Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sheena Sabharwal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Sheena, thanks for joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
I am definitely happier as a business owner rather than an employee – I worked in the corporate environment for just under 20 years so fully understand the difference. One of the biggest lessons was to learn that what I earn as a business owner is lower than when I was employed however the single biggest benefit I have is time and flexibility. I am able to plan my business year around family/ personal commitments and this is definitely worth the drop in income. Sometimes life throws you a curveball and there is flexibility which allows you to handle it yet at the same time, it you have to learn to accept that if you’re not working, you’re not earning!
Several months ago I came to the conclusion that I had to restructure my business – despite the benefits of flexibility, I was working silly hours (as a photographer no one really considers the time it takes to edit your images!) and I either needed to cut down my hours (& the accompanying drop in income) or restructure my business to work with a smaller number of clients and maintain my earnings. When you are working alone, it can be really difficult to come up with a solution for everything because you only know what you know and its likely that you may lack the perspective and / or experience to resolve the issue.
In addition to this, when you’re working alone, it is easy for imposter syndrome to creep in and take hold. At times like this, I missed “office banter”, the collaborative approach of working in a Marketing department and the ease of reaching out to a friendly colleague only a desk or two away. In this particular instance, I chose to work with a business coach and have found the process of collaboration really rewarding. It has reminded my of why I do what I do and why I wouldn’t change it.
Sheena, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am brand & family photographer, based in Harrow, North West London. I love to create vibrant and engaging images for business owners enabling them to tell their business story and to connect with their audience. I truly enjoy the collaborative process of planning a shoot and also enabling my clients to feel comfortable & confident in front of the camera. And, with family shoots, I love to create and capture lasting memories for families – capturing what I like to call the everyday joy in family life – its that grabbed cuddle, the squidgy wrists and thighs, the small hand in yours and the warm breath on your neck. All of these are moments to be savoured and cherished and it’s a privilege to capture them.
Like so many photographers, I have always been a very keen hobbyist since my early teens – using all manner of cameras, just about understanding my Dads’ Ricoh, to my own Vivitar and then through university and my 20s, with my back pocket friendly Canon Ixus. Several years ago, I made the decision to be a SAHM but found I wasn’t very going at staying at home. I started a History of Art degree at Birkbeck and having hardly worked in London, it was so exciting to have the opportunity to wander around London at leisure that I soon swapped my smart phone for my old Canon 650D. At the same time, I took my first foray into Instagram and was overwhelmed by the “ordinary” beauty shared. And, after some serious dabbling, I thought…how about it? And it was as simple as that!
There were no grand plans or business proposals written – I wanted to take beautiful photographs and ideally, I wanted to be paid to take beautiful photographs of peoples. Family photography was the obvious step as it allowed me to work within the boundaries of my own family life however I soon came across ‘branding’ photographer, and with a background in Marketing, it really was the logical thing to do.
I don’t just want my clients to walk with beautiful images – I genuinely want them to enjoy their time in front of the camera. So many of my clients (chiefly women) are so self conscious and fearful of being in front of the camera that I really want them to know that with enough time and the right guidance, they can look create images looking and feeling absolutely gorgeous. As someone who is not entirely comfortable in front of the lens, I know what it feels like to feel apprehensive or shy so I completely understand those clients that do and do my utmost to create a relaxed, non-judgemental space where they can really feel themselves and we can create images that reflect their personality.
I genuinely believe that to get the most out of your time in front of the camera you have “to play” – “playing” allows you to create some great expressions and emotions in front of the camera, while enjoying yourself. There is a phrase in my mother tongue which translates as ‘making mischief/ mischievous’ which I think sums it up beautifully. I encourage clients to think of their shoot as not just an opportunity to create their images but as a time to “play” – a time to let go, to feel free and to remind ourselves of the joy we feel when we play – which we do so infrequently as adults. And, yes, while we are “playing” I do remain focused on the outcome and ensure that we are creating compelling brand and family images.
Branding clients are surprised that towards the end of their shoot that they are really enjoying themselves – and more than happy to strut their stuff and an unexpected outcome of a shoot is to inspire or renew their self confidence. While Family clients have found the session enjoyable and view it as a time to bond with one another.
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.
I truly believe that every job/ position/ role has an element of creativity about it – simply because a photographer (or similar) has a tangible creative outcome or they have created “something new” it is easy to limit these types of jobs as ‘creative’.
I used to work with data which sounds as far from creativity as you can get however it takes time and experience, much like photography, to “see the story” in a set of numbers…it takes creativity to share these stories with a diverse group of people and for them to take it on board and act upon it. I think it is a misnomer to view that some jobs are creative and some aren’t – as I advanced in my corporate career, it was utilising a creative approach in problem solving that allows you to take the next step in a piece of work. This may be from the actual work you undertake to how you manage a team.
However, I do also believe that to work creatively in the typical sense you do need to follow certain certain “rules” to help you along. Firstly, you need to rest away from your creative pursuit and sometimes I find after a busy period of work, I really struggle to create photos for myself. Sometimes the “eye” just doesn’’t see and it can be really frustrating as firstly, you can’t do the creative pursuit you love and secondly, this same pursuit that you love stops giving you pleasure and ends up being a source of frustration.
Secondly, sometimes when you pursue a passion, its very hard to work within boundaries – sometimes when you are in flow, you can keep shooting with a client – its great at the time but the result is you feel exhausted. The real issue with this is that you are so committed to creating the “perfect” image that you give so much of yourself to the process and the client. It is hard to put boundaries around your work as a creative.
Thirdly, it is so important to watch what you “consume” – I think the adage “junk in, junk out” sums it up perfectly. I have always been very careful in what I read, watch and listen to ensure that I am “feeding” myself high quality “stuff”. However, social media really plays havoc with this – it is a place where you promote yourself and therefore so important however it is essential to limit how much you and what you consume. I have now started turning off my data when I go on holiday, focusing on reading books or my surroundings, and the difference is wild! I come back totally renewed and full of new ideas for my business.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective methods are different for brand and family photography.
I have benefitted from good SEO for my family work and this is supported by Google testimonials providing potential clients with faith in me as a business before they then decide to use me as a photographer.
The single most effective approach to growing my branding clientele has been networking in person, supplemented by networking online.
There is no substitute for meeting people face to face and in an environment where people need to feel as comfortable as possible with me, I find having one to one conversations so beneficial. As your photographer, it is important that you feel completely comfortable with me and meeting me in person allows people to decide if I am the right photographer for them.
Word of mouth is powerful in both fields and I do have an offer for both the referrer and referral.
Discovery Calls matter -photography is expensive and clients want to feel like they matter from the moment they start the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sheenasabharwal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheena_sabharwal_photography/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheena-sabharwal-39146625/?originalSubdomain=uk
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/sheenasabharwalphotography/
Image Credits
The photograph of me is by Victoria Bahadoor, Fern & Star Photography The rest are by me