Eternally, Art: A Personal Reflection on World Photography Day
By Prabuddha Ghosh | 19 August 2025
Photography, for me, is more than a practice — it’s a way of being. It is where memory meets imagination, where silence meets vision, and where the ordinary often reveals the extraordinary. This year, my reflection revolves around a theme very close to my heart: "Eternally, Art." Perhaps because it's the rhythm I most frequently walk with — in my thoughts, my creations, and my moments of stillness.
Art, in its truest form, recognizes no boundaries. Whether embedded in archaeology or expressed in contemporary fine art, whether etched into architecture or shaped by the humble hands of a local craftsman — art speaks. Even the act of curating or arranging an exhibition is, in itself, an art form. Each of these expressions carries a certain emotional pulse and aesthetic rhythm — deeply felt, deeply lived.
Each photograph I take is more than just an image; it is the result of silent observation, intuitive feeling, and deliberate technique. It's a conversation between patience and timing, between feeling and form. Every photo tells a story — not just any story, but often one that's intense, intimate, and sometimes, unspeakable in words.
Because photography, like any art, demands something of you. It demands your presence. Your time. Your willingness to stay with a moment — to really see it. It asks not just for vision but for vulnerability. And most of all, it requires that what you create is infused with sincerity, affection, and trust — in both yourself and the moment before you.
It’s not a task. It’s a journey. A sheer journey.
Over time, I’ve come to realize that even when specific incidents fade, their emotional footprint remains — quietly, deeply. These abstract imprints shape our inner world far more profoundly than clear-cut memories. This is where abstraction enters — not just as an artistic approach but as a higher form of thinking. It’s a way of perceiving what’s not always seen, of connecting what’s not always said.
Whether in art, science, relationships, or spirituality — abstraction helps us adapt, decide, create, and remain true to our core essence amidst change. I have always been drawn to abstraction — perhaps because it leaves space for mystery, for emotion, for imagination. Even when my photos are rooted in realism, the emotional undertone is often abstract — fluid, immersive, and open to interpretation.
I wouldn’t call myself a fast photographer. I don't chase moments — I wait for them. But when I do portraits, I'm fully present. There’s something raw and powerful about capturing the human soul through the eyes — or even capturing the quiet dignity of an animal. Animals, especially, fascinate me — their honesty, their instinct, their presence. They don’t pretend for the camera. And in that purity, I often find something incredibly moving.
One of my recent attempts to capture this "eternity of art" came in the form of a simple photo-story: a day in frames. It began with a boy’s mischievous smile and ended with nature wrapping the evening in soft romance. In between were snapshots of ancient ruins, a potter at work, and a candid conversation with an artist about her exhibition.
So, how was my day?
Well… quite something, right?
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What makes it more incredible is that these five photographs — taken across Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra — somehow flow together like a natural garland, each bead unique, yet part of the same story.
This is the power of photography. This is the power of art. It connects. It dissolves boundaries. It speaks through silence.
As the saying goes, "Art is a reflection of thought, not a performance." I don’t create with grandeur or theoretical intention. My work is simple, quiet, often raw — and yet it carries traces of thought, transformation, and presence. It is neither strictly subject-oriented nor philosophically defined. It simply is. I often say, "Where they are, they are there."
And in that presence, something eternal lives on.
Today, as we honor photography — not just as a medium but as a living, breathing expression — I feel grateful. Grateful for the lens. Grateful for the light. Grateful for the moment.
Here’s to many more stories, seen and unseen.
To moments captured — not to remember, but to feel.
Happy World Photography Day.
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