The job of these men is not easy and surely not one free from hardships. What keeps them going we wonder. In unison, they say, it is the spirit of Mumbai. Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
Gateway of India witnesses a crowd indulging in countless selfies each day. Only a few choose to get photographed by resilient photographers at Mumbai’s heritage site. Photo Courtesy: AFP
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. Photo Courtesy: AFP
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. Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
Promod 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.” Photo Courtesy: AFP
The story is no different for Ram Chandra Choudhary(35) who has been photographing tourists for the past 15 years. 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.” Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
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.” Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
True to this, Avanti (17), a resident of Nagpur who had come down to Mumbai with her family on a trip 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.” Photo Courtesy: AFP
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.” Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
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. Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
Some photographers have returned home or gone their ways looking for a better medium of income. Photo Courtesy: AFP
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