LAHORE, May 24: “I am a Photojournalist” was the title of an exhibition that showcased some 80 photographs of famous landmarks in Lahore at the Forman Christian College on Friday.

Photographs were taken by journalism students as part of a workshop organised by FCC’s mass communication department in collaboration with the Forman Journalism Society (FJS), Nikon and Comtronix.

The workshop was conducted by renowned photographer Agha Rizwan who imparted training to students about different techniques of photography.

The photographs displayed at the exhibition reflect the expertise students can gain once given training by an expert. The students whose photos are on display expressed their pride in their work.

“I did not realise at the start of the workshop that I may be able to come up with such professional landscapes. I am pretty excited and look forward to taking these skills into my journalistic career after graduation,” said student Sara Malik, whose work is on display.

Another workshop participant, Muhammad Hasan, said it was a great opportunity for him to learn camera handling and every minute detail that matters while taking pictures.

FCC Rector Dr James Tebbe, mass communication department chairman Dr Hannan Mian, Nikon’s country head Nasir Saeed, FJS adviser Prof Fahad Mehmood as well as faculty members and a large number of students visited the exhibition.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tebbe said it was important that students should get opportunities of hands-on training of journalism and communication studies. He stressed that mass communication students should acquire skills related to the field as the media industry was continuously growing in Pakistan.

Dr Hanan Mian said the purpose of the workshop was to give students a chance to learn about the camera techniques and demonstrate their theoretical learning through the lense.

He said the workshop themes based on geometric patterns of buildings in different areas of the city, including the Walled City. He said students also focused on architectural masterpieces such as Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort and the Food Street.

Prof Fahad Mahmood, the lead organiser of the event, said journalism in Pakistan needed fresh talent, and this was particularly true for photo journalism.

“It is my observation that newsrooms in Pakistan at times struggle to get a full caption to a picture photographers provide, primarily because mainstream newspapers may have several photographers, but hardly a few photo journalists,” he said.

This workshop and the exhibition is a step towards that larger goal of catering to industry’s need for photo journalists,” he added.

The exhibition ended with certificate distribution among the participants.