“PHOTOGRAPHER RAGHAVAN”

 Raghavan developed a passion for photography and he was a noted photographer of this Island. His presence was inevitable for a marriage or funeral or any other memorable event. He would mount a large-format camera with a lens on a tripod covered with a black cloth. Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electro-magnetic radiation, either chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film, or electronically by means of an image sensor.

Before taking the still photograph he would look through the focus aperture and adjust the lens accordingly and place a new film board at the back. Then the entire camera would be covered with a black cloth. Then he would arrange the objects to be photographed at about a five meter distance. Finally he would ask the people to face the camera with a “CHEESE” smile and then open the shutter of the lens for a split second or during a timed exposure. It is then closed as per shutter speed. This he would repeat for other shoots. Later he washes the film in Sodium carbonate solution. A good photograph or even an album of pictures is ready for delivery in a few days time. His costs and charges were very reasonable. In 1960s, he started “Bharath Studio” at Valanjabalam in Ernakulam.   It was a great success. He had a special dark room where the camera was fixed on a tripod. There were special lighting and focussing arrangements in there. His children, Thampi, Babu and Sivan joined him and they too were popular in this field. Thampi went abroad (Gulf countries) for better prospects. His wife, Girija Thampi continued in “Bharath Studio” at Ernakulam. Raghavan’s younger son, Babu, started “Babu Studio” at Panangad and the youngest son too established “Amal Studio” at Kumbalam.

All photography was originally black-and-white. Even after colour film was readily available, black-and-white photography continued to dominate for decades, due to its lower cost and its classic photographic look. Now colour video films are more popular and they too have changed with the times.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com