“It was my dream that the photos I clicked get published” - Sports photographer Suman Chattopadhyay on Episode 5 of Dream Big Stories
The beauty of sports is that you can relive some of the amazing moments through photographs that convert the on-field action into unforgettable memories. Suman Chattopadhyay, a noted sports photographer from Kolkata, has been clicking such moments for the past 41 years.
A huge cricket fan since childhood, Chattopadhyay opened up about his passion-cum-career in episode 5 of 'Dream Big Stories', a project by SK Brand Studio powered by Dream11.
His association with cricket as a lensman began by chance, or perhaps by fate. Chattopadhyay recalled:
“In 1977, my father, who was a photographer for Amrit Bazar Group, took me along to see a match at the Eden Gardens. He had left the camera with me when Gavaskar got out. So I clicked that photograph. Next day, I saw that photo published in the newspapers.”
Chattopadhyay added:
"It was my dream that the photos I clicked get published, and people know about me."
He is happy to have turned the cherished thought into reality. The noted lensman said:
“Today, the players know me by my name.”
Chattopadhyay has been a sports photographer since 1981. He covered the 1987 World Cup in India as well as the 1992 edition in Australia and New Zealand. According to him, that tour took him to a different level in his career as a photographer. He reminisced:
“I even met Sir Don Bradman at his house. I presented him a Punjabi kurta. I clicked Imran Khan reading namaz before the semi-finals. In Auckland, I clicked Sachin Tendulkar sleeping in the dressing room as Richard Hadlee looked on. I clicked 20-25 rare and exclusive photographs.”
“He used to carry that picture with him everywhere” - Suman Chattopadhyay on a special Sachin Tendulkar photograph
Chattopadhyay first met Sachin Tendulkar when he was hardly 15 and offered to click his pictures. The senior photographer suggested a unique picture that came out so well that the Master Blaster carried it with him everywhere.
Chattopadhyay said:
“I suggested it would make a great photo if he lies in his parents’ lap. And he welcomed my suggestion for this photograph. He used to carry that picture with him everywhere in the world. In his room, on his table where he would keep the idol for pooja, right next to it, he would place the photograph with his parents. He carried it with him on all his tours.”
Sharing tips on how to become a good sports photographer, he said:
“In photography, the main factor is timing. I try to see the ball perfectly. I try to follow how the player plays. It has become a synchronised system in my body, so I don’t miss action photos.”
He concluded that he would keep living his dream of sports photography as long as he is fit, saying:
“As much as possible, I will keep clicking the best moments and exclusive photos, which will have archival value for future generations.”
Chattopadhyay’s click-happy journey is a dream story told through the lens of sporting legends.