Today we’d like to introduce you to Shilan Ahmad.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was always artistic and had a great eye for photography. As a child, I was constantly looking for an outlet to release my artistic creativity. I would paint, draw, take photos. My dad gifted me my first DSLR when I was 15, and I would take it with me everywhere – photographing nearly everything. I was always known to my friends as the photographer, years before I even thought about pursuing photography as a profession.
My newborn photography journey started over 10 years ago when my second baby was born. I was inspired to take his newborn photos, and that inspiration quickly grew into a passion. I had finally found a creative outlet and decided to grow this into a business. As of today, I’ve photographed hundreds of babies and have spent over a decade honing my craft.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Running a business is rarely smooth sailing, and being a newborn photographer is no exception. Since I started back in 2013, I have moved twice, and finding a steady stream of clients is always a struggle when you have to start over from scratch. This is an industry that has grown tremendously over the years, and navigating the competitive landscape of the newborn photography industry has been challenging at times. Because of the creative and artistic nature of newborn photography, I have occasionally struggled with creative blocks, and overcoming those has been challenging as well.
When I first started, I didn’t have a physical studio for clients to come to. I would haul my husband and children all over the state of New Jersey, where we lived at the time, to my clients’ homes. My husband would stay in the car with our two toddlers and baby while I spent hours in my clients’ homes – capturing their precious newborns. Since I was a stay-at-home mom to my babies during the week, I would work weekends – ultimately sacrificing family time. When I later moved to Texas, I promised myself that I wouldn’t travel to clients’ homes and set up a small studio space in my home. I still have a home studio, and it’s been wonderful to be able to work and still be close to my kids.
I’m glad I persisted in pursuing my passion, and there isn’t anything else I’d rather be doing than photographing DFW’s newest little residents for a living.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My name is Shilan, and I’m a newborn photographer in the DFW area. I’m also a mom of 5 kids with ages ranging from 10 months – 12 years. I mainly specialize in newborn photography and outdoor maternity photography. I also occasionally dabble in family photography.
I’m especially proud of all the hours and years I’ve spent educating myself and learning all things newborn photography. Safety training is probably the number one most important aspect of it. How to safely pose and wrap a newborn is something that is so extremely important and requires training.
I consider photography ART. And newborn photography really allows you to explore your artistic abilities to the max. There’s so much that goes into a session. I start with styling the different setups I have planned based on the color preferences mom and dad provide. Once I have pulled backdrops and props, I take out matching hats or headbands and wraps. I would like to believe that I have an eye for what would photograph beautifully, and I absolutely love to create art for my clients.
What’s next?
My plans for the future include focusing more on family photography. I adore working with families and would love to pursue it further. I’m looking forward to meeting all my future clients and create long-term relationships as their go-to photographer. I believe that, regardless of your field, education should really never stop, and it’s something that I’m constantly indulging myself in. I have many workshops I want to attend in the future in order to keep bettering my skills and craft. I also would love to offer classes and in-person workshops to anyone who wants to learn the basics of newborn photography. But that’s later down the road.
Most importantly, I just want to keep photographing newborns and keep creating these special memories for parents to look back at for years to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://photosbyshilan.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/photosbyshilan
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/photosbyshilan
