Images at the Seventh All India Art Photography Exhibition are a myriad mix, evoking different moods as you move from one frame to another. The show opened at the State Lalit Kala Akademy, Lal Baradari, on Thursday evening. "It was not inaugurated formally as planned, following the demise of former President R Venkatraman," stated Dr Veena Vidyarthi, Secretary of the Akademy, adding "also, there were prizes to be distributed on the occasion, which was postponed. Photographs would be on display till February 12."

A visual treat awaits patrons and photography enthusiasts at the gallery. From colours of folk and rituals to frozen frames of urban and rural scenes, the pictures capture life at its surprising best. Striking composition is the feature that draws you to pictures such as 'Natural Disorder' by Neha Gupta in which an auto driver takes a snooze on the passenger seat as the vehicle, and so many others, stand submerged on a flooded Mumbai street. Or, 'Immersion' by Kashinath Basu that shows a Durga idol resting on the ripples of the river at the time of 'visarjan'.

"I took 72 pictures of the 15-second incident completing a 360-degree circle and giving a view from every angle,"says Mohammad Khalid Khan, who has won a Rs 10,000 prize for his set of pictures 'Bura Waqt' showing a man's self-immolation bid being thwarted by security men. "This man had announced his intention in protest against administration's apathy towards his cry for justice. The entire incident, from his setting self on fire to the flames being doused took only 15 seconds, in which time I orbited around the subject for a snap from every angle. The best four got me the award," said the lensman, serving a Hindi daily in Bareilly.