Amrita Samant - I Discovered Photography 8 Years Later, & Then It Was A Matter Of A Brain-Wave To Combine The Two Things I Enjoy - Babies & Photography (Photographer, India)

  I explored 10 different creative career opportunities while working my full-time job, to seek my creative calling - a creative job that would satiate the artist in me yet sustain me.

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I have always believed that when we find our calling, we find ourselves. And in a way, life prepares us for the creative path we are meant to take. Right from childhood, creative self-expression was a big part of my life.

Even as a working professional, I stayed in touch with my lifelong passion for dance and theatre. With time, I became a business partner in the field of Human Resources and very honestly, I loved my job. However, an unsatiated creative thirst drove me to write for magazines, dabble with choreography, do theatre, and many more. I had realized by then that I needed to find my true creative calling and find something to do that would satiate the artist in me and also financially sustain me. That's when it dawned upon me what my true calling was. And, that's how photography happened. Initially, a simple interest, which later turned into a full-blown career.

2. How and when did you realize your passion for photography?

This story will make more sense if I start it off from my younger days, adding to my story from the previous question. My younger days consisted of countless doodles and I used to try to sketch everything my mum and siblings did. Needless to say, I inherited my artistic inclination from my mother, a crafts and culinary expert who runs specialized culinary classes in Chennai.

The funny story here is that as a third child, I never had too many baby photographs of myself. My parents lost the enthusiasm of taking baby photographs of the third child and today I create memories for 1000s of babies and encourage moms to do so all the time. I explored 10 different creative career opportunities while working my full-time job, to seek my creative calling - a creative job that would satiate the artist in me yet sustain me.

Then I finally realized what my through calling is when I assisted my friend for a wedding photography gig.  

It inspired me to find something unique for myself in the field of photography. While I always liked children and wanted to find ways to work with them, I realized my love for kids when I helped raise my sisters’ twins. With aunt duties of capturing images of their childhood, the idea sat at the back of my head but I only discovered photography 8 years later, and then it was a matter of a brain-wave to combine the two things I enjoy – babies and photography. And that's how maternity and newborn photography happened.

3. What are some tips you would like to share with amateur photographers?

My advice would be to never settle for less and always nurture the desire to grow more, do more, learn more, achieve more. Don’t just stick to a particular style or chase trends. Explore more ideas and paths to make this journey more memorable and enriching while staying true to your style. Be yourself and bring the best out of your creativity and let that shine across your images.

4. What are the important skills one should have to be a successful photographer?

Ability to think fast! When working with children, there are times where nothing goes our way, where none of the backup plans ever works out! That's when the photographer must be able to think quickly and come up with a solution, one that will push him against all the odds. Apart from that, Perseverance and patience are your two best friends in this field. It helps you create better images and that's our primary role as photographers. Get better with each photo we take and uplift the art more, in a collaborative (not competitive) way. Patience, because every child will test it to a whole new level. So be patient to get that shot you want and overall, be patient with your growth as this is an art form that only gets better with time.

 

5. What are various opportunities available for aspiring photographers?

There are several, to be honest. I always tell my students that we have a population of 7.9 billion, which translates to countless opportunities even if half the population are photographers. But these opportunities aren't going to come knocking on your door, you have to go find them. Is there a photographer you idolize, whose style you love? Go see if they have any openings available? If they don't, there will be several others in the field you can learn from still, go seek opportunities from them. And sometimes just write in even if they aren't looking for anyone, you will never know what lies beyond. Basically, instead of listing out opportunities, I am aware of, I would advise aspiring photographers to find where opportunities lie and place themselves in that situation. The opportunities I have now will be outdated by the time the interview goes out because we are living in a fast paced world that is always on the lookout, ready to grab anything valuable.

6. Which is your favorite book and why?

I have a lot of favorite books but one of my all-time favorites is Lori Grenier - invent it, sell it, bank it. This book is a bible for starting as an entrepreneur who wants to solve a problem in the real world.

 - Amrita Samant

Amrita Samant, India’s most prolific child, and baby photographer, with a clutch of international awards and numerous press mentions over the years. A Sony Photography Artisan, A Profoto Mentor, and an Ambassador of NCPAI, Amrita is a pioneer in the Maternity & Child photography Industry in India had started close to seven years ago when she sensed a gap in the Indian market. With over 200,000 followers on Instagram and elsewhere on social media, her brand is front and center in the motherhood space and is a trusted voice with parents when it comes to endorsements and affiliations.

- Interviewed By Lakshme Priyaa