A sense of awe and wonder comes over as one views the pictures of some of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders at the ongoing virtual photo exhibition “Pristine” organised by the India International Centre. Captured by Dr. Navin Sakhuja, a Delhi-based ophthalmologist, these images reflect his keen eye and perfect timing!

The 24 pictures on view have been shot by Sakhuja during his three different visits to the Arctic Circle, Iceland in 2010; Antelope Canyon, Arizona, US in 2010; and the Great Namib Desert, Namibia in 2015, respectively. The common thread in these images is that these natural wonders have remained so far unsullied.

Talking about the three locales to India Narrative, Sakhuja said: “The main genre of photography I like doing and the thread that binds all these locations together is that all three are as yet unspoiled by humanity — hence the name — ‘Pristine’. I selectively choose those places on the planet which have near to no human influence or presence and like to shoot abstract landscapes in such places.”

'The Milky Way Namibia'

What makes viewing the show engaging is the aspect of contrast that comes through. At one end there are images showing barren beautiful landmass covered with sublime ice like “Deep South” and “Jokulsarlon Beach” while at the other end there are large desert scape with its sand and dunes portrayed in “Dust Storm in the Great Namib” and “Great Namib Desert” which look majestic.

The sense of variation also comes through when one views “The Milky Way, Namibia” and “Night sky in Sossusvlei” as it shows the bright stars in clear sky of the desert in tandem with “Sunrise at Jokulsarlon Beach” which shows the play of light and hues ranging from dark to bright in the background which are also reflected in the ice.

'Sunrise at Jokulsarlon Beach'

A shot that immediately arrests one’s attention is the “Frozen Waterfall, Iceland” as the frozen ice looks all ready to take the plunge and the rays of the sun — as it is ready to set — spreads an array of colours like yellow, golden and orange. “The Frozen waterfall is near the Arctic Circle and I was just lucky to be there at sunset,” revealed Sakhuja.

The Antelope Canyon spots clicked by the doctor give us glimpses of some fantastic colours that come into play because of the light and shade. The hues range from dark ones like black, grey, blue and brown to bright ones such as red, orange, yellow and golden. The forces of nature, namely wind and water, have carved some exquisite shapes in the canyon which give the place a magical feel!

'Antelope Canyon'

Elucidating on this, Sakhuja remarked: “Antelope Canyon is unusual because it is all about the play of light. It is beautiful because of the colours you see but it is a tricky place to photograph because the light is extremely variable in the same frame, so getting the exposure right is a bit daunting!”

The doctor has fond memories of his trip to these places. Speaking about his experience in the Great Namib desert to India Narrative, he said this desert is the oldest in the world and some of its dunes are as high as 100 storey buildings. “There are some dunes which roar. They are known as Roaring Dunes because the individual grains of sand vibrate if you slide down the dunes. The Namibian elephant families often slide down these huge dunes and seem to enjoy the roaring rumble the dune emits!”

(The exhibition is on till September 19 and can be watched online by clicking on https://iicdelhi.in/programmes/pristine)

'Night sky in Sossusvlei'

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