Importance of cameras

I am a mechanical engineering graduate and had less to do with cameras, and therefore, was not very desperate to possess one of finer quality. But an incident from my college life changed that perception and let me know the importance of a good camera in one's life, if one wants to enjoy the life and record that enjoyment for future.

I was in third year of my degree course and we were undergoing our six-month industrial training program, and therefore, were not attending the college. However, being the premier students in cultural activities, the faculty of our college called us to attend the cultural festival of another engineering college and represent the team of our college. We made all the arrangements and collected our team, and made our way to the destination.

All the way our teachers were insisting that I should win a prize, and they of course, were going just for me! I felt a great pressure of expectations building over me and thought if I could ever perform upto that level. However, we managed to add that pressure as we told the teammates that we have a camera and we would be clicking them during their respective events. They felt very satisfied that there was someone who would record those events.

One the first day I was to sing a duet song with one of my senior girl. She sang very sweetly and we were pretty sure about the prize, till I got into the act and spoiled the whole scene. My teachers and other students were wondering that what happened with me; for, I was their best hope in singing category! "It seemed as if Vivek went to the stage for the first time", someone of them remarked. I was, of course, very down hearted, as we could have won the prize. That event finished and we moved to other places where other members of the team had to perform. We clicked the photographs, making them to get into some poses and assuring them that the pictures would be very beautiful. They were performing in many events where colors and other colorful materials were involved. We made them to pose behind those colors and wondered at the beauty of the picture that would come out. They were also very excited about those pictures.

We noticed a certain problem in the camera, the next morning, as the indicating light of the camera was not operating. We sensed some problems, but thought that the bulb might have been destroyed, but the camera was working anyway! We kept on doing that and in the night we had the solo-singing competition. Now this was the time when I could make up for the faults I made the last night. We clicked the other girl, who sang a duet with me last night, for her solo song. I was called upon the stage and I went there. Made all the arrangements for the music and started singing. Got a thunderous applause form the crowd, but very interestingly, I guessed that they are hooting and I was not singing very well! Somehow, fearing in my mind all the time, I completed my song and got down from the stage. Literally, everybody hugged me and expressed their remarks that they never heard someone singing like me. I was relieved of the fear and wondered about the truth of those remarks. The other person with me, who was clicking me from various angels and was listening me from very close to the stage, said that I was remarkable and was very appreciated by almost everyone. I thanked him! He assured me that he had clicked a large number of photographs and they would come out to be very attractive. I imagined myself singing in that dark night and thought how I was looking like!

We returned from the festival winning a number of prizes and satisfied the expectation of college's faculty! Now was the turn of my team members who asked about the photographs that I promised them and had the negative in my ever-reliable camera. Gosh! This time, it failed me! Yes, we found it later that the indication light was not working as the battery of the camera was weak, and therefore, all the clicking was spoiled and there was no photograph produced. I was ashamed and grieving at the loss of such a precious time, which I thought was stored but actually not! Had it been a good camera with some arrangements about the battery, I could have got them replaced or had done something else. There was no technical fault in the camera and there was no wrong in our clicking technique, but there was no option available to get the knowledge about the battery either. I had to depend upon my guess, as when it had to be replaced. The idea of changing the battery never occurred to me and we were thinking all the time that the indicator bulb has got some problems. And now, I can not bring those moments back and have to rely on my mind to make all those pictures. It is so sad to get that news after you perform so well, and more souring when others are also expecting their photographs. They never expressed their thoughts but I could make for that, as their eyes said all: they were questioning and questioning all the time!

At that juncture of time, I realized the importance of cameras and what photographs can store for you. The best moments that you passed with your friends, the best performance you ever made, and all the false promises that you made about those photographs! So if you ever thought of buying a camera to store the precious moment of your life, always make a good choice and take one, which is reliable. This may be costly but not more than the loss that it could incur if you lose the pictures like I did!