“Places I like”, a photo exhibition that captures the various facets of Bangalore is currently ongoing at Max Mueller Bhavan. It is an outcome of a 3-week workshop conducted in the city by German photographer Stefan Koppelkamm. The objective of the workshop is  to define the personal criteria that determine the “quality of life” in a city with  focus on ‘routine’ and ‘normal’ rather than the unusual. Many city-based amateur and professional photographers are participating in this exhibition.

Eagle's eye of the exhibition. Pic: Venkatesan Perumal.

“When I first got down at Bangalore’s Kalasipalyam bus stand, it was very unlike the image of the city that I had fixed in my mind”, remarked Jyothy Karat, one of the participants, who moved here from Calicut two years ago. A documentary photographer and writer, Jyothy, found that Bangalore is  not all about IT parks and shopping malls.

The busy commercial hub, the sea of humanity, the hole-in-the-wall shops and the mobile businesses under the shelter of the flyover, the temples and mosques - the entire buzz was very different, and refreshing. For her, this was the obvious subject to shoot. “I have tried to zoom out and capture the entirety of the melting pot that is the market area” explains Jyothy.

Raahil Arora, an IT professional, was drawn towards  contrast of  noise and buzz of  KR Market and  peace and tranquility inside the Bangalore Fort. “You are amidst a thickly populated market area and suddenly you see a fort standing as a sentinel of history with its own tale to tell.” He instantly wanted to capture this contrast as his theme. “When I entered the fort, I was alone for almost half an hour, totally cut off from the chaos out there”, he said. The usage of colour for  energy of  life outside and monochrome for the Fort images highlights the contrast remarkably.

Avenue Road and the entire old Bangalore is a photographer’s delight. The thriving economy in the smallest of spaces, the temples, the cart vendors, the juxtaposition of lean, new buildings next to their elegant and ancient counterparts, the many hues and textures of life in this short two kilometres stretch is very engrossing. Mallikarjun Katakol, a professional photographer has captured this vividly in a series of photographs which clearly shows his love for the place as it is right now.

Poornima Dasharathi is a freelance writer and a travel enthusiast. Her journeys are quite awry & she likes the idea - "If you don't know where you are going, any road will lead you there". She blogs at www.coffeenirvana.in

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