Figure 1 – Photo with the Easter Bunny, (c) DE Wolf 2014.

Back in February, I blogged about “The Street Photographers of Afghanistan.”  I was at the mall again yesterday and it occurred to me that that while these Afghan street photographers bear a unique national and cultural signature they share a common history and proud tradition with similar commercial photographers everywhere.  It used to be that you would find people ready to snap your photograph and sell you a copy at all of the major tourist attractions.  You can still find them on cruise ships and at amusement parks (albeit in robotic form). And of course, you find them at the malls, which to me is just a little surprising in a world, where digital cameras are ubiquitous and the selfie reigns supreme.

It seems that somehow there is still a legitimacy associated with having a “professional” take your picture – even if the “professional” has little more training than you do.  When I come up the escalator at my local mall the first thing that I see is a display of a professional photography studio.  And then the mall itself has no less than three places where you can go and have your child’s photograph taken.  It is always fun to watch the little tykes all dressed up in what used to be called “their Sunday best.”

And then there are the photos with Santa at Christmas time and the photos with the Easter Bunny this time of year.  Yesterday I went to the mall for a walk early and was amazed at how much traffic there was.  That is until I saw the line for the Easter Bunny.

If I look through the photographic paraphernalia of my own son’s childhood, I find numerous pictures taken by professionals on cruise ships, pictures with Santa including a picture with me and Santa played by a colleague Bob O’Connell dressed as Santa, and then there are several professional family portraits.  In one set my wife had us all wear blue shirts or sweaters.  The most expensive of these “professional portraits” is really no better than I could have taken myself.  But, as I said, there is a certain mystique and legitimacy associated with the term “professional” – as if it implied “good.”

I will in the end admit, that I love the mall Santas and Easter Bunnies.  I love to watch the excitement when Santa arrives and greets all the children in the line.  I find myself secretly wanting to sit in Santa’s chair, when he isn’t there – just in hopes that some of the magic will rubbed off on me.