Smile Please !

My Family photograph taken in 1969

I was in the park last evening. Nobody around. So decided to take a picture of the lonely park and post it in Facebook. In a few seconds, job was done ! Somebody asked me how much megapixels is my camera on the mobile, I did not have any idea, even now. Who bothers ? Now a days most of the cameras come with decent resolutions. Interestingly that is the only spec I need to worry about now. Good old cameras there were many things to worry about - the shutter speed, aperture what not? Life is so easy as long the job of taking a picture is concerned.

I remember first time I posed in front of a camera. That's when one of my elders took initiative to take a family photograph of that huge family and extended family. I still vaguely remember trying to sit as smart as possible in the front row, in that group of 30+. That group photograph is hanging in many of our homes. Lately somebody distributed a scanned copy of it. Many have it in digital form in FB page, in laptops or even in mobiles. It's nice feeling to see those faces, innocent ones including mine ! That photograph is worth a million!

The first camera I had was that photo filmwala. 36 odd pics in a roll and every click it will advance to the next frame. At one important occasion, I think it was my son's birthday, I clicked as many as I could. Cutting the cake, eating the cake, left over cake, from left corner, right corner, standing on a stool and the top view - all possible ways a camera can be clicked ! Took the roll to the studio. That dark man who works in the dark room (Do not think I am racist, this guy was as dark as the dark room!! ) took the roll and told me that dark truth. No doubt. I had clicked as vigilantly and vigorously as I could. But the film hadn't moved from the original position. All I had on the entire roll was one single bright spot, exposed over and over again at the same place for 36+ times !. He returned that roll to me intact, to be used for my son's next birthday celebrations ! Any way birth days happen every year, why worry about this lost opportunity.

I had taken my selfie a few weeks back on my mobile, that was after 20 long years. My first visit to Singapore. I had to submit passport size photograph to the immigration office for some reason. My friend took me to a small booth. All I had to do was put a a few coins in that slot machine and sit straight in front of that small camera. First time I tried to smile in front of a camera with nobody by the side or behind it. That very thought made me smile more. With in a few seconds, three passport size photographs were in my hands. I was thrilled. Back home it would have been a two-day project that too bearing the torture of the camera man - look up, look down, turn left, turn right - to take that 2 inch by 3 inch picture.

Pictures attract people's attraction much more than mere words. In one of my blogs, I had put my Kufri trip picture upfront on top of the blog. Little did I realise that the picture would be shown on the FB post when I shared it. There were many more "Like"s on it than my other equally boring blogs. I felt good, I thought not-so smart picture of mine still made the difference. I attracted more people to read my blog this time. But alas, when I went and checked the page views in my blogger, there were none !! People were appreciating my picture as such and not going to the blog link at all !!!

Whether it is a selfie or taken by somebody else I like to see my picture. I definitely like to see others' picture as well. Taken at older dates is better, the younger and fresher looks ! I had seen numerous pictures of mine, I had seen how badly my posture was, how badly I tried to smile, how badly I stared. I might be conscious next time while posing in front of a camera. But in day to day life, every moment, can I consciously alter my face, look, posture to look better ?  I tend to fall back to my natural, original, true style. That is what I am !

But one thing I can definitely do. Every moment, think of that the camera man of good old days who is in front of me covering his head under that black cloth. And struggling to say "Smile Please !" . Then I try to smile. No doubt, it would bring in a smile in others also.