At Sonarpara beach in Cox’s Bazar, 15-year-old Sharmin Akter walks around with a mobile phone in hand, capturing photographs and videos of tourists.
As she has gradually become familiar with the camera and learned to capture people’s favourite moments, tourists have given her a name of their own — ‘mobile grapher’.
Alongside her studies, Sharmin works at the beach to support her family and help pay for her education.
Sharmin lives with her parents in the fishing community at Sonarpara, beside the Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive. While many teenagers her age spend their free time playing or relaxing, she spends much of hers holding a mobile phone camera.
Her job is simple: helping tourists capture beautiful moments during their trips to the beach.
But Sharmin did not enter the profession overnight. She started taking photographs out of interest in photography and gradually turned the hobby into a source of income as she looked for ways to support her family while continuing her studies.
“I have liked taking photographs since I was a child. I used to take different kinds of pictures with my mobile phone. Later, I started taking photographs of tourists at the beach and gradually learned the work,” Sharmin said.
“Now tourists call me when they want to take photographs or make videos.”
Asked how she became involved in photography, Sharmin said she initially took pictures for people she knew.
“Later, I got opportunities to take photographs of tourists at the beach. If they liked the pictures, they would give me some money. This is how the work gradually became regular,” she said.
For Sharmin, the work is more than a source of income. It is also a way of contributing to her family.
“I work alongside my studies. I want to cover some of my educational expenses and also do something for my family. I give part of what I earn to my family,” she said.
Newly married couples are among Sharmin’s main customers at the beach. Tourists from different parts of the country often approach her to take photographs and videos together at Cox’s Bazar.
“Many tourists come to us to take photographs and videos. But newly married couples come more often. They can’t take good pictures of themselves together, so they ask me to,” she said.
Sharmin does not demand a fixed fee for her work. Instead, she accepts whatever tourists willingly give her after seeing the photographs.
“I do not bargain with tourists. If they like the photographs and give me something happily, I take it. When tourists are happy, I feel happy too,” she said.
The name ‘mobile grapher’, given to her by tourists, has also become a source of joy for Sharmin.
She said a tourist from Dhaka was the first to call her by the name.
“A tourist from Dhaka called me a ‘mobile grapher’. Later, other tourists also started calling me by that name. I really like the name,” she said.
Recently, Dhaka-based tourist Nishat Chowdhury visited Cox’s Bazar with his loved one and met Sharmin at Sonarpara beach. Unable to take good photographs of the two of them together, they sought her help.
“We could not take good pictures of the two of us together. After meeting Sharmin at Sonarpara beach, she herself said, ‘Brother, give me your mobile phone, I will take your pictures.’ I really liked the way she approached us,” Nishat said.
“She took the phone, adjusted the camera settings herself and started taking pictures. To be honest, she takes very good photographs and videos. My wife also loved the pictures and was very happy with them,” he said.
Every day, as waves roll onto Sonarpara beach, Sharmin’s work begins alongside the rhythm of the sea. Between her studies and efforts to support her family, she continues to capture the moments of joy that tourists want to take home with them.
The name ‘mobile grapher’, given to her by tourists, is therefore more than just a nickname. For Sharmin, it has become a reflection of her aspirations, struggles and determination to build a life on her own terms.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Hussain Shetu
