Amrita Samant along with Suryakumar Yadav and family
That’s a beautiful side to him that I get to see only in a shoot like this,” she says. On the cricket field, Suryakumar Yadav is known for his audacious shots, quick footwork and fearless approach to the game. But away from the stadium lights and the roar of the crowd, the Indian cricketer is embracing a different role — that of a new father. Photographer Amrita Samant recently captured this quieter, more intimate side of SKY in a family photoshoot with his wife, Devisha, and their newborn daughter, who had just turned a month old when the shoot took place. For Amrita, who has spent years photographing children and families, the idea was not to capture the cricketer the world recognises, but the man his daughter will grow up knowing. “With .someone like Suryakumar, people are familiar with the cricketer, the extraordinary shots, the energy and the personality they see on the field. But my job is to look beyond that public persona and explore the person behind it, in this case, him being a new father to his gorgeous baby girl. What is he like when he’s not playing cricket? What does he look like when he’s relaxed, when he’s laughing, or when he’s interacting with his family? Amrita recalls that Suryakumar and Devisha made the experience comfortable with their warmth and willingness to be themselves in front of the camera. For her, the success of such a shoot lies in making people forget that they are being photographed. “When you’re photographing someone like SKY, my intention isn’t to make him look like a cricketer or a celebrity. It’s to make him feel like himself. I want the photographs to tell this story about him that his child can view years later, not just the personality that everyone recognises online or on the field,” she explains.
Because they feel like a memory,” she adds, those are the photographs that people connect with emotionally,.
Amrita says that children’s natural personalities are best captured when they are allowed to be themselves, without being made to pose or smile on cue. Their little one received the memo for their newborn shoot and performed to perfection,” she says with a laugh. Unlike any professional photoshoot, this one was more about being ourselves and enjoying the chaos with our newborn baby,” he says. These pictures are more than just photographs; they’re memories of a phase in our daughter’s life that we’ll want to look back on long after she’s grown up,” he says.
The photographer believes that the most meaningful frames often emerge when a conversation replaces instructions to pose. she kept the conversation personal, focusing on their journey into parenthood While working with the couple. “For me, the real success of a shoot is when someone stops thinking about the camera. I do that by keeping a conversation going that’s personal, about the journey Devisha and him are on as parents, and that’s when I start seeing expressions and interactions that feel genuine. Working with a newborn also meant that the shoot had to follow the baby’s needs rather than a fixed schedule. Having photographed children for years, she approaches such sessions with patience, while ensuring that the newborn’s comfort and safety remain the priority. “With SKY’s family shoot, it was with their beautiful newborn daughter who turned a month old when we shot together. Understanding the preparation before a newborn shoot, safety tips while handling a newborn and ensuring their baby is comfortable at all given times is of highest priority while planning their shoot. For Suryakumar, too, the experience was less about posing for the camera and more about preserving a fleeting phase of family life. Unlike a brand campaign or a magazine cover, the family shoot offered him an opportunity to celebrate the simple joys he shares with Devisha and their daughter, away from the spotlight. “For me, a family photoshoot is so special — the simple joys of life I get to share with my wife and our daughter away from the spotlight. A newborn shoot gives us the chance to capture a little piece of our new life together! The cricketer admits that having everyone ready for the camera is not always as straightforward as it might seem. “Having my wife with our daughter makes the experience extra special, and some of the best pictures are often ones that happen naturally, without anyone trying too hard. As for posing, I’m quite comfortable in front of the camera, but getting Devisha camera-ready is always a challenge, and now with our daughter, we can plan all we want, but she has a schedule of her own! One has to be patient, go with the flow, and enjoy the little moments. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.