Comfort zone, financial security or uncertainty about stepping into the unknown could just be a few reasons why most people refrain from taking the plunge into alternative careers that might be fulfilling and instead stick on to secure jobs. But, these days the trend is being reversed with quite a few people daring to switch jobs and test uncharted terrain. Meet Jamshedpur-based Shweta Mundhra. Armed with an MBA degree and having worked in several multinational companies, she decided to pursue her career in photography. On Wednesday, she launched her new studio, Create and Capture by Shweta at Bistupur.

Shweta Raj enjoyed working in the corporate world but felt she wasn’t making a difference. Her decision to quit the corporate world to become a photographer wasn’t made overnight, it was after a lot of contemplation that she did pursue a career in photography.

“After schooling in DBMS English School. I did my higher studies from Pune. After my MBA, I did a specialised course in photography from the Netherlands. I owe my success to my parents for their constant support,” said an elated ace photographer.  

She went on to add that life after the career shift isn’t a cakewalk, it involves hard work and unpredictable schedules. “You might have to do some work for which you don’t get paid initially. A lot of people are not going to understand you. So it helps to be self-motivated and focussed. I started with a studio in my home in Kadma. Within a span of a few years I have moved to a 2200 square feet studio,” she informed.

She also emphasised how important it is for parents to encourage their children to explore what they enjoy rather than enrolling them in the usual courses. “The satisfaction that you get from pursuing a job you enjoy is incomparable to what you derive from a routine desk job”.

She has been doing every kind of photography from weddings to corporate products. She freezes raw emotions and offbeat moments, blending them to make priceless souvenirs for the family. Her  new studio Create and Capture by Shweta is well equipped for shoots for expectant moms and newborn babies too. She also has a variety of props.

With the advent of user-friendly cameras and camera phones, nearly anyone can click a picture but Shweta feels it takes a trained photographer to catch “rare and precious moments.” As a photographer, making the child comfortable is essential and that needs patience.