iLead commemorates World Photography Day, hosts photography exhibition 'Meraki'

Commemorating World Photography Day, iLead in association with Sony, hosted a 5-day photography exhibition cum competition, 'Meraki' from August 19 to 23 at the institute.

Themed 'Beauty of Nature', the photographic extravaganza witnessed the participation of students from across 55 schools and 36 colleges with over a thousand entries. 200 exceptional entries were selected for the exhibition and displayed at the iLead campus.

The prize distribution ceremony was held on August 23 and was graced by Lopamudra Talukdar, an eminent photographer, who was the chief guest for the occasion.

"I am overwhelmed to witness the talent of the young students participating in the exhibition. These students through photographic skills have expressed their love for nature. This human-nature bonding can also be witnessed at the exhibition. With so many students coming together to display their skills, students can learn a lot from each other," said Talukdar.

The event featured 12 special category awards recognizing outstanding talent, including Best Composition, Mentor’s Choice Photograph, Best Decisive Moment Capture Award, Best Landscape Award, Best Wildlife Photograph, Best Unique Perspective Award, Sony Best Photograph Award, Best Storytelling Photograph, Most Unique Photograph, Best Macro Photograph, Best Bird Photography and Best Lighting.

“Photography is not just about capturing an image, it’s about capturing a moment, a feeling, an essence. The word ‘Meraki’ embodies this perfectly. At iLEAD, we believe in inspiring creativity and self-expression, encouraging young minds to connect with nature, express their creativity, and leave a piece of their soul in every photograph they take,” said Pragya Chopra, Executive Director of iLead.

In the school category, the top three winners were:

1. Satyam Gupta, Authpur National Model Higher Secondary School

2. Archisman Majumder, Don Bosco School, Bandel - 2nd Position

3. Ayush Das, Adamas World School - 3rd Position

In the college category, the top three winners were:

1. Sourik Samaddar, Serampore College - 1st Position

2. Arijeet Nath, iLEAD - 2nd Position

3. Soumili Pal, iLEAD - 3rd Position

Renowned wildlife photographer Dr Anjan Sarkar judged the school category photographs, while the college category photographs were judged by extreme weather and nature photographer Debarshi Duttagupta.