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      • Oct 28, 2021
      • 9 min read

    Secret to Success v1.1

    The power of positive thinking and having people who love and support you unconditionally and with no question asked which eventually leads you to completely omit those poking you from time to time is an attitude many misunderstand as a way to success.




    
    To note:  This article is just a mere personal observatory and by no means I am liable for any personal, professional, physical, mental or psychological pain and loss.  



    Often we are been told to be surrounded by positive people though I have a question for you to ponder, how do you know who is compatible, when you don't know what traits are not working for you? How do you know what is love when you have not felt what betrayal means? How do you know who supports you when none cheated you?


    If you know what it is, this article may not be for you but still read along in case you are open to grabbing a few more pointers to add to your list to watch out for.


    There is a thin line between criticism and feedback and on any usual day, I am sure many will not stop for a sec to feel what one should feel rather feel what one wants to feel.

    In my understanding, the word "Criticism" is often regarded as negative and demeaning for many and whereas the word "Feedback" is positive and supportive.


    To be clear I don't expect anyone under 30 years to really appreciate what is mentioned in this article. 

    It doesn't matter whether you are a high-school going student, an intern or a full-time professional be it service or self-employed, the above has and will always be a part of our life as long as we live. Success comes to them who knows when to appreciate, edit and accept it accordingly.


    Often your folks don't know the best hence entrusting them with no question asked has its downfalls. They for sure have their set of experiences that do qualify in terms of quality but as time passes the intensity differs and we have no control over it hence being open is the way to go.


    Below are a few pointers from my personal experience for you to look out for in anyone whom you do or may cross paths with.


    Personal


    To note: It is a choice you ought to make as per your requirement and environment to suit your living needs and standards. By no means its an imposition rather mere suggestions in case you are seeking a better social life.


    My childhood has been quite critical for a decade and two until a few people made me prove wrong, and I am forever indebted to them to do so. An individual with dark skin, afro curly hair and above healthy built led her to go through various experiences which shaped the way she is down the line. A wall she carried for others to maintain a distance from her and was and is a way to protect herself from any further damage. After many years of her desire to be with people who can help her understand better, she comes across whom she needed the most and they eventually guided her to be who she can be at its best.


    A desire | wish | passion to meet people, living beings and instances in life who and which can teach one to be it's best is what leads one to alter it's attitude to be wherever it wishes to be is undoubtedly a powerful tool and skill to posses and practice everyday respectively.

    In my everyday life, I have come across people who admired my existence and who simply faked it. My job was to analyze the sincerity in their statements and keep them at distance accordingly.


    The skill of understanding sincerity in anyone helps in a long run.

    Many admired, worshipped with overwhelming compliments simply to be in my good books to take the best in me and eventually part ways when I have nothing to offer is a toxic connection to carry. The moment I feel so I either choose to be distant and avail my presence as per my convenience only or choose to part ways in situations where I suffer from anxiety and worry.


    On the other hand, many respected my existence without over showering me with superficiality and they may or may not have anything to ask for, at the end, I felt safe and being myself in their company. The reason being is if they come to me any day bluntly letting me know where I am wrong and how it affected them confirms that they wish me to be a part of them, cause else they wouldn't have cared so (many will simply do so to make you feel miserable).

    In today's world, people don't have enough time and bandwidth to invest in any relationship unless it matters to them any way more than anything.


    I have difficulties getting along with my folks, the difference lies in the conditioning and the exposure to life. I do admire and am forever thankful to them for providing me with things that helped me to come so far. I also admire all the love and support through our differences doesn't get banished for the same above. The way I see my life and the belief system I have gained in the past many years often challenges them. Yes, they do feel the authority to have control and I only choose to give as and when I like (it is forever a struggle for me).


    To note: when I say so, family is the most subjective affair to have in anyone's life and it's up to them how to move along the game to either win or loose and often simply to play draw. Being neutral is often a best strategy to go about.

    I remember an instance where my dad brought up a particular trait of mine to me. It so happened I used to ask for a tentative budget one had in mind, anytime anyone called me for work. I don't mean to defend myself though that's what I have learnt in the past few years as and when I started freelancing.


