Captured!

By Ruhanie Perera and Laila Nasry

Caught up in a hurried routine, many of us don't have the time to stop and stare at the snoozing kitten, the colourful butterfly perched on a flower, the exuberant puppy, the slithering reptile or the bathing wild elephants. All reminders that life is beautiful, but for which we hardly give a second glance.

What if we were given a chance — a chance that would push us to take a good look around our neighbourhood or even venture into the wonderful world of animals, click a camera and capture special moments...so that they may live forever.

'Footprints for the future', a photographic contest organised by the Sri Lanka Veterinary Association together with the veterinary students of Peradeniya University, did just that. The final leg of 'Footprints' is the exhibition of the photographs, on April 25 and 26 at the Trinity College hall in Kandy.

The contest gave youngsters a chance to "go out into the country and take a look at it," says Janine Weeratunga who conceptualised this event, for she felt that unlike art exhibitions which are held constantly, there is no opportunity to develop photographic talent. The competition, which had two categories — 'wild life' and 'pets/domestic animals', was aimed at those in the under 16 and under 21 age groups. Each catergory was also divided into 12 sub-categories.

The response was fantastic, with 225 photographs from all over the island pouring in. "There were entries not just from Kandy and Colombo, but from Kurunegala, Galle and even Trincomalee," she says. The youngest competitor, Taarun, just seven years old, had sent three photographs of a flock of birds in flight titled, 'Going, going, gone'. The photographs have been commended.

The overall winners were Kanishka Ukuwela, 18 years (in the under 21 category) and Oshadie Kumarasiri, 15 years (in the under 16 category). There were 12 other winners from each age group along with runners-up.

The organisers and the judges felt that the photographs were of a high standard. They were so well taken that the area and time could be distinguished. "The pictures showed the ability to see and capture the moment, which is important. Yet they have a lot more to learn in terms of technicalities. It is the subtleties they are not aware of that make all the difference," stressed Mrs. Weeratunge.

The judges Daisy Cambell, Dr. Nihal Karunratne and Rukshan Jayawardena were not aware of the details of the competitors, but were in agreement right along. The judging took four-and-a-half hours and another hour was spent deciding on the overall winners.

Even though the judging is over and the winning photographs have been chosen, it is not over yet. After the exhibition, the organisers hope to publish a calendar with 12 photographs.

They will also write to the contestants with some pointers on how to improve their style.

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