Interview with IPL Photographer - Saikat Das

A Teaser About the Interview

In this candid conversation, veteran sports photographer Saikat Das shares the realities of building a career behind the lens. From getting his first major break at IPL 2011 after starting out in fashion and product photography, to covering high-pressure sporting events, he offers an unfiltered look at the challenges, rewards, and evolving landscape of professional photography. Whether you're an aspiring sports photographer or a seasoned creative professional, this interview is packed with practical insights and hard-earned lessons from over 15 years in the industry.

About Saikat Das 

Saikat Das is a professional photographer with more than a decade and a half of experience spanning sports, fashion, commercial, and product photography. Beginning his photography journey in 2009, he initially established himself in fashion and commercial work before earning a breakthrough opportunity during IPL 2011. Known for his honest and pragmatic perspective on the industry, Saikat combines creative vision with a deep understanding of the technical, financial, and professional demands of photography. Alongside his extensive work in sports, he continues to have a strong passion for commercial and advertising photography, where he enjoys being involved in every stage of the creative process—from concept development to final delivery. 

Q1 Where did you start your journey in photography? Which Company which genre (Sports/wedding/lifestyle/product)?

I started as a freelance fashion and product photographer. Eventually I got my break in 2011 with IPL and I thought why not because I just started 2 years ago, like 2009, I guess. Yes I started very late in my career because I was doing something different in my early career. In 2009 I started photography and my first break was in fashion photography, commercial, and then product photography. I'm revolving around product and fashion but I got the opportunity at IPL 2011 as I had a Red Bull shoot with Chris Pfeiffer. That portfolio took me to the IPL photography arena. 

Q2 What Do you like most about Sports Photography? Which Other Genre Do you like the Most

I like sports photography. Most of it is dynamism. You can sit whole day clicking every moment. Still you will miss something. You are shooting again and again the same player, the same match, the same team. I mean the same arena, even the same field. Still you will get something different every day. It is challenging as well as satisfying for me.

The challenge I receive, getting at least one good picture by clicking thousands of frames at a match, is really challenging. This thing also elevates when I was shooting a test match. Yes test match is a real testing of your photography skill, your concentration, your hard work, your full long day under the scorching Sun. You are clicking pictures, trying to get good pictures. You know test match is a whole day, nothing but still you have to have the patience for something and you have to look out for something. This is the way I can say that test match is really a reward to punishment ratio. You can say maybe I don't know what is the best word for it but yeah this is where I like sports photography most. And other than sports? Yes my friend, I always like advertisement commercial photography that is with all the lights, planning, execution, everything, retouching, everything. I mean from planning to execution and delivery, everything, you are part of it and it's like giving birth to a baby and raising it to the adult and that's it. I mean this is the way. If you or some of your readers, you can say parents, they can understand what I am trying to tell you. Yes I like it very much and I am more than happy to do commercial advertising photography.

Q3 Any mistakes which you had learned the most from? Can be technical as well as Practical mistakes related to photography?

if you are human, you are bound to make mistakes and I do not have any shame. After 15 years of my career I make mistakes every day and I learn from them. I try to not repeat that mistake on the next day. That is my real take and real lookout. Same mistake you cannot repeat. If you are repeating the same mistakes, that means you are not a professional photographer at all

Q4 Any Tips for Sports Photographers Starting their Journey?

this is really tough. It is like a chicken or egg dilemma. Sports photography is an expensive thing to start off because of the prohibitive cost of cameras, lenses, laptops, software, etc.

If you have enough faith and enough backup plan then go for it. If you don't I think you need to think twice or nothing else because in those days sports photography is not worth paying. I mean yes if you are working for 100 days then you can earn handsome money, definitely, but if you are not working that many days (which is very rare to get that kind of work at the sports field), you will not make money.

