I've been fortunate enough to travel the world and meet a lot of people through my photography. It's always important that you make a good first impression because you never know who you might meet next who could potentially link you to your next job. And I've seen people lose out on major opportunities because a bad attitude let them down.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
Well. I was born and bred in London, UK. Growing up as one of four siblings, I was always referred to as the 'quiet one'. Early on (in my primary school years) I developed a love for art/drawing which when I now look back on it, was definitely one way I expressed myself. This love for art further developed into a passion for graphic design within my secondary school years.
2. How and when did you realize your passion for photography?
After finishing secondary school aged 16, I took up photography in college purely out of curiosity. At this point, I was still very much into graphic design but as time went on, I knew photography was the subject I enjoyed most. After two years of college, I made the decision to pursue photography and enrolled at Ravensbourne University London where I studied my art foundation for a year before taking on a degree in digital photography.
3. What are some tips you would like to share with amateur photographers?
Consistency really is the key! As cliche as it sounds, it's the truth! In order to better yourself at something, you have to keep on practicing. All experts were once students and not to say I'm an expert, I still have much to learn but everybody has to start somewhere right?! Another thing I'd say is to find others (via social media or through friends of friends) who are also in the same boat and make time to go shoot together.
This was something I did in my early days (and still do to this day) which helps me massively in regards to shooting regularly, meeting new people, and just learning new methods/techniques. And finally, never compare yourself to others. Everyone has a different journey and I believe if one wants to succeed in whatever he or she does in life you must focus on progressing within your own work and not get caught up in what the next person is doing.
4. What are the important skills one should have to be a successful photographer?
There’s so much to consider now in terms of the way you market yourself and how accessible you can be. It's vital to ensure that you're digitally easy to find i.e. ensuring your business accounts on social media are visible to the public and making it clear to your audience what photographic services you can offer. It's also important to know the kind of audience/clientele you want to attract. This is where finding your specialty/style comes into play.
Back when I began, my initial interest in photography came from only capturing moments on the streets. As I grew up, I had to change this approach and branch out into shooting other things in order to show my versatility as well as attract a variety of different clients. Another thing I'd say is it goes a very long way if you're polite.
I've been fortunate enough to travel the world and meet a lot of people through my photography. It's always important that you make a good first impression because you never know who you might meet next who could potentially link you to your next job. And I've seen people lose out on major opportunities because a bad attitude let them down.
5. What are various opportunities available for aspiring photographers?
I know it can be difficult to find opportunities as someone who's just starting out but the internet really is a great tool. During my early days, I volunteered quite a lot and did a few small jobs here and there. A lot of these I found via a number of job poster sites, I also utilized shooting a number of family/friend events where I was able to practice and eventually start gaining other jobs through word of mouth referrals.
Social media has been and still continues to be the biggest opportunity available to me, you have to utilize everything you can to further your online reach. It's also a good tool to engage in networking events/photography meetups, showcasing your portfolio to potential suitors, and looking for potential work opportunities.
6. Which is your favorite book and why?
I can't remember the full title of it but I'd have to say it's one of the very first Magnum photography books I picked up at the start of my photography journey. It was a collection of photographs that really fueled the fire in me to get out and explore/engage more and inspire me to produce a body of work that I'd be proud of.
I also have to mention my very first solo photography book (Parallel Lines, published 2019) which will forever be a favorite of mine because it is a body of work that I'm very grateful and proud of and is something I never really saw happening back when I started my photography journey (big thanks to Trope publishing).
Parallel Lines is available to purchase here
Interviewed By: Nishad Kinhikar
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