Give Me A High-Five Violet-Ma’am for being Recipient of Rajyotsava Photography Award
“At any event where one finds press persons scribbling feverishly on their notepads and paparazzi popping their flashes, most of the time it is the males who dominate the scene. Only occasionally a handful of women would be found. Even the women would be on the payroll of media houses. But one hardly comes across the ‘First Lady’ of a media house personally covering or photographing the events. Violet Pereira is an exception. She has been my role model for many years. During the olden days when angels feared to tread into the world of media photography, she practically ‘gatecrashed’ into the male domain and soon secured a firm foothold. Her achievements are all the more remarkable because I am aware that she has had a problem with the faculty of eyesight for many years”- Anuksha Bolar (Bangalore) – an avid reader of Mangalorean.com
Mangaluru: Very aptly said on Violet Pereira, the proprietor/journo/photographer of Mangalorean.com, by one of our website avid reader Anuksha Bolar, hailing from Mangalorean roots, a former multimedia professional based in Bangalore, and has now, after marriage, settled in the Garden City. Anyone can be a photographer, but you need to show a bit of dedication and commitment, use precise angles and of course, be there when it’s gonna happen: could it be during day or night, late-night or wee hours, during scorching sun or incessant rains – all of these are parts of being a photographer, and although it can sometimes seem like a lot of work, the results can be…”Success” and achieving your ” Goal”- and that’s what we are seeing all these qualities here in the personality of Violet, who has been picked out among the rest and selected by the Awards Committee to be the recipient of 2014 Dakshina Kannada Rajyotsava Photography Award.
When people do hobbies for money then one prefaces it with “professional,” for instance, “professional Businessman” or “professional photographer.” Photography is a trade. Photographers are paid to create, deliver, license, or sell photographs. Photography requires training and specialized knowledge like other trades but doesn’t require a license or even a college degree as a profession does. Photographers work intangible goods, not knowledge. Their knowledge and imagination are important parts of their photos, but it’s the tangible photos, not the ideas, for which they are commended and awarded. That’s what keeps photography from being a profession.
With all such qualities, Violet has proved that she can outshine among the rest of the photographers, by showing her hidden talents in the field of photography. She has done it, and her dedication and hard work has been recognized by conferring her with this prestigious Rajyotsava award.
“Pictures are not taken, they are made.” had said professional American photographer Ansel Adams. Photography is a medium of formidable contradictions. It is both ridiculously easy and almost impossibly difficult.
It is easy when its technical rudiments can readily be mastered by anyone with a few simple instructions. It is difficult because, when photographers like Violet working in any other medium begins with a blank surface and gradually brings her conception into being, she will be the only image-maker who begins with the picture completed. Her emotions, her knowledge, and her native talent are brought into focus and fixed beyond recall the moment the shutter of her camera has closed. I have seen Violet with her mega- camera and her mega-back-pack, active on the streets, on muddy fields, on race tracks, at accident and murder scenes, at formal & in-formal functions, at hospitals and mortuaries, at religious places etc- she puts all her efforts and talents into one, to bring out eye-catching pictures of the scene.
That’s what you call “Good Photography” which requires knowledge of light, exposure, composition, and depth of field. It then requires skill to use that knowledge to make the picture the photographer wants to make. And Violet Ma’am is one exceptional woman photographer who uses her knowledge of, and skill using, light, exposure, composition and depth of field to bring out a perfect picture. I have seen her work, seen her unique quality of photographs, and there is no doubt that she puts her heart and soul in bringing out something that is truly extraordinary and unique, which is appreciated and commended by the viewers and readers. To Violetbai aka Violet Ma’am I say kudos and job well done – your hard work and dedication to something that you like and adore has been paid off with this Award.
Moving on to her personal data- Violet J Pereira was born on 12 March 1966, and when she was in the 10th standard she lost both her eyesight and was bedridden for 2 years. After 2 years of treatment, she recovered sight in one eye and continued her education. She got married to Joseph Pereira in 1990 and is the proud mother of two sons, Ronak- who is an aeronautical engineer, and Astel- who is doing his BSW in Roshni Nilaya. At the age of 37, she decided to join the media to help her friend who was managing www.mangalorean.com then, and when her friend decided to pursue higher education, Violet took over mangalorean.com’s batten along with her husband Joseph, in January 2010. Since then she never looked back. She then set up her media offices in Mangalore and Udupi.
