We were lucky to catch up with Deepika Haldankar recently and have shared our conversation below.

Deepika, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Life is all about Taking A Risk. Unless you risk yourself out of your comfort zone, you will be stuck in the same old place.

I have my formal education MS in Social Sciences. I didn’t have a work permit when I moved to the US more than a decade ago. So I spent most of my time looking at my life passing by. The stagnation of life came to the point that I had to do something about it; otherwise, it was ready to eat me alive.

After my daughter’s birth, I started a food blog (www.easybabymeals.com) which introduced me to food photography. I loved making homemade baby food for my daughter and taking pictures of it. I shared those recipes online and got a positive response.

Then came a point where I had to decide whether to join back into the field I did MS or do something different. I chose to do something different, establishing myself as a Creative Entrepreneur.

It was not an easy road. I had no formal education in arts or photography. I started investing my time and resources in taking online courses in photography. It was almost two years of active learning and practice.

Finally, I applied for licenses and work permits to help me realize my dream as a Creative Entrepreneur.

I had to go through moments like – who will give you a job now after so many years, what will you do after such a long break? Will it even work? You are risking your future for something that is just a hobby.

I took a calculated risk in my life for a hobby that has turned into something bigger than just a hobby.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Deepika Haldankar. The owner of Deepika Haldankar Photography. I am based in Chandler, AZ. I help small businesses market their business with amazing brand photos.

As an artist, I am drawn towards visual storytelling, and photography is one of the essential tools to portray that story.

I provide various services from Food Photography, Still Life Photography, and Product Photography. For me, photography is the joy of creating a memory. The intricate details of every subject, its colors, and textures make me explore more and capture them.

With bold colors and contrast, I bring out the true essence of the flavor and feel of the food. A similar principle applies to my still life and product photography. I like to work with minimal props, so all the focus is on the subject being shot, which helps it stand out.

As a person and a business, I focus on the needs of the client. I like to bring out the client’s vision through my photography. I am drawn to small businesses that have a unique story to tell. I genuinely believe that there is a story that needs to come out behind every brand.

When you work with me, I go through your brand’s needs and determine what imagery you need and what kind of look you are going for. Once I have that clear, I do some research and develop a mood board. I share this with my client to know that we are visually on the same page.

The next step is to determine the props and styling needed for the shoot. I will make sure what kind of light will work the best for the determined theme and do the test shots. Once those are approved, I will do the final shoot. After the shoot, it is editing and delivery time. I love the whole process of creating images- start to finish. So when I do the photoshoot, I fully invest my time and effort into it.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

If you look around, there are so many talented local artists. And supporting these artists is simple, especially with the age of today’s social media.

Here are a few simple things you can do to support an artist:

– Going to the opening reception or show:
These are important events for an artist, especially if an award ceremony is included. Your presence can make the artist happy and know that friends and family support them.

– Visting gallery shows:
No brainer, but if you have a friend or family member whose art is on display, then it is a nice gesture to visit the gallery or the venue.

– Taking pictures of the art or product and sharing them on social media:
Let’s face it, we are all on social media. Sharing photos of the artist’s performance or work and tagging them in it gives a little boost and more eyeballs about the art. It is so valuable as these can turn into potential clients.

– Leaving sincere and encouraging comments on their work is another excellent way to support an artist.

– Word of mouth is one of the most underrated but valuable ways of marketing. If you want to support an artist genuinely, then talk about them and their work with your friends, family, or co-workers.

– Helping local art organizations: A little goes a long way.

– Last but not least- Buy the art. If you like the work- buy it. Instead of buying something store-bought that is manufactured in millions, buy the art that the local artist friend or family member makes. You will be getting a one-of-a-kind work of art.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

For people coming from a non-creative background, creative field comes more under a “Hobby” than an actual career. But thankfully, it has changed in the recent years.

Yes, I do agree being a Creative Entreprnuer has it’s own challenges. But we accept the uncertainty and make our way forward. That’s what we creatives are. We embrace the uncertainty with possibilities.

It is human nature to reject something that is not understood well. But at the same time, if we try to understand it by our own Creative Glasses, slowly it does make sense after all.

Personally, my creative journey is all about unlearning things that kept me in a box. For me it is freedom to express myself through my photography and art.

Instead of thinking out of the box- let’s say there is NO Box. It is just the array of possibilities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deepikahaldankar.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deepika.haldankar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeepikaHaldankarPhotography
• Other: Food Blog For Family Friendly Recipes: https://www.easybabymeals.com/

Image Credits
Image Credit: Deepika Haldankar