PHOTOGRAPHY-37

 PHOTOGRAPHY-37

EQUIPMENT / IMAGE

It is simultaneously a delight and a nightmare in recalling the baffling array of cameras in amateur hands for the sole purpose of making pictures. Yes, they had all been crafted to precision in terms of focussing, film advancement , shutter –flash synchrony and not to forget the sleek designs typical to brands or countries of origin. In this trade , USA was a non-player though the country boasted of technology and sophistication. Despite earnest attempts, I am unable to recall any American brand name in Camera market; instead, American consumers had a lasting supply of Camera brands from other continents- the leaders among them were Japan and Germany. India had such equipment from tourists on a nominal pricing or through contraband channels in some metros from where it trickled down. Certain of the items confiscated by customs used to be sold on regular basis and intervals. Such possessions with their customs clearance bill released on sale were not treated illegal. All items brought in by native travellers were levied tax based on the market popularity of the items carried in. Despite such restrictions, individuals managed to catch hold of preferred items from smugglers who made a fortune by delivering the items of choice.

What ever the mode of procurig a camera, amateurs were too keen to possess one that would fit the purse and give a sense of pride and satisfaction . Photography being one of harsh demands, slowly  promoted the understanding that the best results are possible only through equipment of reasonable sophistication backed up by accuracy in processing and printing. Too often processing work assigned to commercial firms turned out somewhat inferior negatives because film was handled in ‘not-so ideal’ patterns of working. For instance, films are to be handled like tender infants to avoid physical abrasions /violent scratches and finger print records. All these ‘defects’ were invariably integral to negatives processed through ‘studios’.They were too unconcerned of the fate of the negatives , as they were keen to process more films in less time ; the issue got compounded by the sweeping assertion by such process stations that “’you have not made correct pictures “; being unaware , the poor amateur used to place faith on such unfounded proclamations –reconciling to personal submission that

 “I have a lot to learn”. “I have a lot to learn” is a universally valid admission for personal ascension and avoidance of contentment on matters of learning . On all such instances, people were led into the opinion that a person on the staff of studio knows things better and we reconcile to his contention – though the judgment spelt out by him was one of self defence before the firm is fixed for shabby work in handling films.  This was the modus operandi through which Amateur photography existed until some educated men/ women started learning the innate principles of image processing and printing , besides a set of salvage operations. Before learning such scientific correctives recommendred by experts / photo industry giants, ‘touching up’ the film negatives was construed a proper step of handling the material. It was just a convenience to save printing time and material from spoilage. Only on learning the critical principles behind the regulatory parameters of image density , photography turns a promising and challenging  domain for scentific “tuning and taming” the camera itself. Honestly, there is no ‘hit or miss” since it is a keenly balanced act of ‘slip between the cup and the lip..

More to follow

K.Raman