The Extinct Photographer

“Dad, it’s my 15^th birthday and you have promised to take me to the Photo studio to have my birthday photograph clicked.”

“Yes Beta, I remember that. But don’t you see I have to go office there’s an urgent meeting and we will go there tomorrow.”

“Okay Dad”, said Ramu half-heartedly as his birthday was today not tomorrow.

This was a convo. Between Ramu and his Dad 10 years ago. Do you imagine this kind of chat happening between Father and son in today’s time? Of course not, it’s impossible up to an extent.

The Data Studio which used to be full of customers waiting in line all the time, especially at the time of festivals, has become vis-à-vis a Post Office (an Indian Post office to be precise). I remember seeing whole families coming on special occasions to get a photograph clicked. Especially the small kids and girls looked most excited.

This year when I was passing nearby the studio I saw it was almost empty. Even though it was a festive period going on but it didn’t seemed like though. I went there as I know him (The Photographer) personally and enquired about this change. He said “ Ab to bas bank k liye passport size photo karwane aate hain log’’(Now people only come for having a Passport Size photo for Bank purpose).

Even though he has tried to go with the flow and installed modern equipment of photography but today’s Selfie obsessed people have forgotten the beauty of a still photograph. I left there remembering when was the last time I have got my Photograph from a studio (except those passport sized ones). I swear that I still can’t remembered that but I can obviously tell when the last time I took a selfie, It was an hour or two ago when I was at the station.

My village used to have four or five studios but now I see only two of them. Many of them have transformed into Mobile recharge shops. There is one more thing to notice, ‘THE Wedding Photographers’ Yes they have also become an extinct species. In place of this people themselves have turned into photographers. In place of a single professional photographer in a wedding, you can easily spot tens of self-proclaimed photographers with their high resolution Camera phone (ironically most of the time engaged with their front cameras).

All these thoughts were going inside my head when I unconsciously turned towards the studio.

“Uncle, I need a Photograph, Full Sized”