    
    Dad: You know what, I have been listening to your past few conversations and you need to stop asking their budgets, it is not a good way to go.
    Myself: Why??? Well that's what I have learned so far from my other colleagues, they do the same. 
    Dad: You may feel so but it is not a good way to about it, I repeat!
    Myself: Aaah, dad, you don't know how my business worrks... hmm anyway...so, what do you think what I should do henceforth?
    Dad: In-case one asks for your fees, tell them a ball park and let them decide if you fit their bill. It's business you will not earn the best and you will not be underpaid all the time. You will be happy to be paid what you asked for. 
    Myself: Ok, what about in-case I severely over estimated as per my client and lost the job?
    Dad: That's ok, at least you didn't underpaid yourself and in case the concerned values your skill, it will come back for any further negotiation and that's the client worth the chase.
    Myself: Ok, will try to do the same next time. 
    
    

    I mean no joke and it worked wonders for me, I am happier and more content about my deliverables. My business is doing better and I got the opportunities I always dream for. The value I wished to add in me as an artist and a business person gained many folds and down the line, I have gained the confidence and self-respect I always wished for.

    To add to the above my dad will not be the best person to criticize my work and any technical glitch it may have, simply reasoned being he has no experience to have the needed understanding of being the critic I wish for when it comes to photography, design and production.



    The Rude ones: I don't know how to explain myself to you better than to tell you the benefits of looking into someone beyond their rudeness. Every now and then we come across those into themselves, rusted monks who have nothing to offer other than #nofilter statements and who very often makes us feel off about ourselves. 
    The thing which should make us wonder is why we felt so? Than, why he|she|it said so! if we think hard we will realize what the problem is and it is up-to us to edit it for our own betterment.

    PROFESSIONAL:


    After many professional failures, I was desperate to have access to the right people, one of the many secrets to creative business is often collaborating with one who wants you too to succeed and the rest is often been taken care of by itself.


    I met people who were sweet, sugar-coated and eventually ghosted me in various forms which led me to confusion and forced me to retrospect whom to trust and not. As a person who had been through enough simply seek one who wished it's well with complete sincerity. Met enough art seekers who wanted me to keep my work to myself for their benefit, had hours-long conversations with people who adored my work but never considered me enough for any assignments, crossed paths who promised opportunities to attain what I always dream for but they never ended up responding to my calls.

    I wasted a lot of time with people who acted well enough to make me feel good initially but eventually didn't mean enough or otherwise I was of no concern to them.

    (Sincere recommendation to be good enough to those who were not as you never know what is there in coming times unless it falls under no tolerance policy)


    In 2019, I decided to freelance as a product stylist apart from photography to enhance my networking ability and eventually met a professional whom I was aware for a long time and I got a call from his production manager seeking my availability and fees, things went through and we met in person and he realized that he knew me. It was a long long day when we finally finished our shoot and ended up with the deliverables. I have heard a lot about him as a producer and his past en-devours and my in-person working experience confirmed my assumption and with no further delay, I wanted to have a conversation in case he wishes to collaborate for any future projects. I was so happy to know when he was all eager and down the line, we ended working on multiple projects. But wait he had more to offer than just being my producer.


    The other secret to success is being uncomfortable with being comfortable.

    We avoid debates, confrontations and other respective conversations which is meant to alter ones believe system. Ego is what people think is at stake and often misunderstand it with an attitude. 


    I had this bunch of images on my website, work from my past commercial projects and they all looked pretty well for many but sadly my portfolio struggled to get a green go for many years. I eventually started to ponder in case I need to edit or do something to bring the change it needed. I do believe in my work and my skill but I was pretty assured I do lack something, an attribute which is stopping my work to surpass the hurdle and finally one day I thought to ask my producer about the same and must say I felt low about myself after long. The conversation we had didn't quite throw me off (well it will do to anyone else if I have to be honest) but whatever he said it was indeed enlightening and eureka I got to know what I was lacking. He was not able to spoon-feed me with the solution but gave me the right amount of magic portion for me to sort the rest.


    As I type this I am reworking on my portfolio and I am super excited to say I do binge on a few assignments post-pandemic with not many hurdles when it comes to my photography portfolio.


    Yes, I do still struggle with those confrontations from time to time and honestly, I look forward to it as I get to learn so much.


