Despite hardships, Gateway of India photographers choose to capture smiles due to sheer love for Mumbai

There stood the writer at the Gateway of India, amid an oblivious crowd indulging in countless selfies, very few getting photographed. By looks of it, it seems like Mumbai's this iconic heritage is where every visitor comes to polish his photographic skills. A striking frame that captures the writer's attention however, is a group of men wearing white shirts, black pants and backpacks standing idle with their cameras in one hand and photo albums in the other - each also wearing an identity card mentioning ‘Tourist First'.

For decades, the photographers at Gateway of India have been an intrinsic part of Mumbai's tourism. Sadly, due to smartphones, these photographers are going out of focus.

Warm, jolly, polite, hopeful and determined, these cameramen graciously engaged in a conversation with the writer while scanning the premises to look for a potential customer.

Pramod Kumar Choudhary (44) has been capturing smiles at the Gateway of India for the last 28 years. "High-quality cameras in phones have taken away our business from us," laments Pramod. He has seen both technology and time evolve. From using a Yashica Electro 35 to digital cameras like SLR and DSLR, Pramod has witnessed the highs and lows in his profession.

He reminiscences, "People earlier used to love getting clicked by us. We used to get a lot of business. The era without mobile phones was good. But times have changed tremendously."

Pramod, originally from Bihar, travelled to Mumbai for a living. His wife and son live in a village in Bihar and get to meet Pramod once in six months. "It is difficult to stay away from the family, but I have no choice. I have to earn for their security."

The story is no different for Ram Chandra Choudhary(35) who has been photographing tourists for the past 15 years. He tells the writer, "I had come to Mumbai to study, however the financial condition back home was not great. My father, who had been working as a photographer at the Gateway of India for 40 years, introduced me to this job. It helped me support my family."

This is the story of most of the photographers at the site who patiently wait to photograph the willing tourists.

The spirit of Mumbai keeps the photographers going
The job of these men is not easy and surely not one free from hardships. Yet, they stand under the sun the whole day trying to pull customers to get clicked. What keeps them going we wonder. In unison, they say, it is the spirit of Mumbai.

"Meri Mumbai bhaut pyaari hai," says Pramod. "I can never leave Mumbai. This city is all about discipline. It has taught me so much about life. No one gives up easily in this city. Besides, I love my job. It gives me a chance to interact with so many different kinds of people. This job has taught me how to speak to people with respect."

Similarly, Ram says, "Mumbai meri janambhoomi toh nahi, lekin meri karambhoomi hai. Aur yeh sheher sabko jo chahiye woh deta hi hai." (I respect the city because it helps me survive. This is the only city that gives a person what he truly wants.)

Additionally, Ram says, "This place is full of life lessons. So many people visit the place. There is always so much to learn from them. This keeps me going."

Nevertheless, some photographers have returned home or gone their ways looking for a better medium of income. Pramod was one of them as well. He says, "Maine koshish ki thi, par kisi aur kaam mai mann hi nahi laga. Mai kalakaar hu. Photography meri kala hai. Iske bina na ho payegaga." (I am an artist. I did try different jobs but I didn't enjoy any.)

Smartphones cannot replace the charm of professional cameras
Tourists at the Gateway of India come equipped with tools like selfie sticks and tripods to ensure they get pictures from all angles possible. As the writer watches families clicking pictures and following the posing directions given by the family member behind the camera, both Pramod and Ram Chandra say that even though mobile phones are causing us loss, it is only a professional camera and photographer who can render a clean and sharp picture.

Ram says, "Just as phones have updated their camera, the quality of professional cameras too has improved. Those who know this will also opt for a professional photograph."

Additionally, Pramod says, "Some people do prefer to get clicked by us simply because we also provide a printed copy in a minute. There was a time when people embraced digital technology and loved having pictures on their phones over heavy photo albums. However now, with the excessive amount of digital data, people are going back to loving printed photographs which they can touch and feel and frame."

Nevertheless, keeping in mind the need to stay updated with technology, these photographers also provide a digital copy of images by transferring them to your phone using USB devices.

Avanti (17), a resident of Nagpur had come down to Mumbai with her family on a trip. Here the family paid to get clicked by one of the photographers. She says, "Pictures clicked using a camera can always be stored in albums. We all have phones, but how often do we take a backup? If at all a phone gets damaged, it often results in loss of data. Besides, we love to hold a picture in our hand."

This is not the first time the family visited the heritage site. However, the family chooses to click a photograph every time they visit a place and store it in their photo album back home.

Similarly, Rajesh, a Mumbaikar residing in Kandivali who got himself clicked alongside his wife and a five-year-old son, says, "A smartphone can't do what a camera can. Besides, photographers here are good at clicking pictures. They have the talent that we don't." Rajesh was at the Gateway of India to celebrate his wife's birthday.

The writer was rather intrigued to see white-coloured compact printers in the hands of all photographers. On being asked how they worked, one of the photographers (who wishes to remain anonymous) from the group that was gathered around the writer chose to share details.

To provide the printed pictures, the photographers use Epson PictureMate 245 PM. They all purchase it from Fort's Bora Bazaar which is known to sell cameras and other electronic gadgets at reasonable prices. The glossy hard paper which is used for printing is also bought from here.

In another observation, the writer also spotted many photographers who had hooked about 10-11 sunglasses in their shirts. On being asked why, the anonymous photographer shares, "A lot of people love to pose in front of the Taj Hotel or the Gateway of India wearing dashing sunglasses. So, we make sure we offer them everything they need to look good in the picture."

The photographer also shares that some tourists get nasty by simply snatching the sunglasses from their shirts. "That is not right. We don't mind offering the sunglasses for free even to those who don't wish to get clicked by us. Here, we all function smoothly without any trouble but sometimes some people do try to create a nuisance."

United they stand, against all odds
The photographers at Gateway of India operate under an official union named Tourist First. Those who are part of the union are expected to wear white shirts and black pants and are allotted their respective identity cards.

Pramod says, "This gives us some security. Besides, we also act as official CCTV cameras on the premises. We are always alert as sometimes someone from the crowd is capable of creating a nuisance. We take it upon ourselves to keep the area safe and ensure nothing wrong happens here."

Ram says, "Tourists are our god. We ensure they have a good time here. Sometimes we also act as a tour guide for many giving visitors historical information about the Gateway of India and the Taj Hotel. We are always happy to help."

All the photographers here work with pre-decided pricing of photographs to ensure healthy competition. Here one can get themselves clicked at Rs 50 for one picture and Rs 100 for two. Earlier, Ram informs, the price was 30, however after the pandemic they increased the pricing considering everything had become costly.

Pramod speaks of facing some of the most challenging days during the lockdown. "Bohot halat kharab ho gaya tha." He says, "We have still not bounced back completely. Customers too, have reduced post-pandemic. I guess middle-class people no longer have that kind of money to travel to Mumbai or take a trip." Yet, he says better days will come and refuses to stop hoping.

Even though the photographers at this heritage site haven't received any formal photography training, Pramod says, "All of us here have taught each other how to use a camera and we continue to educate ourselves with newer camera techniques. We all love photography."

The monsoon season is especially challenging for these men with cameras. They click pictures even in the rain using an umbrella to cover the device. Pramod says, "Even a droplet of water on the lens costs us Rs 4000 for its repair. We buy our own cameras."

On her way out, Pramod offers the writer to get clicked and she happily agrees. He ends up doing what he does best - creating a memory of a lifetime for another tourist at the Gateway of India.