A cute smile, innocent expressions, shiny eyes have always been the important elements of Baby photography. We all have enjoyed taking our kid’s pictures right from their first week after birth. But how many of us have taken it (photography) as a career later? When your passion becomes your career, no doubt, the result is amazing. Do you know any such person? I know one person who has changed her hobby into a full time career. I am talking about Jayashree J from Jays Fotography – a Chennai, Tamil Nadu based Creative Lifestyle and Baby photographer.

I got in touch with Jayashree 4 months ago through an email. This email was actually a comment she had posted on my ‘Know Me’ page. That time, it was just a thought of starting this section. I contacted her, told her about my idea and she said yes. Jayashree is currently located in Chennai where she runs her Photography Studio under the name Jays Fotography. She specializes in Maternity, Baby, Toddlers, and Personal Photo shoots. Jays Fotography offers Baby photography coverage in and around Chennai and Bangalore. Over to Jayashree…

A few words from Jayashree:  I was born and brought up in Bangalore & completed my studies there. I have done my Engineering in Electronics and Communication. Moved to Chennai after marriage. I have worked in Software field & resigned during pregnancy. Got the passion of photography when my son Abhijay Kumaran was born almost 3 years ago. That’s when I got into this field. With a thought of giving my hobby a new direction, Jays Fotography started a year ago.

 

Mothers Gurukul:  Jayashree, you are a creative lifestyle photographer and a Baby photographer. Right? Can you tell us more about your profession?

Jayashree: Yes, that’s right. Jays Fotography started with Maternity photo shoots. I feel that pregnancy is a beautiful journey. It’s a precious memory. A life is living inside you. So, why not to make it more special? I also like to photograph babies because of their cuteness, innocent and natural expressions and capturing their raw emotions always inspires me to keep going.

MG: That’s right.

How did you land up into Photography Career? Can you walk us through your transition from an Engineer to a Professional photographer?

Jayashree:  After finishing my studies in Bangalore, I moved to Chennai after marriage. I was working in Software field there. Later, during my pregnancy period, I resigned from my job. After my son was born, I started clicking his pictures at different stages. I used to click anything  around me and that process helped me to learn the basics of photography. I started with Auto mode and as I progressed, shifted to Manual mode.

I went to Canada for vacation to meet relatives my sister-in-law. There, I had plenty of time in hand so I started exploring more by clicking whatever looked creative to my eyes. I would say I started from there to understand the basics. Later, I wanted to specialize in one niche. I felt photographing Babies and Maternity will be an interesting subject. I did some research in Chennai and felt that there is a need for a professional Baby Photographers. Hence, I took it as a full time profession. My family appreciated my decision and encouraged me to pursue my passion.

MG: Wow!! That’s truly an inspiring story.

Jayashree, I have gone through your work. What type of sessions do you look forward to the most?

Jayashree:  That’s hard to answer. I like all the shoots. Each one has a different shade. Each one has a different story to tell. For example doing photo shoots of a Toddler is challenging as they don’t want to sit at one place. They have their own mood swings. But sometimes, they just surprise you by posing themselves. On the other hand 0-12 months is comparatively easy and manageable as most of the time babies are sleeping…:) Maternity photo shoots has a totally different feel. Both husband and wife are into it. Many times, during the Maternity photo shoot the baby starts kicking. That time the natural glow and happiness on the mommy-to-be is amazing. So in all, I would say I prefer all the shoots.

 

MG: Maternity photography is not very popular in India. Also, many people do not see it as an auspicious thing to take pictures of the baby bump. So, was it a challenge to step into this area?

Jayashree: Yes, you are right. Maternity photography is still picking up in India. Not everyone is open for it. It is definitely a challenge but then I thought let’s take this challenge and I am happy to see people are coming forward to capture their maternity moments. I get lot of inquiries and I am hoping to get more people interested in Maternity photography in the coming days. It’s is such a beautiful phase then why not to document their precious moments in an artistic manner?

MG: Great!! I am happy that you are taking one step at a time and keeping your hopes high.

Coming to your Photography training. Are you formally taught or self-taught?

Jayashree: Self-taught. As I have mentioned that I have an engineering background and photography started as a hobby first which later became my profession. I don’t have formal education in this field and all the techniques that I learned are from Google and YouTube. Also, with every photo session, I learn something new.

MG: Wow!! That is amazing.

What is the favorite part of owning your own photography business? Is there anything that you see as a challenge?

Jayashree: I feel empowered. During my shoots, I get to meet those cute babies; get to be a part of their lives. During the shoot I become one among them and the relationship with them continues after the shoot as well. Every shoot is a challenge for me. I go with a plan for the shoot and mostly the plan goes for a toss since the babies are very dynamic and I have to come out with a plan that works for that moment. Another USP of Jay’s Fotography is I go to client’s location for shoot which gives comfort to baby. Hence this involves mobility of my portable studio and other associated props for the shoot.

MG: Which camera do you use? Nikon, Cannon or other? And which lens?

Jayashree: I use Nikon D4 DSLR. 50mm Lens.

 

MG: For those who are occasional photographer, do you want to say anything that can help them regarding which camera to use, light etc?

Jayashree:  Sure, natural light is always preferable for photographing any subject. Pictures come really good with natural light. For beginners who want to get their hands wetted with DSLR, I would recommend Nikon D3100 Nikon. For those who are limited with budget Point & Shoot camera is an option. They can also use their smart phones to take some beautiful pictures. We have number of Apps available. I have seen Mobile pictures come out good too.

MG: Does being a mom help you in this profession?

Jayashree: It is extremely helpful. Being a mom plays a very important role in my profession. Every child is different but if you know some basics then it always helps. I also do some homework before the shoot and I get to know more about the likes and dislikes of the kid by interacting with baby’s mom. Based on this I get to more about the cartoon characters they like and other items that interest them. Getting their attention is easy when you know their likes and dislikes.

MG: Lastly, since you are a self-taught photographer, what would you like to offer/tell to a new photographer or to a Baby photographer in particular?

Jayashree: Internet is an ocean and there is so much to learn from there. For beginners, I would suggest to go through some basic tutorials available in Youtube. For those who want to specialize in Baby Photography my advice is first to have lot of patience and understand about their mood swings. Go through other Baby Photographer’s work to get some ideas and apply your creative mind to get your concept’s worked out.

 

MG: That was good to know. I have always felt doing Baby photography is one such field where you need lot of patience. And you are doing it every day. Great.

Thank you so much Jayashree for sharing your story with us. We wish you all the success in your career.

Jayashree: You are welcome and thanks for your wishes.

MG: That was Jayashree from Jays Fotography. To see her work here is the link to her website and her Facebook page. Those who are in Bangalore or Chennai, you can plan your kid’s next photo shoot with her.