    To sum it all up the above, the struggle is still on and the journey to a better myself is an ongoing process. Like anyone and anything, perfection is a myth and not letting self do the mistake is what fools believe.



     

    Hello, I am Shovona Karmakar, a commercial advertising photographer and product stylist. Portraits, Product and Food is my speciality and have had the opportunity to work with various national and international brands, corporate and publishing houses.


    Feel free to connect in case of any business queries or simply use the contact form.


    We are a cross-functional team, presently based out of Mumbai, India, that provides specialized service in still photography, product | food styling, cinemagraphs, digital content creation and TVC production.



    Thank you so much for reading and do visit again for more.

    #commercialartist #advertising #feedback #secrettosuccess #positiveattitude #winningattitude #productstylist #secrettosuccess


    • FREELANCE LIFE
    0 comments
      • Aug 17, 2021
      • 5 min read

    How to better communication skills, 5 ways to create your first impression.

    Updated: Aug 19, 2021

    We often hear the statement of why we don't get the response we look forward to and often complain about how difficult is to approach someone than wondering and understanding where we might have gone off track. I have been on both sides of the table and in past many years of being a commercial photographer have had the opportunity to understand and rectify the errors. Over this article myself sharing the secrets to effective communication with someone so that you don't miss out on the opportunities you deserve.


    Numerous aspiring artists look forward to various internship programmes and opportunities. Often they face disappointment due to the lack of expected response and truth to be told it has less to do with the work one has to offer and more about the approach and attitude one carries.


    I must assure you, I have committed similar mistakes like you and it is very human and hence unavoidable. How you effectively minimize and explore the possibilities beyond it is something we need to learn.


    On a side note if you are a millennial like myself and annoyed by how the present generation Z acts out, let's not forget this is how our parents must be feeling about ourselves too, Haha!

    Our parents and grandparents had their own unique struggles to be where they are and we had ours but it doesn't mean the present generation Z has anything less to fight for even with the easy accessibility to reach out to someone at the tip of their fingers. To add to their favour, there are far more possibilities and people to compete with.

     

    Hence Communication manners matters



    In the past many years I have often found students dropping a one-liner "Hi, I wish to work with you" or simply "Hello" over my social media accounts. On an honest note, they just failed to gain my attention.


    The very second strategy is to drop a Preset mail and if you do the same, let me tell you how bad an impression you just left over the receiver.

    To conclude one fails to have the initial attention | conversation and often fails to have any.


    Let me share a story with you to better understand what I mean.

    A few weeks back I got a call around 10:30 in the morning from an unknown number. I did pick up the call considering it to be a potential work opportunity. On the other side of the Hello!, it was a 21-year-old photography aspirant looking for an internship. Post a simple and literal exchange of "hello!" and her name, she bombarded me with her, educational qualification, her desire to work with me and how it may add value to my venture which will help her to understand the industry better. It was all going well until she mentioned "wedding photography", please don't misunderstand me but I have the least experience in wedding photography, to begin with. When I enquired whom she is looking for, I must say it was the most embarrassing moment in her lifetime. She had no idea whom she is calling as she simply picked up the number from Google to add she had no idea what work I do and the worst she was completely unaware of my gender (yeah it does matter).


    If I can be honest with you all, it was quite early as a working day to attend a call like this which often puts me off but instead, I was quite laughing my heart out and just wanted to keep it to that, and guess what, she simply lost my attention and any opportunity she may have.


    If you have any lessons to take from the story above are following below:



    Photography: Mike Meyers

    phone call manners matters

    • One should be well aware and know the name of whom you are calling, what they do professionally and where they are based.

    • Exercise the act of addressing the person with their name at first to confirm the number and avoid any embarrassment.

    • Do try to have a brief conversation and to the point, many often don't have the time and pleasure to know your entire story.

    • Create a habit of concluding your conversation over a mail or a personal message as requested or you find it fit to keep it over the record for any future reference.

    *Truth to be told, your target person gets numerous calls and mail every day seeking work or offering products and services and they are even topped up with professional and personal business to take care of hence it is not practical to assume that a mere call will suffice your approach.


    Personalise...Personalise and Personalise...


