Today we’d like to introduce you to Lovya Dev.
Lovya, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I held my first camera when I was ten. It was my dad’s old black and white film camera and I finished the roll within a week. I still have those small 3×3 photo prints and they happen to my favorite. I went on to study engineering and then took up an engrossing job which kept me busy till late hours, but the camera and my love for photography never left me. I photographed my travels, friends’ weddings, my dog, my family, roommates who needed headshots for their LinkedIn profiles, basically anyone who was a willing subject. I loved the perspectives I could create with my lens, and the stories I had the power to tell. A few years ago, I started taking up small photography jobs with bloggers, stylists and also did some street photography. It felt joyful and liberating, but I didn’t think I was good enough to do it professionally. But I started getting more requests and great feedback on the photos I had taken, and the assignments kept me going. It was then I realized I was carving my own path and not following any rules. It was a big world out there and I had no academic background in photography. But all these experiences gave me the confidence to experiment with my style, hone my abilities and really work on my craft. I focus on the people I meet, to connect and form new friendships and bonds and have a feeling of gratitude towards people who let me into their lives. I don’t think of myself as a photographer on these journeys, but I’m like a passenger on their train and I love this way of traveling.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been challenging to focus on my 9-5 job and balance that with photography assignments. Also, being a new mom has really pushed me to realign my priorities. Essentially, juggling a family, a full-time job and photography is quite the balancing act which I’m still learning to perfect.
Another huge challenge was editing, which is a whole different ballgame than photography, and I obviously didn’t know that when I started out. A lot of late nights, years of experimentation and strive for excellence got me where I am today.
The biggest challenge for me has been the importance of marketing and putting myself and my work out there. When I started out, I would receive a lot of love and positive reinforcement when I put my work on social media, but that did not translate into booking jobs or getting clients. I picked up a lot of marketing and networking tips along the way to help me grow. And I learned it the hard way that there’s no single road to magic, it’s a combination of skills, effort, marketing, and innovation, and you have to keep working at it. People will see your work and reach out to you, just takes time.
We’d love to hear more about your freelance work.
I am a freelance wedding and family photographer, and my brand is called ‘photos by Lovya.’ For me photographing couples in love is pure joy! For weddings, my style is to keep each wedding exclusive and tell the couple’s unique story. I brainstorm ideas with the couple, and try to bring them to life with my creativity, capturing tiny details and moments of love. But most couples feel shy or intimidated by the camera, and as I ease them into being themselves, that’s when magic happens. By the end of it, I have made friends for life and also made their dreams come true, it’s the best feeling!
Family photos are special because you can freeze a moment in time for them which can bring them smile even decades from now. Tiny details like how a baby holds onto their mama, how a shy child hides behind a parent, how holding hands works for some ages and then doesn’t, how each year the family grows differently, it’s a beautiful thing to capture these moments.
What were you like growing up?
I was a very responsible child and adults felt at home with me. It may be because I was the oldest sibling. As a result, I had access to my dad’s camera, his computer, and books. I used to sit and read for hours and imagine my own world where I traveled, learned new languages, met new people and made a journey to “the center of the earth”! I wanted to become a travel journalist then.
Also, I was quiet but very inquisitive. I wanted to try doing a lot of things all at once. I remember enrolling in tennis, swimming, basketball and dancing all together! I was moderately good at everything, but I couldn’t understand where I had a true talent. Growing up was hard trying to find what I really wanted to do.
Later, I realized there was creative energy in me and that it needed a vent. That is when I started to write poetry, short stories as well as spend hours with the camera.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.photosbylovya.com/
- Email: lovyadev@hotmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photosbylovya
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photosbylovya
- Pintrest: https://www.
pinterest.com/photosbylovya/
Image Credit:
Lovya Dev’s photo by (c) Abhishek Dev
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