EXCLUSIVE: Amrita Samant of Mommy Shots on how she switched to photography, BEST part of her job & more

We've all heard stories of how following passions leads to a revelation and eventually a job. While the person differs every story is just as inspiring with a new set of hurdles and things to overcome. Known for her maternity shoots, photographer Amrita Samant of Mommy Shots talked to us about her journey so far, rise to fame and more!

You were an HR professional, why make the switch?
My younger days consisted of countless doodles and I used to try to sketch everything my mum and siblings did. Needless to say, I inherited my artistic inclination from my mother, a crafts and culinary expert who runs specialised culinary classes in Chennai.
The creative part never stopped searching for my true calling. I’ve been dancing and doing theatre since I was a child and continued to do so even while I worked full-time. I was working as an HR business partner in a gaming company and very honestly, I loved my job. However, I was constantly finding an outlet to let my creative juices flow by doing part-time activities such as writing for magazines, choreographing, theatre, all while working a full-time job. I explored 10 different creative career opportunities while working my full-time job to seek my creative calling - a creative job that would satiate the artist in me yet sustain me.
Then I finally realised what my calling is when I assisted my friend with wedding photography. It inspired me to find something unique for myself in the field of photography. And that's how maternity and newborn photography happened. What started as a simple thought, later turned into a full-blown career.

What was the most unusual request you received from a client when shooting them?
Well, not too unusual but while shooting Kannada film actress Disha Madan, I had a very interesting and surprising experience. She requested me to create ethnic maternity portraits. So, we brainstormed and strategised a concept that promotes the beauty of ethnicity versus the cliched Westernised maternity portraits. The entire idea behind the shoot was to remind our children of their roots as it would hold an enormous value decades later.

When it comes to maternity shoots, is there a difference in the attitude of men and women?
Yes, everyone has different reactions and opinions about maternity photography. Initially, some couples were not too comfortable to even experiment with this concept but now almost all couples are very enthusiastic about capturing these precious moments. Maternity photography is still a growing trend in India and is deeply rooted in taboos around the evil eye. Men, I’ve noticed, are a tad more reluctant/shy to have these shoots done, whereas the new age Indian woman understands that this is personal. It’s about celebrating our bodies. And it’s a true reflection of who we are in this beautiful phase we go through as a couple and insist on getting a maternity shoot done.

One quality you think every photographer ought to have?
The most important quality would be the ability to think fast. There can be several instances when things don’t work out according to plans but the photographer must have the ability to quickly tackle the situation against all the odds. Apart from that you really need to make patience and perseverance your best friends to sustain your growth in this field. It just helps you to get better and better if you quietly persist. Especially during baby shoots, you need to be patient to get the perfect shot as every child is different and will react differently before the camera. So with every shoot, your patience will be tested anew. This is an artistic field and you will get better only if you don’t rush yourself or others.

What's the most fulfilling thing about being a maternity photographer?
The fact that we get to capture the rawest and radiant moment of a new beginning! We capture how the parents are taking a stride in welcoming their new responsibility, their new family, well, their new life.
I am very ecstatic and proud that I get to be the one to capture how they carry through their pregnancy with such elegance and grace! Pregnancy is more than just the baby belly, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to express that through the images I take for every mom we meet!

What's the one thing you've learnt about motherhood or parenting from your job?
Believe me or not, when I say that we are co-parenting for every shoot! Before every shoot, we understand the parenting style of every client, to ensure that we do the same during the shoot. For example, when parents are not okay with the concept of a bribe then we ensure we don’t bribe a toddler to cooperate for a shot. And through the years of co-parenting, the one thing that I have learnt repeatedly is to never baby talk to a child! They dislike being treated like babies, even though you know they are adorable. Speaking to them as we speak to adults is more appreciated and helps me break the ice with them faster.

Tell us one instance that made you thankful you made the switch and became a photographer?
One thing that never fails to make me feel thankful that I made the switch are my clients' feedback, the joy and sometimes tears, on their faces when they see the images and the little messages they send me every now and then of their little ones looking through the images with their curious little eyes!
The funny story here is that as a third child, I never had too many baby photographs of myself. My parents lost the enthusiasm of taking baby photographs of the third child and today I create memories for thousands of babies and encourage moms to do so all the time and I honestly feel every shoot gives me such joy and serves as a conviction that I made the right choice to switch!

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