Nikita Wankhade Interview

We all love to capture the precious moments of our lives in the form of photographs. Be it a picnic, road trip, festivities, or weddings — our memories stay safe in our hearts and photographs.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the photography industry has been hit hard. But some photographers have considered this an opportunity to showcase their creativity and come up with fantastic photography ideas. Nikita Wankhade is one of those inspirational photographers who emerged victorious in these unprecedented times.

Would you like to know more about her? It’s right here 👇

An interview featuring Ahmedabad, India’s leading photographer — Nikita Wankhade.

1. According to you, what would be the 5 major differences in post-Covid weddings compared to pre-Covid weddings?

Did you notice how we are going back to documentary-style wedding albums than wannabe Anushka-Virat? Today, people prefer inviting only family members and close relatives due to COVID-19 protocols. However, this is probably one of those lucky times for photographers as there’s a lot of time to plan your shots, and the guests will even listen to you. It gives cohesive wedding photos with lots of smiley faces than a copied art.

You can make more money with fewer efforts, i.e.,

fewer photos = high delivery time = more weddings in less time = more money in less time

2. How should photographers manage their finances in the future to fight such global calamities (provided, if it occurs)?

As photographers, our significant expense goes into upgrading our camera kits. Luckily, camera companies are holding their subsequent model releases. So, this can be a golden period for us to control our finances.

3. What should be the ideal photography types/industries photographers should cover to maintain balanced work & earning? (Ideally, one should not be dependent on just wedding photography.)

You can say the internet is the future, i.e., being online. No matter what’s happening or what will happen, it is one of those things which will keep growing. Unlike wedding photography, eCommerce has a higher demand-supply ratio. So, one can hop into that type of photography.

This is just an example. There are a lot of other photography options to consider except weddings. Moreover, online photobook printing and wedding album cover pad designing are in trend.

4. What do you feel about the wedding season in post-Diwali time? Give ideas about current inquiries & bookings for the post-Diwali season.

I think we will witness an uptick in demand after Diwali. So, the best time of our career is about to come. You can say that there is a dam (bookings and inquiries) that is about to overflow once the gate (Diwali) opens. I am super excited about it and so will be other photographers.

5. How your wedding shoot pricing will effect in upcoming wedding shoots? What percentage of increase or decrease in budgeting you are going to do?

Being present online and having competitive prices is one of the hacks. As I’m aware of the virus strains that are going to come, it is important that I give my customers the benefit of all their doubts. So, I’ve planned to keep an option for my clients — they can reduce teams at the last moment or increase teams if lockdown ends. I believe breaking your pattern of quotations and giving them a free hand on knowing the details and customizing needs depending on lockdown also gives them confidence.

6. Your suggestion to all photographers.

Please don’t break the market by quoting less than your potential. Also, don’t over quote and create inflation in the market. That would cause the loss of decent long-term clients who afford monthly packages from us.

7. How have you managed your team members during the lockdown or in fewer work scenarios?

In such times, it is crucial to put aside greed and involve your team members in small and big projects. There are so many jobs to be done in 1 project in photography if we look at it the way western culture does. Starting from ideation, and scripting, client management/communications, shoot, editing to deliverables, you can keep your team members engaged.

8. Biggest lesson you’ve learned as a photographer during Covid times.

We, as photographers, got time to pause and think. Photography in the past 2 to 3 years has become a luxury industry with lots of gloss to it rather than times when the photographer was called to capture memories in weddings. I hope we keep getting logic back with all the trends that emerge out of the sheep-herd mentality.

9. Can you share an example of a problem you’ve faced?

The cancellations of booked weddings with an advance amount were disheartening. The future looked bleak and scary as earned money was asked back. But to be fair on both ends, one needs to add a clause of not returning the advance amount and saving the date of the postponed wedding for them on a first come first go basis.

Author Bio:

Nikita Wankhade is a seasoned photographer specializing in wedding photography. With over 8 years of experience, Nikita is a powerhouse on location with abundant knowledge in photography. She strives for being a part of someone’s “forever memories” through her vision and passion. Nikita has bagged much appreciation in the industry and has been featured in reputed sources like National Geographic India, CN Traveler. She also got featured in Ahmedabad Mirror and Times of India for coving wedding in COIVD times.