Apart from a media person handling news coverage, photography, marketing, Violet is also a good social worker and saved many lives as well as helped the poor and the downtrodden, one could call her as a “Good Samaritan” when someone is desperately distressed and in need. To name a few of her social service work/helping hand:
– She had saved a 7-year girl from her own 10-year-old brother who was sexually abusing her every day and admitted both of them to two different schools;
– Saved a old man who had collapsed on the road near State Bank, and admitted him to Wenlock hospital, later searched for his family members and handed him over to his family;
– Saved a man who met with an accident near Bendorewell by admitting him to Fr Muller Hospital.
– She had also saved a beggar who was on the dying stage near Attavar Railway station by admitting him to the hospital;
– Had played a vital role in quickly informing the police about the dead body of a beggar near Attavar Railway station and helped in shifting the body to the mortuary and later filing a police complaint during late night, while all the men present at the scene were reluctant to help their support and be witnesses;
– Saved the life of Raviraj who met with an accident who was left unattended by the public near Lower Bendur on 9 November 2011.
– Violet’s article on Geetha Thapa, to trace her family in Nepal was successful, with Violet receiving a call from Nepal police within three days that they had traced Geetha’s family. – – Violet is also involved in lending financial support, like: Through Fatima Education trust helping the HIV+ students to pursue their education (Sahodaya and Sneha Sadana Gurupur); Helped a blood cancer patient with financial aid for his treatment; helped a college girl student of Perdur to pay her fees when she lost her fees money.
Adding to her credit with Awards and Recognition, Violet Pereira has a bunch of them, to name a few :
– Karnataka Mahila Ratna award conferred on her on April 4, 2015 at Beladingala Sahitya Sammelana, at Karkala
– Vishwa Konkani Bhasha Mandal felicitated her for her achievements in photography on March 8, 2015.
– RACHANA felicitated her for her contribution in Media on March 8, 2015
-Helen Keller Award Conferred by Lions Club Mangalore on May 8, 2013
-Indian overseas bank honoured her on Women’s Day at St Ann’s College, for her service to the society on March 8, 2013.
– Lions club of Valencia on the completion of 25 years, felicitated her for her tremendous service to the society in 2012.
– Best Journalist award in March 2012, from Talent Research Foundation.
– ‘No Mascara’ Musical team felicitated her for the excellent coverage of all the programmes, on� 11 November 2012.
– St Sebastian Church Bendur, felicitated her for her service to the society through media in January 2012.
– Milagres Church Mangalore felicitated her for her service to the society through media in 2010
Violet had also delivered talk on “Moral Values” to students of Government Model School-Pandeshwar, August 2014;
-Was Chief Guest on August 15, 2014, at White Dove’s function, and delivered a talk on ‘How Safe Women Are”.;
-Solved problem of Transgenders and formed a new committee of Sada Sumangali Hitarakshana Vedike on September 13, 2014; had launched Alvasmadhyama.com on January 8 2014, at Alvas Education Foundation Moodbidri;
-Delivered a talk on Media and Safety of Women in University level Seminar- “Women’s Safety in Modern India”, organized by Akhila Bharata Vidhyrthi Parishat (ABVP), Mangalore Zone at Sharada Mantapa Ujire on February 23, 2013.
During her spare time, Violet likes to write poems in Konkani, Tulu, and Kannada. She had released “Maigaavn” (Motherland – dedicated to my mother) Book in 2010. Her hobbies include Photography, Writing poems, visiting spots where there is an incident anytime. There are many unsung and un-honoured individuals in the journey called life. Time and again they continue to do great work without expecting anything in return It behooves on us to elevate such human beings to such recognition. Encouragement, goodwill, or help is sometimes the only thing they need, like a pat on the back. In this regard, Violet has written articles/reports, some among them are:
With her husband, Joseph beside her side most of the time, the Pereira duo have mutual respect for each other in their abilities – strengths and weaknesses – and also their personalities, thoughts, and opinions. In any relationship, communication is the first and best way to connect. This is true in a marriage, and definitely true when that relationship continues on into work, and they have proved it. They both have identified and followed the goals and mutually-agreeable systems in maintaining a cooperative, amicable, and smooth-running website business.
Certain characteristics make for a successful husband and wife team. Both Joseph and Violet have a deep respect for the values, and they have delivered and accepted each other’s contributions in a supportive manner, thereby creating a solid framework within which their respective business knowledge and skills have allowed for good business decisions and, in turn, has led for a successful business. The benefits are innumerable for this couple who work closely together and share a passion for their business.
