We were lucky to catch up with Vibi Murali recently and have shared our conversation below.

Vibi, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Ever since I was a kid growing up in my grandparents farmhouse back in India, I have had a deep love or all things animals, and amongst them elephants were even more close to my heart. These majestic beings had an aura about them, that just captured my imagination and I took every chance I could get to interact with them. Fast forward a few years, I ended up getting my bachelors degree in Architecture and picking up a deep love for photography along the way. Shortly after, I met my husband and moved to the US to be with him. Once in the US, I took sometime to figure out what I wanted to do next and the amazing reviews I got from my friends and family here photographing at their events, provided me sufficient motivation and confidence to start my own photography small business. I realized that I could create these beautiful moments and capture people’s stories in a way that was uniquely me and that was deeply gratifying.

But you know, elephants never really left my thoughts and I knew I wanted to give back to them in some way. So, I decided to do something that would blend my photography gig with my passion for animal welfare. Towards that, I have started to contribute a part of what I earn from my photography business to a handful of amazing programs that protect and care for elephants back home in India and in Africa.

It’s been pretty cool to see how my two worlds – photography and elephants – have come together. Every time I take a shot, I’m not just freezing a moment in time and bringing joy to the families, but I’m also helping these incredible creatures. And honestly, that feels pretty darn good. I hope to expand my contributions, as my business grows and I cannot wait to meet these amazing creatures again in one of my travels.

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

Hey, I’m Vibi! I am a photographer and small business owner of Viha Photography based in Bellevue, serving the greater Seattle area and beyond.

I have been obsessed with taking photos, from the time my dad got me a polaroid as a kid. Taking my dad as inspiration, I started taking pictures of family and friends which progressed to being a volunteer photographer at my School. Photography accompanies some of my most profound memories growing up and it still is.

Fast forward two years into my professional photography leap, I couldn’t be more in love with the craft. I find my energy in the pursuit of those raw and candid emotions, that go together with the angles and lighting to form that perfect shot… a shot that can bring a smile to your face years, and generations later.

Weddings are my happy place and having the honor to also capture the celebratory vibes of the day, alongside the unique brand of love the couple shares, is something I live for. I also regularly work with families for their yearly and seasonal family or maternity portraits which I deeply enjoy. I recently started using my expertise and interests in interior design and styling to help with branding shoots as well, which I hope to use to help businesses and professionals put their best face forward.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I started out, I had to learn a lot of the basic marketing strategies on my own. From social media ads to doing collaborative photoshoots, I tried a variety of activities to help get the word out. They helped but, pretty soon I realized that I had to do more here not just for marketing but also to feel a sense of community since building a business from scratch can be pretty lonely. The amazing community of small business owners in the Seattle area came to my rescue. I soon learnt that socializing and attending networking events really works but it took time for me to be comfortable in such environments being an introvert. Looking back I am glad that I came out of my shell enough to engage with my community in meaningful ways.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Having a unique vision to execute against is important in any business, and in a crowded market like photography, it could not be more true. I treat every project that I do not only a sacred opportunity to be a part of someone’s special day but also as an artful engagement. This helped me build my own unique style of photography that aids to tell stories with my pictures, in my own unique way. Doing this consistently helped my clients and vendors to also get a sense of that which helps in them being able to confidently work with me, knowing what they can expect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vihaphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viha_photography_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vihaphotos?mibextid=LQQJ4d