IN SPITE OF THE CHILL, IMAGING INDIA OPENS IN THE CAPITAL
The 16th edition of Photofair 2011, opened in the national capital with the lighting of the traditional lamp by Virbhadra Singh, Hon. Union Minister for Steel, Government of India.
In a clear departure from the past, the inaugural function happened at the appointed time, with many of the leading exhibitors still struggling to reach the venue, owing to the harsh weather on one hand and the traffic snarls on the other. But despite the sombre opening, Photofair’11 witnessed many of the leading imaging brands setting up their stalls to draw in large crowds of the photographic community expected to visit the venue, during the next three days. But as the day progressed and with the sun appearing on the horizon, the number of visitors visibly increased. But the usual large crowds who regularly throng the aisle at Photofair, were clearly missing. The weekend is expected to bring in an exodus of visitors, especially from the neighboring states, which will naturally bring back the smiles on the faces of exhibitors.
While the Nikon stall was a beehive of activity all through the morning, primarily because of the feet tapping numbers from the classic Ricky Martin, with the models gyrating to the peppy hits. The crowd favorite was the traditionally adorned Kathakali dancers who entertained the masses and proved to be a real delight for the visitors from the Northern region. On the other hand, the Canon stall followed the theme of “Color Palettes of Life”, and was relatively quieter, but the company showcased a traditional folklore scene from a Rajasthani village. However, the noise decibels on the first day was a big cause for concern and its control must be exercised for the success of the event. 
However, with many of the stalls still putting up their infrastructure, the exact details of the sound levels will only be known as the day progresses. Some of the imaging majors exhibiting their wares are Canon, Nikon, Fujifi lm, Olympus, Kodak, Panasonic, Hewlett Packard, Kingston, and Indian counterparts like Photoquip and IMS Mercantiles to name a few.