Mumbai: Entrepreneurship and financial independence are the two mantras accelerating the work force in for the NextGen. Prathima Pingali, a 22-year-old photographer has given professional photography a new outlook.
The young photographer is the only professional “Pet Photographer” of India. Adding another feather to her cap, she has earned a spot on the list of top 100 professional photographers this year.
The Andheri-based photographer is a media graduate, born and brought up in Hyderabad who has made it to the “UK top professional photographer of the year award”.
“The pet industry is rapidly growing, and photography is something I love doing, so I tried to mix it up for a better purpose,” said Prathima informing that her entrepreurship and money-making skills are genetically inherited from her father who is also her pillar of support.
The bee of photography first stung her when she was in the standard X. Clicking a picture of the Powai lake in 2013, she had won the “Environment and sustainability” photography award from Singapore, soon after which she decided to take up the photography as a profession.
In an era when photographers are walking on the path of wedding and events photography, she chose to take the road less travelled doing assignments on pet photography, maternity photography with pets and also doing commercial photography using pet dogs as models.
“With Youtube and Instagram, the markets have become more diverse as well as transparent. If you do something out of the box, you will be rewarded,” she added.
Being an ardent animal-lover, she also runs her own pet clinic and shop in Hyderabad. She often sells merchandises created with her photography and spends a significant amount of the revenue for the protection and rescue of stray animals.
“Often, the money I earn is used in buying reflective collars for the stray dogs, which reduce the chances of dogs getting hit by cars at night,” she informed.
The young photographer has already collaborated with numerous brands of pet merchandises and is presently preparing for pet exhibition, soon to be held at Juhu. From which the money earned will be spent on the rescue and betterment of stray animals.
