Navelkar opened her photography studio, Pink Blossom Studios, to take more solo photoshoots.
Radhika Navelkar opened Pink Blossom Studios after working as a photographer for seven years. Her goal with starting this business was to pursue her passion while challenging herself with taking more family portraits and high school senior photos.
“I wanted to do something that makes me happy,” Navelkar said.
However, her journey of opening a small business did not come without its fair share of obstacles.
“It’s always scary as an artist putting yourself out there,” she pointed out. “The mental hurdle is getting the confidence to start [a business].”
One of the aspects she enjoys the most about starting Pink Blossom Studios is working with various people.
“It’s great meeting new people and interacting with them,” Navelkar explained.
She also finds it rewarding when her clients experience a boost of confidence after seeing a photo of themselves. As a photographer, she “can see the beauty in people, and that’s what translates into the camera.”
Navelkar mentioned that being a woman didn’t deter or negatively influence her endeavor in starting a business as most of her clients are high school senior girls.
“Sometimes, in my particular niche [of photography], it helped to be a woman because it was easier to connect with the girls I worked with,” she added.
She also acknowledged that, while the portrait industry has more women, photography and wedding videography are dominated by men. Over the course of her career, she has noticed that more and more women are entering the field despite the stigma associated with women working in roles requiring hard work and long hours.
Most importantly, Navelkar encourages new small business owners to “give it a try, rather than just wonder what if I had.”
“The worst thing that could happen is that you could fail, and that’s okay. It’s better to fail than to have never tried,” Navelkar advised.
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