Nature boy… radical edition : Montage on Life -2 | Daily News

Nature boy… radical edition : Montage on Life -2

 

Are all photographs we see today purely results of objects, camera lenses and the men behind those cameras? Can all present-day photographers pride themselves on human figures or sceneries they capture and say those are not digitally mastered or manipulated before making them visible to the public eye?


Mahinda Vithanachchi

Answer to this question is somewhat tricky. Some present-day photographers as we know rely on technology to carve a niche among their peers and also to speed up their production processes to derive optimum benefits from this lucrative profession. A world bent on ‘marketing’ is playing havoc on many spheres let alone photography.

Mahinda Vithanachchi is a veteran photographer of a rare caliber who has weathered storms to stand tall as an artiste who rely on his instincts, philosophy and his camera. The camera to him is like a gun to a skilled gunman.

Mahinda Vithanachchi’s seventh photography exhibition branded as ‘Montage on Life 11’ was held recently at the JDE Perera art gallery with the participation of Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka, University Grant Commission Chairman Prof Mohan de Silva, Lake House Chairman Kavan Ratnayake and a gamut of art lovers.

Vithanachchi has done it the hard way starting from the grass root level. He has been a lover of humanity from his childhood.

Learning martial arts had helped him to build personality.

Vithanachchi came to Colombo from his hometown in Baddegama after his mother’s demise at young age seeking love and recognition. His father who worked in the Colombo Dockyard Ltd at the time gave him protection whilst offering him a temporary job in the Dockyard.

On a trip to N’Eliya with his buddies Vithanachchi bought a Kodak 110 camera with some reels and went on a photographic spree. His friends astonished by Vithanachchi’s prowess showed their willingness to buy vivid images captured by him.

“I never knew I had a knack towards taking pictures. Buying the camera came as an instinct. The feedback I got from my immediate friends and colleagues at the Dockyard motivated me to pursue a career in that direction”, says Vithanachchi.

Meeting the veteran media person Vijitha Yapa at Upali Newspapers had been a milestone in Vithanachchi’s career as a photographer.

Vithanachci says, “My friend Ranjit Gunewardene who was at the Ports Authority took me to Mr Vijitha Yapa, a media person bigger than life. Mr Yapa did a brief interview and told I need to further my knowledge on the subject. I came out not dejected but with more vigour to learn photography scientifically”.

Veteran photographer and poet Lal Hegoda had made Vithanachchi a photographer who knows his onions. Vithanachchi has a great gratitude towards the former as a true mentor and a gentleman.

With the new-found knowledge and fresh confidence Vithanachchi held his very first exhibition in 1989 that was titled as ‘First Collection”. However this was the time he was in agony once again, due denial of love by his girlfriend this time around. Hence his mentality naturally cast a shadow on his maiden exhibition.

Vithanachchi turned out to be a sturdy organizer and a task master let alone being a photographer by working in a challenging environment and holding exhibitions.

Change of temperament

Following a string of exhibitions Vithanachchi realized he is matured to take his skills to a different level.

Subsequent to seeing humans in the local context acting inhumanly he got tired of capturing human faces with his camera.

“People are helpless. They are on a rat race and the surroundings do not permit them to be empathetic. We have within us an animal and a Saint. We suppress the Saint most of the time and give in to animal instincts for mere survival in this pitiless society”, he says.

Mother Nature breathes life to the human world. It offers CHI power to people who whole heartedly embrace it. These divine aspects of nature made Vithanachchi to evolve as a nature lover and a wildlife photographer.

Coffee table Book

To coincide with his latest exhibition Vithanachchi unveiled his coffee table book, ‘Montage on Life ii’ which he considers pinnacle of his career. It is a compilation of super photographs he has taken on wildlife and Mother Nature.

This book has a fine up market finish and is rich with a combination of pictures of wildlife and nature captured by Vithanachchi. These pictures are printed in seven-colour using hp Indigo printing system for the first time in Sri Lanka.

Vithanachchi takes countless risks roaming in thick jungles and climbing mountains to do justice to his works. He would spend sleepless nights like a sniper to capture the very moments he has in his mind. A person who has travelled with him would endorse this statement.

Vithanachchi’s intends to expose ‘Montage on Life 11’ to the international sphere. The compilation is a collectors’ item and is best for wildlife enthusiasts and people who adore Mother Nature. It could be used as a tool for tourist attraction thus can be kept at star class hotels.

Interested parties, individuals and organizations could contact Mahinda Vithanachhchi on 0712 299375 or email [email protected] to obtain more information on Montage on Life 11.

 


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