About the difficulties photographers face and how to overcome them
Becky, you’re a photographer based in Goa, India and you’re currently building your own studio. I’m curious about your story, how did you make it so far?
I started practicing photography ever since I left school. It was always something I liked doing. Even though I had and have other interests, like dancing or music, one needs to pick something to go for a living, and I chose photography. I’ve always had bad luck when it came to education. In India, the school system is not very good, but it just so happened that someone opened a photography university in Goa when I was old enough to study. It seemed to be well done, and I enrolled as a student. However, the university didn't deliver educational standards it promised. As a result I dropped out and started learning on my own. I found some mentors who would give me tips and extended my network.
I’m a person who likes to communicate with other people and I never spoke to someone just because I wanted a job. Turns out I was accidentally talking to some of the right people who would hire me for a shoot, so I guess I was also a bit lucky. Many people say that’s not luck, it’s hard work. So, I accidentally had some jobs in the famous and glamorous Bollywood scene, which is pretty big in India. A photographer can make lots of money by shooting beautiful actors and actresses, but that was not my world. I don’t have anything against Bollywood in general, don’t get me wrong, I just chose to not continue working without artistic freedom, drama and unpaid extra hours. Everyone has exact ideas of how a picture should look, of how the model should pose. There’s no artisan freedom, no deeper story behind it.
What I like most about photography is telling stories through pictures. You can have so many feelings, emotions, situations communicated through just one picture.
That’s why I like shooting outdoors the most. The light can have so many different colors and feelings transported by those colors. There’s wind, rain and just nature that can make a picture so much more powerful. You might ask yourself now, “why does she have a studio then?” All Photographers around the globe have seasonal working schedules. In summer it’s so busy, in winter it’s quiet. As beautiful as overcast weather may, it’s logistically difficult and expensive for production houses and brands to conduct shoots outdoors. Even though those conditions can have their beauty, it’s not fitting for every shoot.
I was always a bit afraid of using flashlights, as this is very technical and kind of complicated. But then I thought, “why don’t you just use your flashlights to imitate natural light?” I started diving in and it turned out to be very efficient. In Goa there are very few photography studios and it was always hard for me to find places to shoot indoors. I did some shoots in client’s houses and it turned out that people are much more comfortable when they feel secure, in by a cozy place with a coffee machine and a couch.
So I decided to make my studio a nice place where people can get themselves something to drink, sit down for a little chat and just feel comfortable.
Of course it’s not that easy, you need to find a place that allows you to do so, lots of gear and a very big portion of courage to start something like this. It took me a while to feel confident enough to move this forward, but now that I’ve made the decision, I’m very happy with it. I have so much motivation to go on, learn more about photography and become the best photographer possible.
Wow, that sounds like you’re really passionate about what you’re doing. Are you going to make your studio accessible to other photographers as well?
Yes, I thought about that. There’s many people who are telling me to not do it, but I don’t see any reason for that. There’s so few places in Goa for good shoots and I feel like I should give other photographers a chance to use mine. I was lucky in life, so why shouldn’t I share my luck with other people as well?
I also want to build a community here in Goa, where photographers can work together, give each other tips or just have some nice evenings together to encourage each other to move forward.
I’ve had mentors when I was younger and they helped me a lot. I feel a community can reach much more than a single person, and that doesn’t only count for photography, but everywhere in life.
You’ve talked about telling stories as your favorite part of photography. That means you have to be very empathic and be able to communicate very well with your clients, right?
Yes, definitely! Every assignment is different, as it could be a wedding shoot, baby photography, beer or clothing line. You need to understand every client very well to do a good job. That’s why I always have some questions for my clients before doing a shoot. I need to understand how they think, not putting my own thoughts in front. If someone would for example give me a bottle of Gin and didn’t say anything about it, I would shoot it as if it was my product. But it’s not, it’s someone else’s product and this person might have a different view of things than I have. So before you can start making pictures, it’s all about communication.
What advice would you give to someone who also wants to become a photographer?
Oh, I have a good one. There’s this beautiful, magical word I discovered a few years ago. That word is called “NO”. When I started, I had to take up every assignment I could get, because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to pay my rent. I guess we all need to go through that frustrating time. I took pictures I didn’t like. How bad is that?
There were clients who had a different creative vision than I had. But then there’s others who might have a different view but are open to suggestions. For example I had a shoot for a toy store. There were kids, obviously, playing with dolls and bikes. The girl really wanted to ride a bike, but she was automatically expected to play with dolls for the shoot. I came up with the suggestion of letting both, the girl and the boy, ride the bikes. The store manager looked at me and said “I didn’t even think of that”. We did the shoot with both on the bikes and when my dad saw the pictures he said “I never saw a girl riding a bike in commercial photography”. That was a great moment for me, because it showed me how much one can change and move forward by photos. Even if it’s just small steps. Those will lead to a change.
So, to come back to your question, saying no is mandatory. If you don’t value your work, why should other people do so? Saying no made me have less jobs and more money, to shorten it down. Another advice I can give is:
If you are passionate about photography, just do it. There is no right time.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I hate the camera when it’s pointed at my face 😂
What will you concentrate on in future?
Intimate weddings and travel stories. I discovered that I love to shoot small weddings, because there’s always a very intense story that can be told through pictures. Actually, what I’m trying to do is to bridge the gap between commercial work and telling stories. I spent two months on bride guides for my wedding customers, where they can find tips on how to dress and how to pose to get great pictures, a wedding playlist or that the bride should bring flat shoes or a list of who they should not forget to take pictures with. I’m really curious on how people will like it.
That’s something one shouldn’t forget as a photographer: It’s about the people. They need to feel comfortable and it’s your job to make them feel this way.
On the other hand I want to travel and get to know other cultures, how people are acting differently when it comes to photography and make new contacts all over the world. In my job you can work from wherever you want to, you’re not bound to certain places. So, I need to say being a photographer makes me very happy and I’m so glad I am lucky enough to do what I love for a living.
