All in a Flash is a sharp survey of news photography in India anchored by images that have become part of the nation’s visual memory.

The volume sets out by asking foundational questions around the still image that remain as important as ever: How has news photography shaped our understanding of history? How has it affected our way of learning about the world—its many tragedies and few triumphs? What does it mean to appreciate, or even to create, a photograph in these image-saturated times?

In doing so, it moves from Sunil Janah’s searing photographs of the aftermath of Partition to Raghu Rai’s haunting images of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy to the extraordinary scale of loss caught on camera during the Coronavirus pandemic by Qamar Sibtain and Ritesh Shukla. It revisits the Taj Mahal as a site of sublime beauty and as a stage for celebrity and politics alike, from John Murray’s first-ever negatives of the monument to Princess Diana’s iconic visit. It recalls the first use of evidence photography in the Amherst Street murder case in Calcutta in 1868 to the dwindling access of press photographers in corridors of power post-2014.

About the Author

Binoo K. John is a senior journalist, author and editor based in New Delhi, with more than three decades of experience in Indian journalism. He has worked with several leading publications, including Sunday, The Telegraph, India Today, The Indian Express, Mail Today and DNA, covering subjects ranging from politics and society to books, culture and sport. His journalism has also appeared in publications such as The Federal, The Wire, Outlook India and Scroll.in. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including Entry from Backside Only: Hazaar Fundas of Indian-English, a witty exploration of the evolution and quirks of Indian English, Under a Cloud: Life in Cherrapunji, the Wettest Place on Earth, The Curry Coast: Travels in Malabar 500 Years after Vasco Da Gama, and Top Game: Winning, Losing and a New Understanding of Sport. His debut novel, The Last Song of Savio de Souza, reflects his deep connection with Kerala, language, memory and place. He is also the founder-director of the Kovalam Literary Festival.