Photo Rally India Results

The Photo Rally has come to a close, and the photos are awesome! Kishan (14) and Anrurag (17) of Rishikesh, India did a phenomenal job taking amazing photos for each of the eleven categories we gave them, and we are very excited to share the experience with you.

With the help of Cre8 collaborator, friend, filmmaker and photographer, Carlos Lopez of Columbia, visiting us from his home in Berlin, Germany, the boys viewed all the photos on the computer and quickly learned that, often, the editing process can be even more challenging than taking the photo itself! We encouraged them to ask themselves a number of thought-provoking questions to help hone their editing skills: “How does this shot show my own viewpoint?”; “Why does this photo look slightly better than this one?”; and “What is it that really interest me in this picture?”

Our favorite moment in the process came when both Kishan and Anrurag saw the final, edited versions of their photos that sought to capture something seemingly ‘normal’ or ‘ordinary’ in a way that made it look interesting. The look of awe in their eyes was enough to show us that the results were indeed “interesting”, and gave us a beautiful reminder of why it is we do what we do.

At the Photo Rally exhibition, held for children of all ages from Ramana’s Garden orphanage in Rishikesh, we showcased Kishan’s and Anrurug’s final photos alongside those of Thailand’s Meowadee (16), the winner of our first Photo Rally event in Chiang Mai. Standing back and viewing the final exhibition, Kishan shared with us that, “Seeing the photos printed big like this changes everything.” Smiling with pride, he added, “It makes you feel them in a completely different way.” We couldn’t agree more!

As always, the cross-cultural feature of the exhibit was visually stunning not to mention fun and engaging. It gave all the children from the orphanage a chance to look, compare the results, and ask questions. First we challenged the kids to guess which of Meowadee’s photos belonged to which category. After learning that Meowadee’s photo of a portrait of the King of Thailand (who also happens to be a photographer by hobby, truthfully!), one of the kids in attendance asked, “Does India have a King?!?” A little disappointed in hearing the answer was no, he then asked, “Well, did India ever have a King?” Unsure of how to (succinctly) respond, we quickly diverted the group’s attention to Meowadee’s photo of a scorpion—an insect the kids have never seen here in Rishikesh (they were really excited about it, but a little scared too!). We will have to save the discussion of monarchies and colonialism for another time—perhaps when they are a little older.

Overall, the Photo Rally was a rousing success! Motivation is high for future events, and we are excited to bring the Photo Rally to new countries in the near future. Each event will continue to inspire budding photographers around the world, further enriching the overall photo collection as well as the cross-cultural discussions to be had.

Last but not least, you will be happy to hear that the photography at Ramana’s Garden does not have to stop here. Inspired by our Photo Rally event, a kind Cre8 supporter recently donated a digital SLR camera and a MacBook to the orphanage! The Cre8 team is truly touched by this heart-warming gesture, as are the kids and staff at Ramana’s (well, maybe “ecstatic” is the word for the kids’ reaction). Kishan and Anrurag are eager to share their new talents with the other children, and they will all enjoy the use of the equipment for years to come.

But enough talk. We are thrilled to share with you the results below!