With the coming of mobile phones, we all have a camera at our disposal, all the time. But we bring to you the old world charm of vintage camera photography in the lanes of Pink City.
Meet Tikam Chand, a third generation photographer, with a 1860 Carl Zeiss camera – the only of its kind left in the world today!
Tikam Chand maybe the last practicing street portraitist in the country today and is taking the family profession forward, a profession that his family has sustained for 95 years.
The camera is a all in one 20 kg apparatus that can take pictures and process it all on its own!
This rare standing model was gifted to Pahari Lal (Tikam Chand’s grandfather) by the Maharaja of Jaipur as he was the photographer for the royal family. Pahari Lal, a passionate photographer himself, passed on this equipment as inheritance down his generations.
#DidYouKnow Tikam Chand has been using the camera since 1977
Today the camera happens to be more of a tourist attraction. This antique camera stands mounted on a wooden stand, the body is covered with worn out black leather and set with brass hardware and stands with the backdrop of Hawa Mahal exuding a vintage magical charm of its own.
#DidYouKnow Till date, spare parts when needed along with the chemicals used for developing the pictures need to be brought from France!
After he clicks a picture of you, the negative is produced and rinsed with chemicals and put in a water bucket. Post that the negative is to a board and voila! It’s magical to see your photo being developed right there in front of you!
Tikam Chand is also carrying another tradition forward - that of hand painting the pictures, which was earlier in practise due to limitations of the chemistry. It is not only the hand colouring that these photographers are famous for, but also for the practice of adding “special effects” by clever use of backdrops and cutouts and then making it look realistic with the clever use of perspective.
While taking a picture with a cutout of the deities was popular in the olden days, other popular styles were, a circular image, or having your self photographed with the illusion on sitting on a crescent moon, or even in an open top jeep - Tikam makes all of the people’s wishes comes true!
#FunFact For our Instagram generation addicted to filters, he has the sepia tone too which he achieves by adding black salt to the final print!
In characteristic Rajasthani fashion of carrying on the tradition through ages, Tikam is now also training his sons to use the camera. “I am training them, whether they carry it forward or not, it is up to them. For me, this art should live on in my lifetime and their lifetime. If somebody asks them questions about the camera or the process, they should be able to answer.”
So when you are lost in the magic of the narrow lanes of the old pink city next time, keep an eye out of the Vintage Camera and take a piece of history back home!
For more information, write to us at info@thethingstodoinindia.com
Round Glass Magazine and Tikam Chand’s Magical Camera - by Ayandrali Dutta
