Bikram Bhagat ’26 Receives Judge’s Award at Pingry Photography Exhibition

Senior Bikram Bhagat ’26 recently received a judge’s award at the 30th Annual Pingry Student Photography Exhibition.

This year's show featured student work from 11 public and private high schools in the area. More than 200 photographs were included in the exhibition, with just 25 awards presented that were chosen by an independent juror. The exhibition is known for its wide range of work, including both digital photography and traditional film-based techniques.

Bikram’s winning image, “Shipwreck,” was taken on Rutgers Prep’s Global Experiences trip to Iceland last spring. It captures the weathered remains of a ship that washed up on the black sand beach at Landeyjahöfn on Iceland’s southern coast.

His path to photography began at home. Bikram said his father, who has done photography on the side for more than 20 years, first sparked his interest. He picked up a professional camera for the first time in the summer before his sophomore year, then kept pursuing his new passion in Photography 1 with Scot Wittman the next spring. He continued to hone his skills with Photography 3 the following year, and is now in Photography 5.

Wittman said Bikram’s commitment to the craft stands out.

“One of the great things about Bikram, he’s constantly taking photos, and he’s obviously invested in creating professional work.” To Wittman’s point, Bikram has been a staple on the sidelines of athletics events at Rutgers Prep, taking pictures at countless games during his time at RPS.

Wittman also pointed to the way Bikram has grown as an artist by applying classroom lessons to his own work—like his Iceland photo—including thoughtful choices about point of view, lens and aperture, and careful editing.

Next up for Bikram is the long-arc project for seniors in Photography 5, which challenges students to put together a cohesive collection of photos focused on a central theme. We look forward to seeing what Bikram has in store for us later this semester.

See Bikram's Winning Photo: