Romance of Photography: Digital Divide

Long back in 1958 with my first face to face with my future wife, the ice, during the first awkward moments between the two strangers, was broken with my handing over one black and white print after another, from my collection, to her. Each photo as it passed hands, the hands, at time, touching inadvertently, introduced the family and me to her, in pictures and in steps, one at a time. Each print, exchanged bringing us one step closer with her finally becoming my stand-in model.
Brig Lakshman Singh

Dear Lakshman,
What a wonderful expression of your romantic sentiments. You triggered my own moments with Veera in the early years which culminated in our marriage in 1956. (You remember that we had celebrated our Golden Anniversary worldwide in 2006, especially in New Delhi and Lucknow.) But the romance has not ended. It must continue despite the enforced changes due to the "progress" of mankind. You and I are partially responsible for these changes which are excellent in some respects, and not so in other. But C' est la vie! If I expound on this subject, I shall need to write another book.

Speaking of the book, I hope that you have enjoyed reading my book as well as the "Summary". I shall certainly look forward to receiving your book when Ashok comes here next month. Why don't you come along with him too? We shall have BBQs, wine, and fresh fruits from my garden.

Going back to the romance of photography, Kodak just announced that they will stop manufacturing their Kodachrome film later this year. There goes another nail in the coffin of the romantic photography. However, FYI (and as Ashok has known) I am still hanging on to my old Olympus film camera and using it for shooting all types of events all over the world. All my children and grandchildren own digital cameras except for me. Sooner or later I shall have to give in and get a suitable but simple to use digital camera. I shall try to discover my own finesse of romance of using it. Let us face it, romance is embedded in every human being's psyche. How to exploit it for progeny and pleasure is usually a personal attribute and secret!
Keep up the romance all the time, all of you!
Arjun Saxena

Romance of Photography down the Century

It started with the advent of Polaroid film and cameras which produced instant colour prints, a case, of wonder and amusement. And then came the earlier digital cameras expensive and with not so good resolution. However, the down slide had started. The film camera were loosing the battle slowly albeit surely. Earlier one bought the film, loaded the camera, over time exposed the 8, 12, 20 or 35 exposures of the 120, 620 or 35 MM film, every time struggling to find the right combination of the shutter speed, lens aperture and the depth of field; all depending on the ASA or the DIN rating of the film and the light conditions of the day and time.

And then came the ‘Aim and Shoot’ camera first the film and later the digital, taking out the drudgery from picture taking as also the creativity. I do recall, me back in 1952’s and 53’s, moving up and down the mountain trails of Nanital and surroundings, with my Franka Solida or the Agfa Silette, both loaded with black and white 200 ASA film, looking through the view finder, not at the lcd screens of today, seeking for a picture and not just a photo.

Pushing the exposed film roll across the counter of the Photo Shop for developing and printing, waiting anxiously with anticipation till the next evenings for the wallet with the negatives and the prints, holding the prints like a hand of playing cards, looking at one at a time; at times with dismay at the blotched result and others with excitement at the Gem in my hand: that was Romance of Photography.

Today with every thing ‘instant’ with click, view, save, delete there is no anticipation left nor any suspense felt for the expected and the unexpected, especially with the advent of the camera in phone now all and sundry have become photo artists: the romance is truly dead. Long back in 1958 with my first face to face with my future wife, the ice, during the first awkward moments between the two strangers, was broken with my handing over one black and white print after another, from my collection, to her. Each photo as it passed hands, the hands, at time, touching inadvertently, introduced the family and me to her, in pictures and in steps, one at a time. Each print, exchanged bringing us one step closer with her finally becoming my stand-in model.

Possibly in present scenario, I would have been sitting at my PC, the digital pictures appearing in a slide show, with her standing by the side, disinterested, unfocused eyes drifting around and away from the fleeting images hardly making any impact emotional or otherwise with little chance of a romance budding. With her gone and no model at hand I keep looking at my three film cameras lying desolate and unused with my Nokia camera phone in hand. Click View and Delete; the romance of photography as also the literal is truly dead; right and proper, at least for me.
Brig Lakshman Singh (Retd)