Making waves through photography

Hyderabad-based Saurabh Chatterjee, a photographer, travelled far and wide across the country capturing the flavour of the place he visits. He won the second prize at International Photo Contest – ‘Objectif Sport’ conducted by Foundation Alliance Française, Paris. He has won several national and international awards for his works. Saurabh guides aspiring photographers at his own studio 'SIA Photography' and through his workshops, he has trained more than 3,500 enthusiasts.

Saurabh shares, “I was interested in photography since my childhood. For me, photography is an art, which helps me to get closer to nature. I left my career of 10 years in IT industry just for the love of photography. My main goal of life is to see complete India. My father was a part-time photographer and he inspired me a lot to become one of the best photographers.”

Excerpts:

What mostly catches your eye as a photographer?

I try capturing the moment, food, culture and the architecture. I try to capture every aspect where I visit.

What are your opinions on working on single images versus photo stories?
Sometimes single images are great but in some cases, they don’t tell you the complete story, that is where a photo story can be used to complete the whole picture.

Please share one of your favourite picture and story behind that?
One of my favourite pictures is of ‘Rameshwaram’ temple. It was one of the most challenging pictures I have ever shot. It really tested my patience it took more than one hour to take the picture. This was because I wanted the picture without any people. I went early to the temple but nevertheless, there was always someone passing by. Finally, I got the shot. And this is a rare picture now, as photography is no more allowed. This image is very special to me also because it was used in the Incredible India campaign and you will also find a 12 feet glowing banner at Mumbai International Airport.

Tell us about your studio ‘Sia Photography’? What’s the thought process behind it?
While I was learning photography, I always felt the need of a course that was flexible. My courses have the flexibility. The classroom sessions are one day and every weekend, we have field trips. We try to do something different in every field trip to help the participants learn a new aspect of photography.

So far, I have taught more than 3,500 people across the globe in various workshops in India and through online classes across India and the world.

You have also published a book ‘Celebrating India’. How did you get the idea of writing a book?
I have always had a dream of writing a book. It is about the understanding uniqueness of every state in India. It is a collection of pictures.

I am working on another book, which will have a detailed description of culture and landscape of our country. It will take a couple of years to come out.

The best achievement you have received so far?
I don’t really participate in a lot of competitions. I always see my student’s pictures published in the newspapers and they say that it is because of me, that feels good. Also the fact that I can make living out of passion makes it my biggest achievement.

You have travelled all across India, how was the experience?
There is a lot of learning that happens while travelling. Our country is so diverse in terms of the terrain and culture. There were so many places where people didn’t let us leave without having lunch.

On the other side, we also get to see the hardships of people carrying water for several kilometres. This makes me thoughtful every time I open the tap at my home. I have also stayed with sadhus and realised how easy it is to lead a simple life with minimal belongings.

What’s your future plan?
There are a few places left for me to explore. The list is unending. I want to work with various tourism departments in the country to showcase the beauty of India to the world. And I want to bring out several books as well.