I Am Working With Doordarshan As Stringer Cameraman

Living and working in Srinagar means things are always a bit different day to day. My base is over in Momin Abad, right near the Bye-Pass in Batmaloo. I do camera work for Doordarshan as a stringer, which basically means I go where the news is happening when they call me. It’s not like a regular nine to five job where you sit in a chair. Most days I’m carrying heavy gear across town or waiting for hours just to get a few minutes of good footage. The weather in J&K can be a bit of a problem, especially when it rains or snows and I have to keep the equipment dry while trying to get the shot. My house is where I keep all the cables and the bags packed. I've spent a lot of time on the roads around here. You get to see a lot of things being a cameraman, some good and some not so good. People in the neighborhood know what I do because they see me heading out with the tripod. It’s a job that requires a lot of patience. Sometimes nothing happens for a week, and then suddenly I'm busy for forty-eight hours straight. It’s just how it goes when you’re working with the news. I’ve been doing this for a while now and the Batmaloo area is home to me and my family.