Power of lens: From 35mm to digital photography to meeting life partner

DIMAPUR — For Myingthungo Ababe Ezung, who is also one of the first photographers to introduce digital camera in Nagaland, photography runs in the family and goes back to the 1980s.

“Photography is a hobby for me,” said Ezung, owner of ‘Portrait Studio’ and officer on special duty in the Transport department.

In a candid conversation with Eastern Mirror on the eve of World Photography Day, which is celebrated annually on August 19, he confided that his father encouraged him to take a course in photography after seeing his interest in the art.

‘How I met my wife’

“Those days, there was no Photoshop, so we would cut photos with scissors, paste them on a scenery poster, and shoot them again to make them look like Photoshop,” Ezung recounted.

He also recalled the days when a 35mm roll film could take only 36 images, making every click precious. “To finish a roll, it took us a month so as not to waste the roll,” he said.

On the struggles of owning a studio, he said, “We would collect the film roll for days and send it to Guwahati through the Blue Hill bus and wait for a couple of days. Those days, the roll was the only copy that we had, unlike these days where we can store a copy of our photos anywhere.”

‘Also, in those days, photography machines were the size of a car and very expensive, which was not possible for us to buy. But luckily, I could manage to bring a used machine, and that’s how I started printing photos,’ he said.

“Those days, picture taking was very challenging, as taking shots was not very easy manually. During those times, there was no YouTube tutorial, and we used thermocol for lighting, physically taking the distance, and the only thing that helped us were the red and green lights in the camera,” he added.

On the photography scene in Nagaland then and now, he said back then, the equipment they used had just speed and aperture, and there was no filter.

“We used to play around with the natural lights. It was interesting but not very easy,” he said. 

“Photography is a good profession, and one need not open studios. It has made a huge transition. Many studios have shut down, but still, photographers are surviving. I made a lot of money through photography, and even the house I live was built with photography money. It was also through photography that I met my wife,” he shared.

Survival instinct turns into passion

Nagaland’s well-known photographer Imcha Jamir, who has been in this profession for the last 17 years, termed his venture into photography “unintentional” and said that he did not draw inspiration from anyone to become a professional photographer; it was rather his “survival instinct” that drew him to the art.

Considered to be one of the most sought-after photographers in the state, Jamir, in a conversation with Eastern Mirror, recounted his journey with the camera, starting in 2006, by capturing his sculptures and paintings in the absence of social media.

When asked to share some of his favourite moments while capturing photographs in the state, he said, “Weddings in Nagaland are very serious, and I cannot recollect any moment that was special as every wedding is the same.”

Jamir, however, said that being a father and a married man makes it easy for him to establish a rapport with his clients that allows him to capture their best moments.

He also revealed that he does a lot of homework before any event.

With photographers mushrooming in the state, he conveyed that although photography is an industry with decent income, one should not be carried away by the income but stay updated.

He also shared that before going for a shoot, he spends personal time with God and dresses well for the occasion as a mark of respect for the client.

Jamir further confided that he does not shy away from acknowledging the Creator, as he got his breakthrough as a photographer when he encountered the love of Christ in 2015, which is why he never misses an opportunity to spend a moment in prayer before any shoot.

Also read: PCK observes World Photography Day