We were lucky to catch up with Nitya Jain recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nitya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?
The world of photography is very intriguing and colorful but still very underrepresented by women and people of color. I do think that clients and decision-makers are hesitant to try new talent or women of color. Having been in the creative industry for almost 20 years with a career spanning from architecture, and visual design to photography, it has always been that extra mile, and a higher standard that I have needed to showcase as a woman of color. Things are moving in a positive direction where more organizations, and collectives support and promote creatives who are otherwise overlooked and not well-versed in the industry vocabulary.
I have had the good fortune of recently working with some incredible clients who value talent and encourage an inclusive work environment with a good balance of gender and color.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a South Asian commercial and editorial photographer based in Austin TX specializing in food, beverage, and hospitality. I create vibrant, crave-able content for my clients and enjoy telling the story of the brand or the maker through images.
When I first moved to Austin in 2016, it took me a little bit to know and grow the creative community. in my early years, I worked as a creative director with a conventional “9-5” schedule but very quickly realized that a prescribed scope of creativity was not for me so I quit and started digging deep into what sparked joy. Lo and behold and no surprise to me food was the clear winner partly because of my south asian roots and mostly because I love how food brings everyone around a table to share a common experience. I started a blog called Beyond Curry in 2017 which quickly morphed into my photography business as it is today.
A self-taught photographer, I now have the absolute pleasure of working with restaurants, cookbook publishers, small business owners, beverage brands, and anything in the general vicinity of food, drink, and culture.
Every moment that we see in an image tells a story and sometimes the details and effort it takes to make something picture perfect gets overlooked.
Working with clients, my goal is always to bring their vision to life and capture the in-between moments.
Collaborating with a food stylist and prop stylist wherever budgets allow is always a bonus.
No project is too small for me and I give the same attention to detail to every client.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
When I first started, there was a lot of trial and error in marketing efforts and I wish I knew more about how to work with consultants and mentors to guide me through this. There are so many great resources online and mentors that you can work with now that help in business building and outreach efforts.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Creativity is gender and color-neutral but it is also important to recognize that we all tell visual stories a little differently because of where we come from and our experiences. My goal is to be able to work with clients, brands, and small businesses that want to showcase the differences that while unique make this world such a colorful place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nityajn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nitya.jn/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitya-jain/
Image Credits
headhsot- Leandra Blei