Sajan Lamichhane has been the official photographer for the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) for two years now. He has his own studio ‘Sajan Photography’ under the banner of which he covers various events. He has five years of experience in photography. He is only 22 years old and is currently enrolled in college.
Lamichhane’s love for photography started when he was in school, in the fourth grade to be particular. They had some visitors from Poland who showed cameras to the students and let them take some pictures. Lamichhane was enthralled. He wanted to own a camera. Fast forward a few years and he had saved every spare paisa to buy a DSLR camera. At 17, he started working as a photojournalist for Online Pana. He worked for Routine of Nepal Banda (RoNB) too.
As the official photographer of CAN, he feels he has been able to make a mark through his work. He knows he has a long way to go, but he is proud of how far he has come. The photograph he captured of a fan holding Nepal’s flag in the crowd during the Nepal vs UAE match garnered much appreciation. It was featured by various international media and the International Cricket Council (ICC) and many prominent figures posted it on their social media as well. “That one photograph changed how people saw me and my work. It was a defining moment in my career,” he says.
Lamichhane’s foray into photography came unexpectedly. He was always a nerdy kid who excelled in academics. Since most of his relatives were preparing for the Public Service Commission examination, his parents had the same expectations from him. He went against their will when he decided to pursue photography. But his hard work has proved his mettle and his parents, he says, are now supportive of his decision.
As a photographer, he believes his job is to tell a story and tell it well. Cricket photography is not just about taking photos of the players in action but it’s also about capturing the myriad emotions of the placers and viewers alike. It can be challenging, he says, given the high adrenaline situation and the fact that he has to keep his biases aside and celebrate every win.
There has been a moment when he has been unable to hold back his tears on the field. Witnessing Nepal’s qualifier win after 12 long years was overwhelming and he had to remind himself to keep working, that he couldn’t stop long enough to let crucial moments pass. Lamichhane believes in giving every player their moment to shine through his shots. Every match is unique and there are highs and lows and he believes photos can highlight the best aspects of it, and that’s what he focuses on. For this, he says, he has to be alert every second of the match.
He’s been involved in matches ranging from the grassroots to the international level, documenting events such as the ODI Series 2022, Nepal T20, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, PM Cup, and others. His dedication earned him the ‘Commitment Award’ from Monty Desai, the Indian professional cricket coach who is currently the head coach of Nepal national team.
Despite an intense work schedule, his love for photography fuels him and keeps him going. “A major challenge in sports photography is expensive equipment and gear and there is no budget for it,” he says. But he says he has always managed to get his hands on whatever he needs to take good shots. He has borrowed equipment from friends or taken out loans to buy them himself.
Apart from good gear, a sound knowledge of sports is also necessary to take good photos of any sporting event. So Lamichhane constantly updates himself on what’s happening in the global arena. This helps him keep his eyes open for defining moments in a sports person’s life.
Besides sports photography, which is his primary focus, he finds joy in street photography as well as capturing portraits. A good photo, he says, is hard work. You have to find the right angle and lighting and capture the emotion as well. People need to feel something when looking at a photo and Lamichhane wants people to connect with his work.
Photography is a challenging but rewarding field, he says, and for those who want to pursue photography he only has one thing to say: “Be ready to learn and evolve. Your photography can be outdated if you always follow old, tried and tested ways.”
