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Zooming from the Sky

Photographer Aquin Mathews talks about his new photo-series Monsoon Greens, and the need to appreciate a good photo.

Monsoon season brings the much awaited relief to everyone who suffered the heat and brings joy to every individual. Aquin Mathews, a Hyderabad-based photographer has seen different shades of greens, blues and browns in nature around the advent of monsoon. His series of photographs, Monsoon Greens, are on display at State Art Gallery, Hyderabad. Interestingly, all the images are shot with a drone camera.

Says Aquin, “My childhood was spent in Kerala and it’s always been a place where monsoon comes pretty early. Monsoon is the most awaited season of the year especially in a place like Hyderabad and the effect of the monsoon thereafter in the landscape is pretty interesting. This project is an exploration of the landscapes around Hyderabad. The fascinating views direct one to an all-together different perspective which many of us have never seen.”

Winding roads in the Ananthagiri HillsWinding roads in the Ananthagiri Hills

Photography came to Aquin ever since he dabbled with his father’s camera as a child. “I came to Hyderabad in the year 2006 but quit my job as a consulting professional and took a plunge into photography in 2011. I don’t believe in the need for a high-end camera to produce a great image. For me the camera is just an extension of your eyes. Even though I use cameras from different manufacturers for my shoots, off late I tend to shoot a lot using my mobile while travelling. Drone cameras are frequently used for making videos, but the ‘top view’ has been a dream view for me and I decided to do projects of still photography with it.”

Aquin feels that photography can be a tool of well being for society. “Photography is a universal language and can educate, change or stimulate viewers worldwide. A photograph draws us to things we miss in our everyday lives and the vents which happen around us.”

Aquin cautions about the need to appreciate good pictures. “We live in a world where millions of images are taken every day worldwide. Mostly, the viewers don’t know the difference between a good and a bad image.

“I saw a need for a platform for the photography enthusiasts, professional photographers and general public to appreciate, debate and question the medium of photography; and hence I decided to start the Indian Photography Festival (IPF) in Hyderabad. The festival exposes everyone to the best of photography from around the world every year. This year we would see participants such as Andrea Bruce, Natan Dvir, Helena Schatzle, Prashant Godbole, Cecilia Paredes and Gurinder Osan in the third edition of IPF” concludes Aquin.

JAYWANT NAIDU,
musician, creator of Jaywant Guitar and a freelance photographer

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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