Today we’d like to introduce you to Neha Kotecha.
Hi Neha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Neha Kotecha. I was born and raised in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania (in Africa). I moved to California with my family when I was around 10 years old. I went to school there and even college (SDSU). I was a finance major but the day I graduated I decided I never wanted to do finance again. I wanted to be a photographer! I went back to school and started taking classes for photography and after I got married and moved to Charleston SC. I continued taking these classes and slowly building my business/career. But little did I know my next curve ball was coming and instead of continuing to pursue photography I opened a Chocolate store in the Belle Hall Shopping center. I went to school to make chocolate and LOVED every second of it. I made truffles/turtles/caramel apples/milkshakes everything sweet. At the 5-year mark, I was expecting my daughter and because we don’t have much family around in Charleston we decided to close the store and I became a stay at home mom which was always something I had wanted to do. After having my daughter when she turned 3 I finally realized I was going stir crazy and wanted to do and build something of my own and my camera was what my heart kept leading me to. So today I’m a photographer who preached positivity and also sells hats! (I own 3 businesses that all tie into one).
Here is a little blog post about me for more info on my story: https://www.nehakotechaphotography.com/blog/this-is-me
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nope, not a smooth road at all. A lot of re-education to get back to my art. A lot of figuring out what exactly I wanted to build my career around. Getting new clients is never easy. Learning to stay positive when things aren’t quite the way I expected my career to be. Learning how to balance mom-life with my career is a learning curve every day.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a family and high school senior photographer. I love working with all sorts of people and being out and about in charleston or the beach is my favorite. I also work with several schools to do school photography. I have merchandise where I sell positive wear to spread positivity.
www.nehakotechaphotography.com/merchandise
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The sky is the limit. I personally think photography isn’t going anywhere it’s an amazing tool to record life in all stages.
Contact Info:
- Website: nehakotechaphotography.com
- Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/Neha.kotecha.photography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NehaKotechaPhotography
