Kashmir's lofty scenic mountains and Rajasthan's vivid desert colours are subjects for research scholar and photographer Tabeenah Anjum Qureshi, who has landed a special mention in the recent National Photography Awards.
Quereshi, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir has been accorded a special mention award in the amateur category for her series of 10 photos based on the 'Mother and Child' theme and recognised for highlighting the hidden nuances of society.
The Fourth National Photography Awards 2013 by the Photo Division of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting were given to photographers in professional and amateur category.
A journalist, researcher and photographer Tabeenah is the first girl from Kashmir to have received this prestigious award, which comprises an amount of Rs 10,000, a shawl, a medal and a citation.
The winning photos will be displayed by Information and Broadcasting Ministry in different museums across the country.
Having captured the serenity of the mountains and the landscapes in Kashmir, Tabeenah says she wanted to explore and the "fascinating colours of Rajasthan."
Colours represented in the desert state fabrics, like the Baandhani, Odhnis and Ghaghras attracted the research student while she was pursuing her masters from Rajasthan.
"Photographers need to explore. Being from Kashmir, I have been surrounded by the mountains. While Kashmir is all about mountains and serenic beauty, deserts are exactly opposite.
"Deserts are colourful and these colours fascinated me. The odhnis, ghagraas and the landscapes were what I captured through my lens while I was pursuing my masters there," says Tabeenah.
The photographer says she travelled extensively throughout Rajasthan to various villages like Achrol, Sambhar, Goner, Bundi among others and clicked pictures in the morning hours "when the light and exposure in the perfect swing satisfying the and criteria of competition which included freshness."
Capturing mothers and children from rural Rajasthan, Tabeenah says she was reminded of her childhood and her mother's shadow under which she grew up.
"My main focus was to capture the rural India. It reminded me of my childhood of how I have grown up under her shadow. The pictures were mesmerizing and I would dedicate my award to my mother," says Tabeenah.
Like any other amateur photographer, Tabeenah started photography with a digital camera and won a handful of awards for that including an an award at the Jaipur International Award Ceremony.
Realising her passion she took workshops for photography and attributes a part of her success to her mentor and senior photojournalist, Himanshu Vyas.
