THE STATE’S IN PLAY

WHERE HAS ALL THE POLITICAL COLOUR GONE?
It’s turned out to be the dance of democracy. Yes, the biggest pop show in the world has become listless. For years I have covered numerous election at both local and national levels, and they've always proved to be colourful and exciting. But things are changing. Over the years, the Chief Election Commission has tightened the screws on candidates' expenditures. This has, in turn, robbed the photojournalist, or fotog, of the nuances and quirks of campaigns. We have been forced to delve deeper into politics to find those defining images newspapers desperately clamour for. What differentiates a good political fotog from the rest of the snap-happy mob is timing: Those seconds as he lines up the perfect frame; the frame that showcases the mood; the frame that leaves no space for the editor's ego to crop the image. In the past, a fotog had the fanfare and festive atmosphere of the trail to use as props. Paintings, posters, banners have now gone, leaving a rather stark canvas. Today's Pic Me Up covers the campaign in places like Mangalore,Mysore et al, and DNA's fotogs have managed to capture the colour of an election that takes me back to the days of poll pomp.
So, here's my two bytes:Remember that every time you cut back on poll expense, you hit fotogs as well. The lack of colour and vibrancy will leave us bereft of that image that personifies our democracy. It will drain the poll of entertainment