Cinematographer PC Sriram visits the museum for its opening ceremony | Picture courtesy: Particular Preparations
Again in 1997, a Chennai-based orthodontist picked up his first twin-lens reflex digital camera at a flea market within the metropolis, and the invention sparked a lifelong ardour. Over the a long time, the gathering has grown to roughly 5,800 nonetheless images cameras, incomes him a Guinness World Document for the most important assortment of cameras and most distinctive assortment of movie cameras. Starting from uncommon Polaroid fashions, field cameras, foldable cameras to pocket-sized miniatures, each bit is housed in his digital camera museum in Kovalam. Behind this huge assortment, AV Arun has been in a position to stability his hobbies along with his full-time job as a dentist for the reason that Nineties.
“I’ve made a transparent distinction between my career and my ardour,” says Dr. Arun. “Dentistry is really important. It drives my life and helps hold it going. Nevertheless it’s at all times been my ardour that makes dentistry worthwhile.” Dr. Arun’s collector’s instincts had been part of him even earlier than he received into dentistry. It began with bottle caps when he was a scholar, then made miniature fragrance bottles, and finally developed right into a digital camera museum.
Dr. Arun with digital camera | Picture courtesy of Particular Preparations
cameras from all around the world
Each time this orthodontist travels all over the world for dental conferences, he finally ends up visiting an area flea market after work. “I as soon as picked up about 40 cameras in Australia at throwaway costs,” he says. “So the museum brings collectively works from all corners of the world.”
The precision and persistence required in dentistry appears to have seamlessly spilled over into his digital camera world. For those who ask me how I handle to juggle each, the reply is straightforward. “No one is ever too busy,” he says. “When my clinic hours are over, I am going dwelling and skim, clear, and tinker with my digital camera, typically till 1 a.m.”
Surprisingly sufficient, contemplating he is surrounded by 1000’s of cameras, Dr. Arun would not take many photos himself. “Only a few individuals develop movie lately,” he says. “It is too costly. However I am extra of a collector than a photographer.”
collector’s eye
When Dr. Arun first began gathering movie cameras, there wasn’t a lot competitors, however issues modified over time. “As soon as, a man from Chandigarh known as me and stated he had a British digital camera that was fully product of wooden,” he remembers. “As a result of it was made that manner, courier supply wasn’t supreme, so I took the prepare and introduced it dwelling myself.” Nicely, the digital camera dates again to the 1870s and is among the oldest in his assortment.
“These days, there’s a gradual resurgence in digital camera gathering amongst younger individuals. That may be very true. What’s ineffective to 1 particular person could also be a treasure to a different. Solely true collectors perceive that.”
The Digicam Museum in Kovalam is open solely on Sundays by appointment to welcome fellow digital camera lovers. On the similar time, he visits universities and offers lectures on the historical past and workings of cameras. As a result of some passions are value your time.
