Today we’d like to introduce you to Riddhi Shah.
Hi Riddhi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Lavender Atelier Photography is a small business that entered into the photography world about 8 months ago. My company is born out of inspiration and passion. Growing up, my father used to capture beautiful photos that have inspired me to become like him. Ever since I received my first camera, I have been capturing small or big moments in life. Photography has always been my passion. By taking portraits, I get this exceptional amount of joy. I have been blessed with an amazing family who supported me throughout the entire process. I want to create an everlasting memory for my clients that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. I never imagined my small business would have a great start. This has been like a dream come true.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
To start a small business is not easy. In the beginning, it was very scary for me to enter this competitive market. It has been an interesting journey for me and I am still working towards my goal. To work as a full-time healthcare professional and be a part-time photographer is challenging.
Nevertheless, the encouragement I received from family and clients keeps me going. One of the things that gets me excited about my work is that I am able to bring joy to every client during the session. I have been fortunate to have supportive clients who understand my creative vision.
A few things I have learned along the way is that you have to stay focused. There will be many obstacles and you have to be consistent with your work. In the beginning, it was difficult to get clients and get my name out in the photography space. I have learned bootstrapping skills by attending workshops to show my commitment and determination to my work. Due to my sheer perseverance and go-getter attitude, I was able to get some recognition and started getting clients.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Lavender Atelier Photography was created to provide multiple services to our clients. Lavender flowers bring purity and devotion. Atelier means workshop or a studio. As the name suggests, we are devoted to our clients’ needs and bring the studio to them. Photo sessions can be overwhelming especially for a mother with young kids or a baby. Hence, we provide consults about locations, outfits, décor, theme, etc. to the clients. We continuously strive to provide our best work to the clients.
One of the many reasons why I started photography is that I am able to draw out my client’s pure emotions into the picture. Hence, my focus is portraiture. This company provides different types of sessions such as couple/engagement, family portraits, maternity, graduation, cake smash, as well as intimate events. Additionally, we’ve had many requests for Fall, Christmas and Spring mini sessions. These mini sessions are a great excuse to bring family together during the holidays and give them the best gift in the form of memory.
I want the world to know that our company stands for diversity and inclusiveness of people. Furthermore, I want people to know how important it is to capture moments in the form of photographs. After capturing a photo, I show my client how it turned out, the amount of joy I see on their face makes me proud of my work.
Lavender Atelier Photography is not just a business for me. It is a platform where my clients can express themselves. When I do a photo session, I would like to focus on one client at a time so I can provide my service on a personal level. Prior to the session, I send questionnaires to my clients to be able to understand their vision better. Based on these questionnaires, each of our sessions are curated with the client’s specific needs. We want to bring our client’s vision to reality.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Initially, when I started my journey, I was a freelance photographer. One of the major risks I took was to start a brand new business from scratch. I had never thought that I would ever start an entrepreneurial journey to start a photography business. I primarily have a healthcare background and never took any business classes growing up. But, when my husband came into my life, he encouraged me to pursue my passion for photography in the form of Lavender Atelier. I quickly learned to manage different aspects of a business whether it is sales, marketing, accounting, customer service, etc. This is a risk-reward situation in my opinion. The more I nurture my business, like a mother would to her baby, the better are its chances of survival in this competitive photography industry. The goal is to keep improving and bring creative ideas to capture the most beautiful moments for our clients.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lavender_atelierphoto
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lavenderatelierphoto
- Email: photos@lavenderatelier.com
Image Credits
Riddhi Shah – Lavender Atelier Photography
