News

Volume 3 Issue 11 - June 01, 2005

News camerawoman captures colours of lives of people with visual impairment

DNIS News Network- A photo-exhibition by Sipra Das showcasing day-to-day existence of persons with blindness and visual impairment, spanning beyond stereotypes of disabilities, drew a good response from media and general public.

Delhi-based news photographer Sipra Das put together the exhibition of 50 photographs held from 07 to 13 May in the national capital’s Lalit Kala Academy. Titled ‘Third Eye’, the exhibition was not only remarkable for its simplicity but also for its approach to the commonality as well as uniqueness of the world of visually impaired people. For instance, one of the photographs on display captured a young couple tenderly holding hands in a gesture of love, but completely unaware of the presence of the photographers.

With most of these subjects free from corrupting camera consciousness, these snaps seemed as close as a camera lens can get to capture the real life. Das, who is currently working with a leading news magazine, is a pioneer in the field of photojournalism as she was one of the first women to break into the male bastion.

She avoided the usual trappings by getting the exhibition inaugurated by nine-year-old visually impaired twins. To make these moments of intrusion, captured on the reel, accessible to visually impaired persons, Das has compiled a book printed in Braille detailing these photographs. Das travelled to Darjeeling, Djongri, Patnitop, Bihar, Gujarat and Bengal to get close to her subjects. ‘Third Eye’ will travel to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata by this year end.