18 May,2012 07:28 AM IST | | Ruchika Kher and The Guide Team
Postcards from Turkey
Her vision of the country will be on display in the city through her photo exhibition. This mother of three was always keen to explore Turkey, but never got a chance to do so for the longest time. However, a knee surgery and plenty of research later, the spirited lady was determined to capture the beauty of the country with her camera.
"Turkey was on my mind for years. I have done my schooling from an Urdu medium school, so we read about Turkey at the time. Secondly, I knew that it's a beautiful country and that attracted me as well. Last year, when I underwent a knee surgery, I had to be at home to recuperate. I utilised that time to read up on Turkey on the computer and after that I was more keen to visit the country," says Sharifa, who grew up on folk stories about Islamic culture.
But why did she take so long to give voice to her passion? "Usually, you teach your children but sometimes, children teach you a thing or two as well. Seven-eight years ago, my daughter bought me a camera and with it, my passion for photography grew," she avers.
Throwing light on her travel experiences, Sharifa also maintained that she tried to capture places that Indian travellers don't visit extensively. "In Istanbul, the Blue Mosque is very important, but apart from that there are many places, which are worth seeing. These places have character and a lot of history behind them," informs Sharifa.
"Places like Pamukkale, where Cleopatra lived, are not worth missing. I have taken photos of the ruins of her palace also. It has a natural fountain, which emerges from the earth and possesses many minerals. That water was the reason for Cleopatra's beauty. Cappadocia was another great place," she adds.
Catch the eye
It's what turnarounds are all about. Sightsavers, a global development organisation that works to eliminate avoidable blindness, is holding an awareness event titled Through Different Eyes, which aims at sensitising sighted people to the challenges that blind people face every day. 10 visually impaired children, between 10 and 16 years, from Sightsavers-supported programmes attended a workshop on photography. These children have had their sight restored as best as possible. They were taught the basics of handling a digital camera and photography through interactive sessions and outdoor shoots.
The outcome is a set of brilliant pictures filled with colour and expression. A collection of 30 to 40 photographs will be displayed at the event. Besides, walk into the Experience Zone, which is an interactive section where the daily challenges a visually impaired person faces will be shared. The event also aims at raising awareness about eye care - the fact that most eye conditions are avoidable and easily treated, and to emphasise that visually impaired people can overcome any challenge, with support from society.
