Born in 1923 in Mysuru, photojournalist Tambrahalli Subramanya Satyanarayana Iyer, fondly called T S Satyan’s first tryst with photography was in school.
His English teacher, sensing his keen eye, loaned him money to buy a camera.
Satyan and the camera he bought for Rs 350 were inseparable. It won him accolades and love from those who watched his work.
But while Satyan’s foray into photography began in his early years, it wasn’t until 1948 that he delved into it professionally.
Following a graduation in arts from Maharaja’s College, Mysuru, Satyan joined as an engine inspector at Hindustan Aeronautics.
He then worked as a teacher at a school followed by working as a newsreader at the ‘Akashvani’ radio station.
All this time, he remained connected with his first love of photography.
So in 1948, when a vacancy opened up for a staff photographer at the newly launched Deccan Herald — an English daily based in Karnataka — Satyan grabbed the opportunity.
This was his first professional stint with a camera and he delivered to impress.
Satyan made his mark as one of India’s earliest photojournalists at a time when photography was limited to portraits.
Since his assignment in the Deccan Herald, Satyan spent the next 60 years documenting both the momentous and regular moments in Indian history.
Among the many iconic moments he covered were:
- The merger of the then Pondicherry with the Union of India in 1954.
- The Satyagraha against Portuguese rule in Goa during the 1950s.
- Pope Paul VI’s visit to India in 1964.
- The smallpox eradication campaign organised by WHO between 1961–63.
In 1977, Satyan was awarded the Padma Shri for his work.
Satyan’s subjects included not only famous events but also iconic people — including Nobel laureate C V Raman, filmmaker Satyajit Ray, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Dalai Lama, and Pope Paul VI.
Satyan passed away in 2009 in Mysore but not before leaving behind a legacy of work.