    Mail or personal messaging manners Matters


    Photography: Erica Steeves

    Everyone loves that attention and respect and however, it may sound vintage and boring but it works wonders. Remember the following points mentioned below when drafting your next one.









    1. Address the person with their name and be careful about their gender.

    2. It is a good practice to greet the person " I sincerely hope you are doing well" | " I hope things are great at your side" | " I hope you are doing well". Initiate with a statement that adds warmth.

    3. Mention your reference point, it can be a person or simply a social link. To clarify how you got to know the person and be honest. (In case you are sharing a conclusion mail or message do mention the same "as per our last telephonic conversation")

    4. State your full name, your location and your agenda.

    5. Conclude with your contact details, attach a portfolio brief which mentions more of your work and needed qualifications only.

    To note: It is good to have a preset or a pre-written formatted mail but feel free to edit as per the requirement.


    Given said the above it may not fast track your success or land you places as and when you fancy. The above will definitely help you to have the very first impression the seeker looks for. The above doesn't guarantee or make you error-proof, be ready to face rejections and challenges as anyone else does. We all had our ways to chase our dreams and passion and we all had and have to learn to design what works for us.


    I hope it helped you to understand and wish you the best in the coming venture!


     

    Hello, I am Shovona Karmakar, a commercial advertising photographer, cinemagraph artist and product stylist based out of Mumbai, India. In the past many years I have found my love for portraits, products and food and have had the opportunity to work with various national and international brands, agencies and publishing houses. It has been a crazy rollercoaster and I am glad to share my knowledge with you all.


    For any internship or business query, feel free to connect with me over a mail or simply use the contact form.


    Looking forward to hearing from you soon.


    #communicationmanners #rejection #firstimpression #portraitphotograher #productstylist #mumbaiphotographer

    • TOP 5 THINGS
    0 comments
      • Apr 29, 2021
      • 5 min read

    3 best alternative to your favorite application

    As a photographer, I was evolved in and around Photoshop and eventually, Lightroom helped me to get the job done. As the market saw a drastic shift from analogue to digital so it did experience the upcoming software ranging from Capture one pro, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro to Cinema 4D and more. All the above-mentioned share one thing in common, a heavy subscription annual or monthly fee, a standard procedure to ensure a check over soft tool piracy.


    One of the realities of any artistic profession is it doesn't provide a stable source of income. As a photographer or a graphic designer/illustrator buying the much-needed equipment (computer, graphic tablet and more) is itself quite heavy on the pocket and leaves much less to spend on the added expense of software. That is the sad reality of the capitalistic world we live in.


    I wish no disappointment to the aspiring artist and here I am glad to share a few and the best substitutes of the many software you will need to move along in your journey.


    To note: The below-mentioned software is by no means are completely free of cost. Their one-time fees and occasional donations will not only help you to move ahead in your life and it does support the system/organization which lets you do what you wish to do. Above all, they are far cheaper than the monthly | yearly subscription. Every software, by all means, are competitive in their own nature and you are free to choose as per your requirement.


    SPONSoR FREE ARTICLE


    Photoshop | Lightroom | ILLUSTRATOR| IN-DESIGN

    Adobe shifted their fee structure from one-time license to yearly subscription based on the nature of the user (to fight the piracy issue they kept facing from time to time). It is still an expensive tool to have. They may offer a friendly subscription plan for the students as long as one is a student formally.



    1.

    Affinity Photo is one of the best alternatives I personally own and must say it does the job done as good as Photoshop itself and as like any other it will evolve. It's a one-time fee model for lifetime usage, which are as low as *4499 INR and *1799 INR for your personal computer and iPad respectively (50% discount is available as and at the moment I publish this article) makes it very profitable in a long run.


    Pros:

    The needed key shortcuts are almost similar to Adobe, if you are familiar with Photoshop you will not feel much to add to your existing vocabulary.

    *The frequency separation is much faster than the traditional format in Adobe yet it does need a little manual handling for better results.

    It gives Industry-standard results one professional will desire.


    Cons:

    I was personally not impressed with its bunch editing tool and I hope it evolves with time, though It has a Develop persona which does a good job when editing a Raw image at a time.


    Lack of GPU or a Graphic card can make the experience poor.


