The man was crouched in the shop, measuring the length of steel with a tape measure

Man measuring the length of steel with a tape measure

As I walked through the residential area, I saw more and more large buildings and town factories, perhaps because of the approaching main street. Jakarta's streets are lined with large offices and shops. Just a little off to the side and the street is transformed into a residential area. I was just walking through the transition from a residential area to a commercial area.

As I continued on, I could see a large street at the end of the road. And in front of it, there was a shop that dealt with construction materials. There were a number of long, thin strips of steel on the floor, and a man was squatting beside them. The man at work had a tape measure in his hand and was measuring the length of the steel.

Just looking at this photo, there is nothing Jakarta-esque in the photo. You wouldn't be able to tell which city in which country this photo was taken. It's not at all an instagrammable photo. However, I think the act of taking a photo has the meaning of making a work of art and also of keeping a record. It's not only about the photos that look good on Instagram, it's also about the photos that serve as a record. Even if it's an ordinary photo, when you look at it decades later, you'll find that it's interesting because it shows something that has been lost.

If I think about it, ever since the spread of smartphones, a large number of photos have been taken. It must be interesting for future generations to see pictures of the customs of the past. In this photo, the use of a tape measure may seem like a wonder to future generations. However, what bothers me is that the photos are now digital data, and I'm not sure if they'll still be around in decades to come.

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