Untouched Copy

The body of work is visual anthropological research that looks at the construct of the colonial studio photograph. The featured images draw from a series of 21 Studio portraits, taken in and around Fort Cochin in Kerala between 2008-2011. The images document the small worlds created in the photographic studios; examine the visual narrative of the background and raise questions about the aspirations of the sitters. With the introduction of digital technology, the traditional ready-made constructed photographic studio was considered restrictive and old fashioned. The images are testament to the decline in popularity of the traditionally constructed studio photograph. The Studio portraits are titled by the name of the backdrop, which was often at odds with the studio location.