The road to Tokyo

Sports photographer S Sukumar on how staying focussed almost always pays dividends

A skill he picked up and honed ad interim, while waiting for an expected call from the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), has taken S Sukumar places, the latest being Tokyo. Capturing timeless images of triumph and disappointment at sports’ grand stand, the Olympics, Sukumar returned to Chennai from Tokyo early this week, the excitement still intact. Sports photography is his calling card today, but it all began as just plain fascination with freezing images. At IOB, 44 years ago, it did not take his colleagues long to notice his ability with the camera, which made him its unofficial photographer. It was a talent that would not stay confined to one institution. Other banks noticed it, and it eventually had Reserve Bank of India bestowing the official photographer status on him. It would lead to his KRAs being reframed, allowing him leeway in how he completed his regular work. With another spurt of initiative, Sukumar would become a valuable contributor to major news photo syndicates including Getty Images, the Press Trust of India and Agence France Press. He took up VRS to focus on his passion. While cutting his news photography tooth, he concentrated on portraits, as that provided huge learning opportunities. That many of his photos made it to magazine wrappers, including The Illustrated Weekly of India, was a shot in the arm.