The most amazing way to retain that special new parent feeling is to capture it. Babies grow up so fast, it’s heartwarming to see those tiny hands and feet and sleepy faces over and over again. Sama Amjad, the brains behind Little Wings Photography, is capturing these special and memorable moments for the parents. So we sat with her to know about her special interests and interesting journey.
What’s the story of how Little Wings came to life?
I had always loved photography and by photography, I mean I liked being in front of the camera. It’s true! It was only after my daughter was born that I stepped on the other side of the camera. While it was love at first click, I knew that I had a long road ahead of me. I remember the first real (or should I say the closest thing to a real) shoot I did for a relative. It was… have you seen those DIY fails? It was something like that. But I was determined to learn, and as you can see with hard work and perseverance you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.
Who has most influenced you with developing your photography and videography talent?
I find inspiration everywhere. I have discovered so many talented and creative photographers and I truly enjoy watching their work and in-camera artistry. Julia Kelleher, Ana Brandt and Tamara Musa to name a few. Their work is gorgeous!
What do you think is the best part of Little Wings that makes it stand out amongst the likes of it?
As I mentioned earlier, Little Wings is an outcome of love; my love for posing for the camera in the good old days, my love for taking pictures of my daughter ever since she was born and my love for creating memories. For me, Little Wings is not just a business, it’s a love story, that I build for the new parents and their baby. And when you do something with love, for love, it is bound to leave a mark 🙂
What is the biggest challenge in running Little Wings especially in a male dominant society?
I don’t think it’s challenging because of the ‘male dominant’ society because apparently men are not serving in this particular line. In Pakistan mostly female photographers are doing newborn photography. So yeah male photographers might find it a bit challenging.
The biggest challenge otherwise is to make people understand the value of newborn photography. It requires alot of effort to click the right moment, right emotion of the baby while safely handling him/her. The session involves settling, cuddling, reading baby, soothing for sleep, and gentle posing. It’s almost like building a relationship with the baby. But when it comes to payments, parents generally don’t understand.
How do you get babies to pose?
That’s a secret I’ll never tell. Well the baby runs the show, of that there is little question, and as each baby is different, so is each session. Try to rush it and clock watch, and you’ll put yourself under huge pressure. And babies pick up on stress which could cause you to have an unsettled baby on your hands.
It’s tough, but we photographers have a knack for making it look easy!
What’s your favorite thing about photography/videography?
I believe photography is the most beautiful form of art which preserves the moment is its true color.
What has been your favorite moment that you’ve had while shooting?
Once I had a very grumpy child on my set. He would not let me wrap him up in sheets, would not sit in the basket and would not give a smile, not even to his mum. So after 3 hours of cooing, singing, playing and begging, when we finally decided to wrap up, I spontaneously said “Jatay jatay ek smile tou de jao mujhy saray bachay smile deke jatay hain.“
Voila! I got the best click with the most adorable smile!
What was the happiest memory you have since starting your business?
Few months ago, a satisfied mum wrote an encouraging feedback on a Facebook forum. There someone commented, ‘So Overrated’. I was just staring at it when in little wing’s defense a reply came. ‘For me it was totally worth it’.
I can’t explain in words how happy I was to see that now mums are there to speak up for me while I can just focus on my work. As I mentioned before, little wings is not just about preserving moments but we also build a relationship!
If you could pin your success down to one thing or one moment, what would that be?
I remember telling my husband that I was going to kick-start a new photography business which will be geared towards newborns and that I was going to be brilliant at it! It was laughable, considering my almost non-existent newborn experience, but he, as he always does when I come up with such hairbrained ideas, gave me nothing but support and encouragement. He is the sole reason behind the success of Little wings photography. He echoes my excitement, admires my creations, cheers me on and most importantly, takes care of our fireball of energy, our 2 year old daughter, while I prepare for and conduct shoots. So yes, this one goes out to him.
If you could have one dream celebrity be the face of your venture – Who would it be?
That’s the beauty of newborn photography, every baby is so adorable and every shoot so special that I can’t imagine just one baby becoming the face of Little Wings. For me every baby that enters my door is a celebrity, lovingly being carried in the arms of his or her proud parents.
What’s the next big step for Little Wings?
I’ve got loads of new props & super cute costumes coming to my set, some custom made and some sourced from various parts of the world, so the shoots are going to get even more exciting and memorable!