    Creating 3D models is not a part of the software making it solely for photo editing, digital painting and creative manipulation.


    Affinity also offers the best alternative to Adobe Illustrator and In Design


    LINK https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/


    2.

    LUMINAR: An upcoming AI-based photo editing tool.


    It is a good place to start if you are interested in photography and is not looking to take it as a profession though wish to enhance your travel images to post them as per your need.


    Cons: It is a hybrid software for Snapseed users. There is a lack of much needed manual control as compared to Affinity or Photoshop.


    I will personally not suggest it to professional commercial advertising photographers.


    One can easily get lured by its features and can get misguided in terms of understanding and educating itself about quality aesthetics.

    LINK https://skylum.com



    3.

    CAPTURE ONE PRO: A perfect alternative to Lightroom or Adobe Bridge for those who work with RAW images. A professional tool for professionals.


    LINK: https://www.captureone.com



    AFTER EFFECTS | ADOBE PREMIERE | FINAL CUT PRO

    They are among many of the leading video editing software. Very recently Final Cut Pro from Apple announced their shift to yearly subscription from their previous one-time model which let me add it to the list.

    If you are a motion graphic student or an aspirant like myself and looking for something which does the job done as good as the above, DaVinci is the best replacement and happy to share it is indeed faster than above.



    DAVINCI RESOLVE: An absolutely free version provided by Blackmagic available at their official site.

    It does a perfect job for video editors, aspirational colourist and sound engineer.


    1.

    DAVINCI RESOLVE STUDIO: A paid version giving you access to many of its features which is an amalgamation of all the above mentioned (photo editing, colouring, sound editing, motion graphics, 3D model integration.


    LINK https://www.blackmagicdesign.com


    The best alternative for those professional filmmakers and mixed media artist.


    2.

    WONDERSHARE FILMORA: A good alternative for YouTubers and enthusiastic film editors and makers.


    LINK https://filmora.wondershare.net




    CINEMA 4D | MAYA | Z Brush


    A 3D modelling software can be expensive and it does demand more in regards to GPU, Hard Disk space, RAM and more. I recently started using Blender and it has been a blessing and safe to say it works perfectly well with my I MAC 2016 model.


    BLENDER: is a free & open-source application and has only one version to choose from, yet this application attracts the hobbyists, professionals or studios that have all the features into one program.


    Whether you are a fashion, food or product photographer, 3D modelling is a 21st-century reality and one should update and get know-how is much needed if you wish to sustain in the industry for long. 3D software gives you a different dimension and possibilities are endless, execution is homemade and results are of international standard.


    Blender as like any other software mentioned above is absolutely free along with its updates and tutorials (must follow Blender Guru)


    LINK https://www.blender.org/



    ___________***___________


    These were my top 3 alternatives for photographers, Film Makers and Motion Graphic artist.


    To add to the above it is always a smart idea to invest in a good processor, expanded RAM, install SSD hard drive and a dedicated GPU, graphic card to enhance the experience. Investing in hardware like Mac or Windows doesn't come cheap and is often advised to upgrade in instalments is better than donating it to the landfills.


    Personally, I am been using I Mac past 5 Years now and my experience has not reached the mark where I will like to buy a new one rather I chose to update the needed parts externally. Macs are expensive but they are built to last a long way and I suggest not to get tempted with their many upgrades getting advertised quite often than before.


    ___________***___________


    Hello,

    I am Shovona Karmakar, an #advertising #commercial #photographer | #productstylist | #cinemagraph artist, presently based in #Mumbai, India. It has been a long long road to be where I am now and I sincerely feel it is very important to share whatever I have to offer. I have been fortunate to make a living out of my skill to be creative and have had worked with various national and international brands, corporate and agencies. Cadbury, TATA, Morningstar USA, Parachute, Future Generali to name a few.


    Ping me for any work-related queries and will be happy to jump into the pool to make the much-needed party happen.


    Thank you for reading!


    www.shovonakar.com

    shovonakar@gmail.com

    Mumbai, India.

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    © 2021 by Shovona Karmakar - Portrait, Product, Food and Advertising Photographer | Mumbai, India | shovonakar@gmail.com | +91 9769562163