“Travel Photography for me is not about just clicking random pictures, but shooting pictures based on  thoughtful compositions,” says Idant Dikshit a 17-year-old passionate photographer and avid traveler who’s  two day photo exhibition ‘Lessons from a Passport’ , kicked off  at the Art Gallery, Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector 16, Chandigarh. Idant, who has travelled to 6 continents and many countries, has displayed a total of 53 stunning images from his travels  at the exhibition. The exhibition which started on Jan 27 will be on till Jan 28 from 10 am till 5 pm.

The two day photo exhibition covers the pictures taken by Idant at beautiful destinations of the world such as Seward, Strasbourg, Denali National park, Hallstatt, Vienna, Edinburgh, Rovaniemi, Iceland, New Zealand, Kyoto, Mykonos, Mostar, and his recent visit to Paris and Lyon.

Speaking at the exhibition, Idant, a class XI student of Dikshant International School, Zirakpur said, “The exhibition is all about my travels this time. On previous occasions, I only displayed pictures from one country or a single trip. But this time you will find the pictures from different countries and continents. What is more interesting about this time is that I’ve tried to illustrate the myriad emotions of different destinations through my lens, which I felt via the beauty of nature and its characteristics during my travels.”

At the exhibition, the breathtaking picture of dancing waves of Northern lights or the aurora borealis, taken at Ivalo, is capturing the eyeballs of visitors. Moving forward, the stunning picture of ‘intricate design of Notre dame de Strasbourg’ and the serene beauty of ‘Hallstatt’s alpine landscape’ are stealing the show. Apart from these, the beautiful street pictures of Austria’s capital, Vienna and the alley of the old city of France, Lyon are certainly the highlights.

Idant who developed a love for photography at the extremely young age of 5 after watching his father Mitul Dixit, who is also an avid photographer said that he loves to capture the emotions and vibe of a destination in his camera frame. For Idant, capturing the moments is like a poem about time. For Idant the pictures he takes help him  stay in the moments. In fact Idant also developed the love for travel from his father who has a passion for not just photography but also travelling.

 “All these pictures are memory capsules for me. Whenever I look at a picture I have clicked, it brings the memories alive emotionally, which in turn inspires me to improve upon my travel photography even more with the next destination,” added Idant.

Notably, Idant also writes slam poetry, his slam speaks about things that are of the moment, about politics, and society without being too heavy-handed.

It’s noteworthy that Idant’s attention to detail and the sensuality of the environment, whether rural or urban, is remarkably exceptional.  On this, he explains, “Travel photography is not just about clicking pictures of a destination. It involves research and observations. It encompasses an array of elements , and one needs a  vision to capture a frame in all its entirety! Photography has made me much more observant of my surroundings, especially nature.”

Idant’s, next destination is not a regular and  popular tourist attraction on earth, in fact it is a place that has the world’s toughest terrains and extremely cold climate – Antarctica. Idant said, “Antarctica is the only continent that I have not been to, and now I am looking forward to visiting it. I remember my father went to Antarctica and he described it as ‘being on another planet’. The landscapes and wildlife are just some of the things that have attracted me towards this place.”