RAS AL KHAIMAH: SAGAR, THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Preserving images for posterity 

By 

Sadiq A. Salam

RAS AL KHAIMAH — PHOTOGRAPHER T.V.SAGAR

He has spent over three decades in the UAE, capturing unforgettable images and preserving them for posterity. He has etched in films a good deal of precious memories, ranging from legendary leaders of the UAE and the larger Arab world to exquisite natural phenomena such as the snowfall in RAK last year.

The 50-year-old photographer Sagar TV hails from Kerala in India, one of the 'most photogenic places' in the world. He has been working all these years with RAK Municipality Magazine and Wam office in RAK. His immensely impressive collection of rare photographs provide eloquent glimpses into the emirate's social and political history, rich natural beauty, and serene cultural matrix.

“My camera has become a part of my body. I consider it as one of my limbs,” a beaming Sagar told Khaleej Times, talking about his three decades of eventful life in RAK as a photographer. “Doing my daily duties has become like having tasty food. It is so enjoyable,” he adds.

The first camera he used was Nikon, followed later by Mayamy, both analogue cameras. “We were using only black and white films then because the magazine was published in black and white, with the exception of the cover,” he recalls.

Including the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Shaikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah Sagar keeps a very rare collection of photos of a number of Arab and foreign leaders. “In addition to all Shaikhs of the UAE, I took pictures of a number of world-renowned leaders such as Al Habeeb Borgaibah, the late President of Tunisia and Yasir Arafat, the late Palestinian President,“ he proudly reminisces.

The first time he photographed the late Shaikh Zayed was when he came to inspect the construction work for Saqr Hospital in the late 1970s. He also recalls the surprise visit of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to RAK Museum. “He was very young then. He visited all the museum's rooms and inquired about each and every artifact, even the smallest old coins,” he recalls.

The photojournalist was always present to take pictures at the different social functions held by the emirate's ruling family. “I covered the wedding parties of a number of Shaikhs including that of Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, RAK Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler,” he said.

One day Sagar got a call from the RAK Ruler's Court to come and operate the TV camera there because the cameraman was absent, “They liked the first film I shot and immediately directed me to work as a part-timer with Wam office. Since then, I have been working with the two departments at the same time,” he added.

He used to send films to the TV stations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with taxi drivers operating between RAK and the two emirates for Dh30 to Dubai and Dh50 to Abu Dhabi. “It was a great headache for us to wait and see whether the news we sent would appear on the nine O'clock bulletin or not, because some taxi drivers we hired were very careless and didn't deliver the package on time,” he added.

Sagar now has the state-of-the-art Dh250,000 digital camera and telestream system to send his work to the main office of Wam in Abu Dhabi with just a click on the keyboard. He is thankful to Shaikh Saud for this, who spares no effort or money to provide the Wam office with all that its needs. “Shaikh Saud is very concerned about quality and always determined that our work should appear on TV screens and daily newspapers in very good form,” Sagar said.

When the snow fall in RAK occurred last year, Sagar said, Shaikh Saud directed the RAK Police Air Wing to airlift him to the hill to take photos of the rare phenomenon. These pictures appeared on the front pages of almost all the English and Arabic dailies in the country and were disseminated by international news agencies worldwide.

Sagar and his family are collectively committed to the art and profession of photography. “The eldest of my three daughters is now studying photography in India,” he said. Like most other expatriates here, Sagar also had to send his family back home around eight years ago, owing to the spiralling cost of living.

Photographs taken by Sagar adorns fairs, media stands, billboards, web sites and publications of all the government and private institutions here, but he has no ill-feelings about his name not being mentioned against them. “I get my real pleasure from seeing people's eyes when they enjoy my works,” he said. It has been just one year since the Municipality Magazine started mentioning Sagar's name as part of its editorial staff.

 Courtesy to

 Khaleej Times

 Sadiq A. Salam