Faculty of Mass Communication & Media Technology, SGT University organized a workshop on ‘Photo Journalism

The Faculty of Mass Communication & Media Technology organized a workshop on ‘Photo Journalism’ at the SGT University campus. All the faculty members along with the students participated in the session. The keynote Speaker of the workshop was Sr. Photographer, Mr. Sukhchandan Kumar. The workshop aimed to acquaint students with the Nitty-gritty of photography and to provide hands-on experience in photography. The event started with a brief interaction by the Dean of the Department, Prof. Sushil Manav with the students where in he asked students about what they think of photography as an art form. He said that the camera captures light to produce good images and light is made up of 7 colours. He explained to the students that certain colours reflect while certain others absorb light. He said that white
colour reflects the light most. Giving a brief background about his journey as a Photojournalist Mr. Sukhchandan Kumar said he started his journey with Indian Express, then Times of India, and he moved on to The Tribune and is currently a part of the Technical Team, at SGT University. Mr. Sukhchandan Kumar told all the students that it is a Practical-oriented session. He encouraged all the students to ask questions and urged them to keep the session interactive to get the best out of it. He showed some pictorials to the students and urged them to ask questions related to them. He asked students to pay attention to the technicalities and the camera settings used in the frames. He said that he has divided the session into 4 categories he would be showing some glittery photos which are generally there in the newspapers,
some action and sports pictorials, some political images and he would be talking about his journey as a journalist. He told all the students that according to the Law of Photography, we think in images. Our memory is like a hard drive where all the memories are stored as images. He said as soon as you hear the word Apple, a particular image appears in your mind. When we think of our childhood days at our school then also a particular image comes to our mind. He said sometimes we get confused about the frame whether it is horizontal or vertical. He said that nature teaches you photography, its nuances, and its elements. But sometimes you go by the third rule. He asked all the students what is it that they find beautiful in a pictorial and a student replied it was the subject. He stressed that the composition plays a huge role. It’s very important to decide how to shoot and how much to shoot. He showed some pictorials which have been taken by him and have been published in the newspapers. He said ‘Action Photos’ are very important and relevant in newspapers. And there are no restrictions in
newspapers as such on how to shoot a particular pictorial but it’s the end product that matters. He showed a photo of the rural sports of Kila Raipur. He asked everyone to pay attention to the formation of the pictorial. He showed a pictorial of an old man and shared how he created that electoral cut out on a request to cover Punjab elections. He showed many pictorials projecting the Weather, Sukhna Lake, Summer Pics, Joyful Evening, Shikara Lake, Pushkar, Stage shows, etc.

He shared that the general perception of International Yoga Day is that it is related to Hindus while he took a pictorial where a Muslim girl was shown doing yoga which was a complete story in itself for the article. He said your photography skills also show how sensitive you are as an individual. Photography teaches you how you connect with nature, with birds, and with animals. He said in photography small components are very important but you need to be persistent and patient to find them. He showed some of his pictorials which have been published in the National Geography Channel. He gave a very interesting tip to the students and said anywhere you can find and create a pictorial, even where there is no subject. He showed Silhouette Photography through a pictorial of the Holi festival where the photo is taken against the light. He showed one more photograph of Armenian dance and said you have to still such a fast-moving dance. Faster movements provide more serene shots. He told all the students that our campus of SGT university is located at such a serene location and we have plenty of subjects, we can shoot 365 days as it is open, surrounded by nature, and away from the hustle and bustle of crowded areas. He also talked about Micro Photography and told students it can be created with the help of flowers, and leaves, by just keeping the focus zoomed in.
He showed a pictorial of a couple standing near a lake and said that scale is very important in a human figure and you can’t do scaling without a human figure. It’s only because of a human figure that you can judge how huge the lake is. He said sometimes luck also matters, you get the best pictorial because of being at the right time and right place. He showed photos of Foot Over Bridge, Select Photography through Jama Masjid, Winter through a Bird, Replica of Eifel Tower, and some Black and White pictorials of Vrindavan Holi, Yamuna River. He said dust is very important in a pictorial. He talked about one interesting subject and said that we can shoot pictorials of migratory
birds also from November to February as they come in thousands and are very familiar with human beings. He showed long exposure photography through a pictorial of the cyber city Gurgaon road. Discussing social issues, he showed a pictorial of the Holi festival for widows celebrated in Vrindavan. While displaying the pictorial of a blind boy he said sometimes you get very emotional pictorials also.
He said it’s very important for a photojournalist to decide the right location to take a shot and decide what equipment to use. He also showed a pictorial of Ram Sharan Negi, the First voter of India from Kinnor Himachal Pradesh. After the first category of action pictorials, he moved on to show pictorials of sports personalities. While showcasing the pictorials of some celebrities he said sometimes you don’t have any external support and as a journalist, you have to work in given situations and so you need to be technically strong and spontaneous. He said suppose PM Modi is coming and walking towards you then you can’t wait for the perfect shot with perfect lighting and frame but you have to create a good shot with whatever can be done in that situation. After completing the two categories he started discussing his journey to Siachen Glacier. He said that after the age of 40 as a civilian you cannot go but as a journalist one certainly has the privilege to go to Siachen Glacier. He said the temperature there was so low that boiled water also would immediately freeze. He said you have to first get acclimatized to stay in such areas. He encouraged all the students and said that you as Journalists get a lot of privileges that a civilian does not. He said Siachen Glacier is considered the toughest battleground where the oxygen level is 82 and you can’t even see the remains of dead bodies but he as a journalist could visit and cover the life of armed forces in such an area. He said that whenever you join a newspaper you first have to undergo a defense course. He said sometimes it is very challenging as well. He said a print media story is considered evidence in Supreme Court. He showed some political pictorials also. He said you need to be spontaneous and need to have presence of mind. He said it’s a very exciting and dynamic profession where with your photographs you can curate impactful stories. He concluded the session and said you all have been chosen by God for a purpose and the life of a journalist is very important as with their stories they can bring transformation into society.

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