Eyeing from the Top

Mustafa Zaman

Sharif Sarker is an aviator who turned to photography and struck gold in the world of aerial vision. He presented the world from the vantage point of the aviators. It is not that anyone with a camera in his hands would be able to capture the beauty once given Sharif's post. The eye for forms, colours and textures is a cultivated one. The exquisite quality that he achieved needed a lot of work in the technical area too. The results, in the end, are tasteful delineation of a Bangladesh that few ever get the chance to have a clear look at.

"During the show many viewers questioned me as to whether my works were doctored through computers," says Sharif, whose works are so meticulously formal that few seem impossible to achieve with the camera. His affair with the camera started back in the early 90s. In fact, the recent solo photography show of Sharif titled "Bird's Eye View" showcases his works of last eight years. "All the photographs were taken while on flight, I had to strike the best composition on the spur of the moment," reveals Sharif. He also had to reject a lot of images he captured just because he was not happy with the composition.

"I took up photography to capture beauty, and then I also wanted to share my experiences with others," candidly puts Sharif, whose presentation certainly drew a lot of viewers to the Drik Gallery, where his exhibition took place from 19 to 27 March, 2004.