With Oasis drawing closer, the Oasis English Press (OEP) sat down with Surya Cirium and Kushi Arun Kumar, the Joint Coordinators of the Department of Photography (DoPy) to discuss the department’s workings.
Addressing a common misconception, Surya stressed that DoPy did not capture the formal group photographs for the various clubs and departments. Instead, the department was responsible for informal personal photographs which were taken at their own booth. Kushi noted that despite the prevalence of smartphone galleries, the department had continued to focus on providing physical prints, viewing them as souvenirs and lasting mementos of the fest. Each photograph taken at the department’s booth was printed on paper and delivered to the buyer’s room. They also stated that they intended to keep the long-standing price of fifteen rupees per photograph, arguing that the price was fair given the photographs’ role as physical souvenirs of snaps and fest memories.
Surya explained that to streamline candidate identification and delivery, DoPy had developed a new application. It has been coded from scratch by a department member—Sean, without relying on AI tools. The software replaced the previous application that was riddled with technical glitches. The new application was integrated with the campus database, allowing users to enter a student’s BITS ID number to automatically retrieve their name and hostel room details. Once the photos were printed, room numbers were written on the prints to simplify delivery across campus.
The Coordinators disclosed that they had expected a revenue of 1 lakh rupees for Oasis this year. Discussing recent demand trends, Kushi acknowledged a decrease in overall student turnout for snaps during recent fests. However, they remained hopeful that students would continue the long tradition of gathering at Sky Lawns for informal snaps during Oasis.
Preparatory work for the department included work sessions where basic camera settings such as aperture, ISO configuration, lighting, and framing were taught to department members. The department operated on a structured year-wise division of responsibilities. First-year members would shadow operations, log student IDs into the application, and observe snap sessions without actually operating the cameras. Their seniors served as the photographers, simultaneously handling departmental coordination and logistics.
The Coordinators reported no major equipment shortages or inventory setbacks during preparations. During the fest, departmental operations were set to be divided into four-hour shifts, which allowed members to balance their responsibilities with participation in Oasis events.
On a parting note, the Coordinators encouraged students to focus on interacting with other attendees of the fest, saying that the social aspect of the fest often proved to be more memorable and enjoyable than the actual events themselves.