Today we’d like to introduce you to Neal Kharawala.
Neal, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey through photography began back in 2009 when my parents brought home a Nikon DSLR. At first, we used the camera mainly for our vacations, but it became more than just a camera for family photos. The ability to capture a moment and preserve it indefinitely sparked the passion that I have for photography today. When I moved away from New Jersey to Boston to start pharmacy school, the first thing I did was join a photography club. Not only did it keep me sane throughout my six years of college, but it helped me become a better photographer by taking photos of all types of events for our school. Someone once told me that “You see everything as beautiful.” This statement not only motivated me to capture images that others would see as beautiful but to make others feel like they were there at that moment. After graduating, I received a job in the pharmaceutical industry and in my current role, I travel a ton. I bring my camera on my work trips and take photos of all the places I go to. It’s really the best of both worlds where I get to do work that is helping people and also providing me the opportunity to take photos of different places.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Whether it’s photography or learning any new skill, there will always be challenges. To be able to take the photos I take today, I would say it has taken years to develop that “eye” to capture images people would admire. I am still constantly learning new things when it comes to photography. I would not consider myself the best photographer out there either. Some of the struggles initially were learning how to frame a photo properly and edit them without taking away too much of the natural photo. This took a ton of experimentation and years of messing around with editing software until I finally developed my own style. I think the biggest struggle currently is trying to capture a unique image. When it comes to landscape photos, you’ll have numerous people visiting the same location and taking the same photo. Coming up with something different and unique is an obstacle that I am working on to overcome. There is a quote that I always keep in mind when taking photos: “Having a vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” So, when I am somewhere taking photos, it reminds me to change up the perspective and think outside the box.
What else should we know about your photography work.
Although I do not have a business, I am very active on my Instagram account in taking travel photos. When I’m not traveling, I’m usually posting photos of Boston. My ultimate goal is to inspire others to travel, experience different cultures and capture the beauty this world has to offer. With all the negativity in our world today, we can use the images we capture to even bring people together. A picture is worth a thousand words and we have the ability to create a story through images to evoke some positivity into the world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: nealkharawala
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