Firsts’ happen only once, yet they never truly fade. For the People’s Photographers Collective (PPC), ‘firsts’ are not merely milestones but opportunities to shift who gets to tell a story. Through cameras placed in the hands of children from across India’s rural communities, the collective has transformed photography from an act of observation into one’s own narrative.
For seven young photographers from Ramanathapuram district, that first encounter with a camera became much more than learning aperture or shutter speed. For the past one-and-a-half years, it became their space to document their own families, villages and livelihoods through their own eyes, replacing distant narratives.Their photographs now beautify the walls of Lalit Kala Akademi, inviting visitors to witness the labour that sustains these communities.
The exhibition was inaugurated on Friday by P Sainath, founder of PARI, Jeyarani, writer and journalist, Thirumurugan Gandhi, chief organiser of May 17 Movement, and Sathaiah, director of Rural Workers Development Society.
Alongside the culmination of the photographs from the workshop conceived by documentary photographer M Palani Kumar, founder of PPC, in collaboration with the Rural Workers Development Society (RWDS) and supported by The People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), the TM Krishna-PARI Awards 2026 was also presented, honouring seven emerging photojournalists — K Ravikumar, K Hairunisha, K Noor Nisha, K Mukesh, S Keerthi, Subagomathi Muppidathi, and R Karthikeyan — mentored through the Collective, recognising storytelling that documents the lives and livelihoods of rural and working-class communities.
Explaining the vision behind the initiative, Palani Kumar says, “For the first time, the seasonal migration of families into the Palmyra groves, the preparation of palm jaggery, palm candy and palm sugar, Palmyra handicrafts, charcoal making, work in the salt pans, water scarcity and the effects of climate change have all been documented by the children of these communities themselves. The primary objective of this exhibition is to bring these lived realities to the wider public through their own photographs.”
Stepping into the gallery felt like entering the communities themselves. Visitors were welcomed by a water-can trolley at the entrance, while handwoven Palmyra products, the tools used by palm climbers, bunch of nungu and the lingering aroma of karupatti recreated the landscape beyond the photographs.
Calloused hands, cracked heels, torn slippers, and bodies weathered by years of work became recurring muses. An interactive ‘Darkroom’ deepened the experience, inviting visitors to use flashlights to discover photographs of the night sky and Palmyra workers labouring after sunset, mirroring the act of uncovering stories that often remain unseen.
Reflecting on the exhibition, Krishna spoke about the emotional contradiction that lies at the heart of such images. “When we have a photography exhibition like this, there’s a conflict within us. These real-life stories, pain and sadness are reflected in photography. At the same time, photography is superb. I can say how beautifully photography captures these things. But what is inside the photograph that was taken? The main job of art is to create this conflict. If this is not there, it’s not art. There’s a tension within us when we see a beautiful photograph and a person struggling. Both are real. In every art form, there is this tension.”
For the young photographers, the camera became a means of understanding home in ways they had never imagined. “I had only seen cameras on television before. The first time I held one, my hands were trembling,” recalls T Pon Lakshmi, a Class 12 student from Kannigapuri village, whose work documents the charcoal-making process. “When I began photographing my own family, I realised how difficult their work really was. I hope people also recognise the challenges my village faces, including water scarcity, inadequate bus connectivity and children who are forced to miss school because schooling is expensive.”
S Moniga, a Class 11 student, chose to turn the lens towards her grandmother’s daily routine. “Instead of looking elsewhere for a story, I realised my grandmother was working so hard right here at home. When we accompanied people over the past year and a half, we understood the extent of their hardship. They work under the scorching sun every day because they need to support their families,” she says.
For K Noor Nisha, one of the TM Krishna-PARI Award recipients, the recognition affirmed years of community-centred storytelling. Her work documented the lives of prawn catchers, night fishermen and Irular families in Ennore. “When I work at the ground level, it’s easier to connect with people and bring their stories through my narration. I believe this work will benefit some people,” she says.
There was no better way of narrating these real stories and no better storytellers than the children from the communities who live and breathe the air of labour.
What the young capturers documented? G Sakthi Muneeshwari from Keezhaallikulam: Palm tree workers, lives of coastal communities and severe water shortage in the area V Aathi Selvan from Narippaiyur: Lives of coastal and fishing workers P Janani from Keezhaallikulam: Lives of palm tree workers and the making of charcoal S Moniga from Kannigapuri: Her grandmother’s pig rearing work and daily labour S Munees Prabha from Kannigapuri: Palmyra industry, salt pan work and charcoal production T Jebamalai Thangam from Kannigapuri: Lives of palm tree workers and daily labour of small scale paddy farming workers T Pon Lakshmi from Kannigapuri: Traditional craft of palm leaf work and shortage of drinking water
‘Lives among the Palms’, the photo exhibition is open for all to visit till July 16 from 10 am to 7 pm.