Say cheese !

“This is a nice background, here take my photo. “

“Ooh there’s an old teacher, I want a picture with her. Here take our photo. “

“Wow that setting is beautiful, here take my photo.”

“A group photo ? Waitwaitwaitwait Im coming. (5 second gap as everyone adjusts to accommodate the new person). Ok now click.”

“Isn’t that statue lovely? Here take my photo.”

“Ok now all you guys move, I want a solo picture.”

“Now I want a picture with her. Smile. Thank you. Now with him. Smile. Thank you. Wait. One last picture. With both of them now. Smile. Cheese. Thank you.”

They say a picture is worth a 1000 words. That in a photo, time halts for a brief moment. Well I just made that up so I doubt anyone has said that. But I digress. Every time I head to a tourist spot, I manage to spot one of ‘them’ (not to be confused with the people who said a picture is worth….). The kind who want their picture taken at every possible occasion. With every available camera. With the same background and the same people in them (are they possibly hoping that some radically different picture will emerge if they click the same snap from different cameras time and time again ? Who knows …. ). And they want solo pictures. Lots of them. Make that lots and lots of them. Under the tree. On the left side of the tree. On the right side of the tree. With their best friend. With their best friend’s friend. On the lawn next to the tree. And so on and so forth. Recepients of endless flashbulbs that accompany a snap. I for one, find myself dazed for a couple of seconds if the flash is too bright. Maybe all those bright flashes have affected their brains. Permanently. Sounds distinctly possible. Until recently a nameless (and shameless) breed, who have now been aptly christened by India’s brightest minds – Photo terrorists.