A Kerala photographer’s tribute to a bygone era

A Kochi-based photographer shines light on those behind the camera in his show

Alappuzha: KR Boney is a photographer based in Kochi and he has utilised ‘Lokame Tharavadu’ a contemporary art show, to find out the yesteryears’ members of his ‘tribe’, especially the studio photographer, presently, a near forgotten lot, with the influx of technology.

Boney, through a set of portraits, has tried to document the lives of studio photographers known to him.

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He describes his attempt to bring out those yesteryear photographers who preferred to remain anonymous with one skewed eye behind the viewfinder, waiting all their lives for the perfect frame and right amount of light.

“The people I have documented for the show have all retired. Some of them are not in this world anymore,” says Boney, who conceptualised it as a tribute to a bygone era.

Along with their portraits at the art show, one can also catch a glimpse of the equipment they used – a Yashica, Mamiya C330 or Vivitar V3000.

Boney, who cut his teeth in the ‘dark room’ school is also a master trainer for many when it comes to analog photography.

Two of his disciples Anu John David from Kollam and Shaji N. Jaleel from Fort Kochi are also participating artists in the Lokame Tharavadu show.

“It was Boney who taught me the art of reverse colouring,” says David, who has displayed 16 hand-painted negatives photographed using a Vageeswari camera, which is intrinsically linked to the history of Alappuzha.

The Vageeswari camera, which was once in high demand, was designed and manufactured by K. Karunakaran, an Alappuzha-based technician, who was trained in repairing musical instruments. The show features the works of 267 artists who trace their roots to Kerala.