It takes quite some knowledge of the lens to call oneself a photographer. With photography societies mushrooming on the campus of Delhi University (DU), students are taking their passion to another level. In an effort to tell you about the popular cultural societies of the varsity, we bring you five photography societies and clubs that have made their mark in the art.
Clicks - Delhi College of Arts and Commerce
Formed in December 2011, this society puts up an annual exhibition called Pixels, during its college fest. Its members are selected on the basis of their work. Clicks has won competitions in most colleges of DU, such as Jesus and Mary College, Miranda House, Daulat Ram College, Ambedkar University and Delhi College of Engineering, among others. “At Clicks, the emphasis is on the talent the member possesses and not on how big his/her camera is,” says member Laveesh Sharma.
Delhi University Photographers’ Club (DUPC)
If you love the camera and want to try your hand at photography, DUPC is the perfect platform for you. It was started by Haris Mikael in the year 2011, when photography was the new in thing among youngsters in Delhi. The club conducts weekly ‘Photowalks’ and photography workshops around the city. The procedure of becoming a member of this club is fairly simple. You can join their Facebook group — www.facebook.com/dupcmail — to start with. They update their upcoming events regularly on their group, which you can participate in.
Fine Arts and Photography Society - Kirori Mal College
You can be a member through the ECA (extra curricular activity) category or audition to secure a seat for yourself. The strength of the group goes up to 20 members. FAPS hosts two annual photography events - Freshers Talent Show and the mega annual event, Perceptions, in which colleges all over the country participate. This event includes an exhibition, a theme photography, and a photo essay competition. “It’s a group of a variety of visual artists,” says a member. The society has won at the annual fests of IIT Kanpur and Delhi, and Hindu College, among others.
Fine Arts and Photography Society - Kirori Mal College
You can be a member through the ECA (extra curricular activity) category or audition to secure a seat for yourself. The strength of the group goes up to 20 members. FAPS hosts two annual photography events - Freshers Talent Show and the mega annual event, Perceptions, in which colleges all over the country participate. This event includes an exhibition, a theme photography, and a photo essay competition. “It’s a group of a variety of visual artists,” says a member. The society has won at the annual fests of IIT Kanpur and Delhi, and Hindu College, among others.
Iris - Gargi College
The process of selection of members for the society starts on the orientation day itself. Apart from monthly shoot excursions, the
society also holds competitions during Reverie, the annual fest of the college. In the past, the group has won competitions at Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM), Shri Venkateswara College and BITS Pilani, among others. “Photography was just a hobby. But after Iris happened, I want to pursue it as a full time profession,” says Sonakshi Pahwa, its co-convener.
Vivre - Hindu College
Meaning ‘to live’, “Vivre inculcates the field of interest and chisels the skills,” says Arko Dev, an ex-member of the society. A three-day long audition is held to choose about 15-20 members each year. Vivre also holds an annual event, Snap, which “showcases still photography work of the students, followed by photography competitions,” says member Avantika Singh. The group’s monthly events include movie analysis, outdoor excursions and a photo walk, in which the members go to a site and click photographs.
Other Photo societies
* Click - Shri Ram College of Commerce
* Projekt - Lady Shri Ram College for Women
* Photography Club - Ramjas College
* Photography Society - Hansraj College
* Photographic Society - St Stephen’s College