Vintage Photography Festival bring to life memories of old days in Jaffna

By Chandani Kirinde

With more than 50 years of experience working as a studio photographer in Jaffna, S. Sithambaranathan (71) now spends his in retirement, mostly reminiscing on old times about the glamour of studio photography. 

When he joined his uncle’s studio in the Jaffna Town named Vasana in 1967, studios were much sought after by families eager to get a photo clicked for posterity, posing in front of scenic backgrounds or other fancy settings with the group family photo and one of the newly-wedded couple being a must.

But with changing times, studio photography is no longer sought after and many studios have closed down with preference for outdoor photography on the increase while digital photography has revolutionised the medium.

“The equipment we used then is very different to what the younger generation is used to seeing these days. The equipment was bulky, consisting of box cameras, big flash bulbs and film rolls, with studios equipped with a dark room in which to print the photos. Most of these have become obsolete with the advent of digital photography,” he said.

Procuring photography equipment in the old days was a tedious process, he recollects. “First, we had to send a letter to Chitra Photo in Colombo, which was the local agent, giving our monthly requirement of film roll, paper, etc. We were then informed of the amount that could be given and once it was agreed upon, the goods would be dispatched to its branch in Jaffna from where we paid the money and collected the items,” he said.

While he is retired from his work as a photographer, Sithambaranathan is keen to impart knowledge about the history of still photography in the northern region to members of the younger generation, which is exactly he did during a three-day Jaffna Vintage Photography Festival held last month at the Thanthai Chelvan Auditorium

The festival was organised by the Photography Society of Jaffna which consists of photo enthusiasts, mainly amateur photographers as well as students. The brains behind the Vintage Photography Festival is its President Tharmapalan Tilaxan, who, along with other members, visited all studios in and around Jaffna and collected a large number of old photographs and equipment to be exhibited.

Photography had been introduced to the Northern District by American missionaries in the early 1800s and had thrived over the years but suffered a setback during the war years.

However, with the end of the war, many young people have taken to photography to document life in the peninsula and the Photography Society has given a hand to budding photographers.

For Sithambaranathan, it was a pleasure to explain the use of the old camera equipment that was on display and reply to the queries of those who visited the festival.

“Studio photography is dying now but working in a studio was a very rewarding experience as it brought me contact with many people and their families,” he said.