Photography, these days, is a common activity in everyone’s hobby list. Most persons start it as a hobby which loses steam as days progress, but for a selected few, the passion gets stronger and they take it forward. For photographers, it’s a constant game of Instagram uploads, gear acquisition, and proving themselves above every other person possessing a camera. Here’s a Catholic priest who preaches on love for camera and sermonises in camera jargon about shutter speed, aperture and other features.
Fr. Aljo Karerakkattil has been in love with the camera for the past 12 years. A vicar at Mannamangalm Vianney Church in Thrissur, Fr. Aljo’s photography exhibition Mélange showcases selected 31 scintillating clicks from across Europe and India.
“Mélange is a French word which means ‘mixture’. The exhibition is a mixture of photographs using different photography techniques. These 31 are chosen from the hundreds of photographs I captured in the past 10 years,” he says.
His learning of techniques has all been through online tutorials. “I had no idea about using a camera. When is started looking for details in other photographers’ works, it was difficult for me to understand. So I decided to reach out to friends who supported me and suggested YouTube tutorials,” he recalls.
During his days at Milan as part of his studies, he used to capture Italian architecture and believes that really inspired him to pursue photography. “When I found I have that eye for photography, I started travelling with my camera. I have visited many countries across Europe. I did a thorough research about the weather and seasons that would be good for nature photography in each country”.
Along with photographs from Europe, he has included photos from India where he travelled across important pilgrim centers with his camera. His photos are also proof to his love for macro photography and reverse lens technique.
The passion has never come in the way of his duties as a priest. He finds time for both. “Setting goals is good, but can be extremely restrictive. So, I never plan anything. But I carry my camera with me always.”
The three-day exhibition happening at Sahithya Akademi Hall, Thrissur, will conclude on Thursday.
