Joynul Abedin embraced beach photography as a livelihood option as his family descended deeper into poverty.
He dropped out of high school after his father became paralysed, forcing him to choose photography on the Cox's Bazar beach, the world's longest, for a living.
But the 33-year-old youth is now worried about his future as mobile technology threatens the existence of the very profession.
"Still, I can earn Tk 100,000 a month on an average during peak season just clicking camera. But this won't last long," Mr Abedin told the FE in a recent interview.
He landed the profession at an age when he should be studying with other mates, but he shouldered the responsibility of the family as a key breadwinner.
His father, who maintained a 10-member family, got suddenly paralysed, throwing the once middle class family involved in fishing and salt trade into destitution.
His beach photography started in early 2003 with a semi-professional Yashica camera bought with savings accumulated from his tiffin money and Eid salami or monetary gift by the elderly for kids.
Abedin is not alone. Officially, there are some 748 registered photographers in the beach area stretching from Laboni to Enani points of Cox's Bazar.
Wearing red-coloured T-shirts, cameramen in the Cox's Bazar beach is a common feature. They flock to the locations where tourists pour in.
But all registered beach photographers do not come every day at the beach.
"They mostly come to take snaps on the weekends," said Md Saiful Islam Joy, an executive magistrate and in-charge of beach area supervision.
"I assume more than 400 photographers remain active on the weekends," Mr Joy told the FE.
He estimated that the beach photographers' income during the peak season amounts to around Tk 1.5 million a day.
Although most of them have no degree in photography, they came out of their interest to photography, some worked in colour-labs as technicians, and some worked as photographers at studios.
Despite the deficiency in academic study, they now understand lights, angles and focus-defocus. They use lenses for creative photos.
"Actually, they are good photographers," Urmila Hossain, a newly-wed woman who came for honeymoon, told the FE at Laboni beach.
The majority of photographers hail from Cox's Bazar and adjoining districts and many of them have chosen this profession, compelled by poverty.
Like Joynul, almost all dropped out of either secondary or higher secondary education due to financial insolvency.
They had faced no major distress before the invention of android phones. The manual and analogue technology gave them much income.
"There were some hassles at that time as we had met at least twice with the customers to take photos and give the delivery," said Jasimuddin Bakul, who has been in the profession in the past two decades.
Mobile phones with selfie options have emerged as "real threat."
"When a couple takes a photo, they usually need a third person, but the selfie option eliminated it," Mr Bakul told the FE on a frustrating note.
However, they still believe that their presence on the beach will be inevitable for their professionalism.
Tourists like to be photographed not to keep them in albums, rather following the aggression of social media they post their status instantly on Facebook, instagram, twitter, snapchat and so on.
Alamgir Hossain, a high-paying private sector executive in Dhaka, said he likes Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) photography, as they look professional.
His spouse Jinnat Ara Alamgir said they prefer DSLR camera as their only daughter is fond of such camera.
"Definitely, they take good angles and our smart phones have lack of professional lenses."
However, some photographers are not worried about their future with the fast-changing mobile phone technology, saying they will switch over to other occupations such as studio business.
"In my view, our profession will not last long as the smartphones now have many options," said Mujib, who hailed from Anowara Upazila, nearly 50 kilometres from the beach point.
The photography group said that the smartphones have had an impact on their profession.
Previously, photographers took small number of shots, but earned much higher.
Many said the cameramen used to earn Tk 3,000 on an average just snapping 100 photos before the smartphones.
But now-a-days, they snap around 500-600 photos at one go, but earn the same as photo sharing from camera to mobiles is priced at Tk 5.0 each. This is the rate fixed by the Cox's Bazar administration, which controls and monitors them.
Their real income eroded after rise in costs of food products and other refreshments.
"We take breakfast, lunch and tea here. We come early in the morning as tourists get the beach to see the sun rise," another photographer Abul Kalam said.
The photographers at Cox's Bazar need to count an amount of Tk 3,000 including subscription fees of the studio owners' association.
The beach management committee of the district administration now charges between Tk 500 and Tk 1,500 as licence renewal fees depending on the beach points- Enani has the lowest renewal fee at Tk 500 while the main beach at Kolatoli, Sughandha and Laboni points have the highest Tk 1500 a year.
Justifying the charges, the district administration said they needed the fees for the sake of photographers and tourism.
"We maintain a number so that tourists are not harassed," Md Kamal Hossain, deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar, told the FE.
He also said the administration provides them with T-shirts and other facilities.
He noted that the administration plans to introduce motivational sessions soon for the photographers on educating them how to treat tourists.
Meanwhile, many fortunate photographers cashed in on high income, some saved money and some bought lands.
But some said they spend savings during the offseason- during the holy month of Ramadan and the rainy season when the number of tourists falls.
Joynul said he purchased three kathas of land in the Cox's Bazar town where he planned to build a building next year.
The profession of beach photography started in the early 90s with only 15 camera persons, according to senior photographers.
"Wherever I go, the camera is with me. It's my weapon that gives me strength to survive," he said.
