Lensmen upset about photography ban

Photographers demand that either the ban be revoked or rules are introduced by the Department to ensure shoots happen when joggers are not available.

The Horticulture Department’s move to ban photography in public spaces like Cubbon Park and Lalbagh Botanical Gardens has made photographers furious.

While the photographers demand that the ban be revoked as soon as possible, the Department chose to ban photography after having received several complaints from the public.

Mr. Siddeshwar, Owner of Sid Photos angrily said, “When couples are seen in compromising positions in park then there is no public display of affection. But, when pre-wedding shoots or fashion shoots happen then this is termed as a public display of affection.”He also added that he has been doing photo shoots in Lalbagh (for 10 years) and has never experiences this kind of  humiliation ever.

While calling it a direct attack on their living, Mr. Abu Jawahar, Owner of Abu Jawahar photography said that photography is their only source of bread and butter. “Resorts are too expensive for us to do a photo shoot,” he said. He additionally suggested that instead of banning photo shoots, photographers could be given a separate time slot to shoot, when joggers are not in the park.

Photographer Saneesh Sukamaran is planning to approach the Horticultural Department with his grievances. He calls the decision meaningless.

Photographer Jude Lazaro compares the situation in Bangalore to that of New York and said that if photo shoots can happen in places like Central Park, there should not be a problem with shoots happening in the city’s public spaces.

While one city-based photographers agreed that there could be a possible reason behind the Department’s decision, another photographer said that the brunt of this ban will be felt by new photographers who will find it difficult to hire expensive places for their shoots.