Who does not like to take pictures, especially in the present days of social media and smartphones?
“Photography, as a hobby, a passion, or a profession, is something that everyone finds exciting. So when an opportunity to learn photography skills comes your way, you are bound to feel excited,” says Ramesh Adhikari from Kathmandu Toastmasters.
Toastmasters of various clubs from Division A, District 41 gathered at SAP Falcha on the evening of 22nd Sept 2019 to hone their mobile photography skills. The participants included 23 members, including Area Directors Toastmasters Ankit Goenka and Prashant Shrestha of Areas A3 and A4 respectively, and new members from Bhaktapur and Bhaisepati Toastmasters clubs. An amazing travel photographer, Toastmaster Santosh Raj Pathak shared his mantras for mobile photography through an energetic presentation. He also skillfully explained how communication skills and photography skills are related by comparing the rules of good communication in the context of photography. The audience got to know that a well created photograph can communicate a lot about the object, place, and surroundings inside of it.
Toastmaster Santosh works for ICIMOD and is also the PR Manager Area A1, Division A, District 41. He says, “We often complain about not having a sophisticated camera, but we can take better pictures using a mobile phone if we learn how to play with composition and exposure. Everyone has a social media profile where they engage with others, and good content helps them have better engagement and visibility of their personal and professional lives. If you master the techniques of taking good photos you can better preserve precious memories for the future.”
Toastmaster Chandrayan P. Shrestha, VPPR at Bodhi Toastmasters said, “It is always good to have this sort of training that helps and motivates members to learn new skills and enhance those skills through tips and techniques. Also, the editorial and PR meetings helped us understand how we have missed some simple things. This sort of training should continue in the days to come.”
Toastmaster Ishwar Palikhel from the newly formed Bhaktapur Toastmasters club was super excited to learn about photography and also be a part of the meeting. He said, “I was a bit unsure in the beginning, but as we delved into different logics and techniques, I felt I needed more of it. I simply loved it.” He is positive about inspiring his team to write about the special events and get coverage on the Division website and also on social media. He said he thoroughly enjoyed the moments.
Toastmaster Ramesh Adhikari said, “It was an enlightening evening for the participants and most of them were discussing how they could help members of their respective clubs benefit from such a meaningful training program.”
This was also the first PR meeting, the division PR team felt this was a good start. Toastmaster Alfa M Shakya, VPE at KU-SOM Toastmasters and a dedicated Editor of Division PR shared about the upcoming events of the Division and also talked about ways to strengthen blogs, improve news stories, and activate the PR activities in clubs. Not just her speeches but her clear delivery and hardworking nature have always been inspiring a lot of people.
“The beginning is always tough,” remarked Division Director DTM Suman Shakya, adding that no effort is too small, and that effort will give fruit in the coming days. “I hope we get to see the positive outcomes of the meeting in the form of quality photos, more stories, blogs, and news on the website,” said DTM Shakya.
There is already a request to conduct similar workshops from various Toastmasters clubs.
A milestone for Division PR was achieved after this long-awaited meeting. The next phase shall see similar meetings held at club level.
Sushma Shrestha, Associate Div. PR Manager