Eventually if you get your gear by enthusiasm, with the help of parents or your own savings from a different source of income, it will quickly dry up because every five years things are changing and you need to keep up with time. If you did not get enough work, enough paying pay package, then it is very difficult to upgrade. If you are not upgrading you will be just losing your ground inch by inch and you won't notice until you lost everything. So be careful on this. That is my real art-shattering, brutal, honest things to tell you. Otherwise it's a beautiful genre to work with so best of luck. 

Q5 Any youtube / Instagram Channels or Photographers You follow the Most?

this is where things get interesting with me. I am following much more fashion channels or fashion photographers rather than sports photographers. Really I do not follow any specific sports photographer. Yes at large I follow Getty Images so all the best photographs, I believe, you can find on Getty. Yes I follow that but individually I do not follow much more sports photographers if they are not my colleagues or something. Otherwise I explicitly do not follow any sports photographer.

I don't know why but I do not find interest in this because everything is different at your match time. If you have any preconception, I think if I have any preconception of watching sports photographers or their works then I cannot get that image definitely at my match day. Also getting only those images is like copying things so I do not really follow any sports photography channel or sports photographer except Getty Images.

I follow mostly fashion photographers, models, stylists, or fashion creators maybe because it fascinates me: what an idea, what a generation, what a content creation, what an idea they have, what they build out, so I do follow them most. 

Q6 Any Financial Advice on photographers Struggling to Stay Afloat?

Only one advice I already described at an earlier point: do get back up or you must have some other source of income which will float you. Otherwise it will be very tough. This is the reality and I learned it the hard way. 

Q7 Any Tips on How to reach the Big Leagues In Sports Photography? LIke IPL/ISL/Pro Kabbadi League/Indian Polo Season?

keep up your work. Make sure your work is better than what IPL or ISL or big leagues are showing, displaying, or offering. That way you will be noticed and you will be called.

The other way is your luck. Definitely if you do all the good jobs and all but your luck is not with you, you won't be called in. This is what I experience in my life so that's it. 

Q8 Everyone Want reels these days? Do you Think Photography is no longer in Demand?

 this is a real case and people thinking they are not. Photography is not just a thing they concentrate more on the real making or video content at sports fields as well. I saw in my career that all of the people are engaging in this, directing us or keeping things, or thinking about the good photos that make their works elevate as well. The client knows what they want and if they think properly and give input to the field photographers, they can deliver and their works will be better because everybody is thinking differently. Photographers generally think on their own thought process and all but nowadays it's a sad part that photographers are abandoned on the field. They have been called in to work but they do not get any specific inputs or something so they are working on their own on the sports field at least. Everyone on the other hand is concentrating on the video thing. That is the reality.

What I think is that photography is a real edge that video never touches. It is becoming very niche but yes, photography has that edge. Right now the world is in the top 1%. If you are not in the top 1%, you have not been valued, you have not gotten any value or something like that. In every case, not only sports photography, it's on the fashion photography as well, it's on the commercial photography. Everybody is concentrating on this thing to produce content and all because video content is giving more engagement on Instagram or reels than a simple photo. A simple photo gives the brand's impression alive. You won't believe it, maybe, or you already know that the top photographer of India or the world is charging something for a one-day shoot that is like a full year's worth for a sports photographer. You can understand why this is a big thing. If video is everything then photographers won't get that much valuation but again that 1%. Otherwise if someone is juggling on this then they will not get any valuation so be 1% rather than 99%.

Final Thoughts

The interview highlights several key themes: persistence, continuous learning, and financial sustainability. Saikat emphasizes that mistakes are an unavoidable part of a photographer's journey and that growth comes from learning from them rather than repeating them. He describes sports photography as one of the most challenging yet rewarding genres, requiring patience, concentration, and the ability to capture unique moments in constantly changing situations. He also offers a reality check for newcomers, stressing the importance of having a financial backup plan due to the high cost of equipment and the competitive nature of the field. Despite the growing dominance of video content and reels, Saikat believes photography continues to hold unique value, especially for those who can consistently perform at the highest level and distinguish themselves through exceptional work.