K S S Pillai
"We are going only to the shop. Why are you taking so much time to make up?" the husband asks. "Don't you know there's a CCTV camera near the shop?" the wife replies. The conversation shows how cameras have affected our lives.
Years ago, the newlyweds used to go to the nearest studio and get photographed. Then came the photographer at the wedding venue. Black-and-white photographs of all who attended the marriage were taken and delivered after about a week. They were pasted into an album for future reference. The couple often relived their past by going through the album.
In the late 1960s, a film roll that could take ten black-and-white photographs cost Rs 5. After taking photos, the camera was taken to a studio, where the film was 'washed' in chemicals in a dark room and hung to dry. Prints were taken afterwards and handed over to the customer, along with the exposed film.
Colour photography and the appearance of smartphones with cameras have changed everything. Though the device is called a phone, it is mostly used for other purposes. Photographs can be edited or morphed, making them dreaded equipment for many. They have great value as proof, as the courts punish or acquit people based on expert opinions.
Some movies show the villain going after those recording his nefarious activities and the latter trying to save them as proof. Many divorces have been granted based on photographs of the spouse indulging in activities of unfaithfulness.
CCTVs have become a tool for catching lawbreakers and bringing them to justice. Shoplifters, trespassers and other offenders are scared of cameras that have become integral parts of public roads and places like residential complexes. Traffic offenders are fined based on these photos. When riots take place, the criminals hide their faces by wearing masks. The first thing criminals do nowadays is to disable these cameras before embarking on their activities.
Newspapers are now full of news items and advertisements in colour photographs. Public figures spend much time and money in beauty parlours and dress in costly garments while appearing in public as they know their photos will be flashed over social media. Even ordinary folks have become conscious of their appearance for the same reason. People upload visuals of their sojourns to distant places or visits to costly restaurants.
Politicians behave like gentlemen if photographers are present. Some sit on the floor and eat with people denounced as 'low-caste' and ensure that their actions are recorded and published. They are scared of hidden cameras everywhere.
Some actors and actresses, once famous for their glamour, run away from cameras as time has made them ugly and fragile. They refuse to be photographed, and many have stopped appearing in public places.
Long after nations are devastated by wars, photographs of a half-buried child's dead body or people running away from death travelling on the roof of trains haunt us. Countries where criminals are sentenced to death after short trials use photographs of the beheading to warn potential criminals.
Photographs have become a part of our lives, making it impossible to imagine a world without them.