Young shutterbugs with newly restored vision

When a digital camera came handy to Vinay Kumar, a 14-year-old boy who had just recovered from his visual imparity, the first picture he clicked was of a bunch of papayas, with the accurate focus and depth of a professional photographer.

When asked what fascinated him towards this, Vinay said, “I had planted this tree in my courtyard three years ago. I had watered it every single day. And this was the first time I could see the fruit so clearly.”

Vinay had severe refractive error (high minus power vision) since birth and since no intervention was done until now, the problem had deteriorated. Under the ‘Nanna Kannu’ programme of Sankara Eye Hospital, his problem was identified. Following treatment, Vinay today has a clear vision and is fascinated by photography.

At ‘Through Different Eyes’, a unique photo exhibition organised by Sightsavers in partnership with Sankara Eye Hospital, 14 visually impaired children, who were recently treated, got the chance to show their skills in photography. Twenty-eight unedited photographs are on display.

Rashmi Vaidya, project coordinator with Sankara Eye Hospital, said, “We would like to continue the ‘Nanna Kannu’ programme in future. Fourteen children, whose vision was corrected over the last one year, were part of a three-day workshop. We gave them digital cameras and asked them to click pictures of things that fascinated them.”

While most of them showed inclination towards capturing nature on camera or clicking pictures of their parents and home, 11-year-old Shwetha trained hers on a stray dog, who seemed eager to pose for her. “When I was unable to see, I didn’t have any friends to play with. Dogs were my playmates for over a year and when I got the camera, I wanted to take pictures of my friend,” she said.

Shwetha didn’t have a vision problem until last year, when she got hurt while playing. A pen had hit her eyes and damaged her cornea. Post two surgeries and a laser treatment, she can now see again.