for a photograph or two without giving credit,” Zhazo said.
While to him, photography could be broader, he also added that, “Photography is a part of life and has to come from within, regardless of how much we get in return. It is an extension of yourself,” he added.
Like other art forms, school children can be taught basic photography skills to inculcate better understanding, interest and acknowledgement in this field, Zhazo suggested. “In the long run it will have a fruitful effect in the future apart from books,” he stated.
The exhibition, the organizers said, had an overwhelming response. Those who participated also had similar thoughts about the event. Apart from wedding or other social events, Atongba Mongzar shared that he has not had similar participation in the past. To him, the exhibition opened his perspective on photography. The event was a good opportunity to meet people in the same fraternity, he added.
