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Chittagong's potential to become a tourist hotspot

In conversation with Singaporean photographer Yeow-Kwang Yeo

Pranabesh Chakraborty, Chittagong
Picturesque Chittagong has immense potential to draw tourists, says Yeow-Kwang Yeo (from Singapore) who clinched the first prize for his captivating image of Patenga Beach, at the photography exhibition of "Odommo Chattagram" (Indomitable Chittagong) festival, arranged by The Daily Star.
The weeklong photography exhibition, titled "Chitromoy Chattala”, was held at the gallery of Theatre Institute Chittagong (TIC).
Bom in Singapore in 1956, Yeo gained a Royal Photography Society of United Kingdom fellowship in 1988. In the early days, he experimented with traditional black and white prints.
In China, Singapore and India many photography exhibitions are arranged to promote tourism, adds Yeo, an avid traveller and photographer who specialises in portraits.
"Chittagong has a beautiful landscape with its surrounding hills, beach, river and plain lands. They are rich subjects for photography,” says Yeo, adding that the
Bangladesh government should pay more attention to promoting the tourism industry in Chittagong.
Yeo, who started his journey in photography in the 1970s, tells The Daily Star that his father had a great penchant for the aesthetic medium, which inspired him immensely.
“I started taking photographs with my box camera, when I was a school student. The camera, of course, is completely out of date now,” he says.
Yeo is currendy working on digital editing and assigned documentary photographic projects on social issues.
“Many migrants from Bangladesh, India and China work in Singapore and they are great subjects,” says Yeo.
"Photography is a good learning process for me. More importantly, I enjoy the medium,” says Yeo. "Photography helps me to understand local culture, different societies and lifestyles.”
“By coming to Chittagong, I have learnt about the culture, communities and hospitality of people of the port city. If I had never come here, I would have
been deprived of the opportunity to know about the diversity of cultures in this country,” asserts Yeo.
The work “Patenga Beach, Chittagong” depicts the scenic beauty of the beach as a flock of birds take wing at sunset, creating a surreal ambience.
Yeo, a member of the executive committee of the Singapore Photo-Art Association, has won over 50 international photographic awards including the most recent Best Single Image of The Travel Photographer of the Year Award 2011, Gold Medal and Best Work Choice by Judges of the Holland International Photographic Circuit 2012, Best of Show Gold Medal of the AC-Foto German Photographic Circuit 2012.
At the exhibition of "Odommo Chattagram”, 80 photographs out of 650 entries by over 200 artistes were on displays that were judged by internationally famed Bangladeshi photographer Shoeb Faruquee, Alliance Fran^aise de Chittagong Director Dr. Samuel Berthet, Professor Abul Mansur of Fine Arts Institute of Chittagong University and Chittagong's noted photographer Moududul Alam.
The exhibition ended on April 5.