Dare to do it | Shresth Gupta | TEDxBIT Noida

Quick Overview

Shresth Gupta, an engineer turned full-time wedding photographer, shares his journey of overcoming introversion and societal expectations by treating photography as a lifestyle rather than just a profession, culminating in him starting his own successful company, Stories by Kalakar, after leaving a stable corporate job.

Key Points: Shresth Gupta, an engineer by education and photographer by profession, became known as 'Karakar' on Instagram. He realized that photography provided him the means to capture love, laughter, landscapes, and lifestyles, which he enjoyed more than his corporate engineering role. After seven years in a stable corporate job with promotions, he quit on December 3rd (3/12) to pursue photography full-time, despite his father's initial concern about the lack of a clear career path. He started his company, Stories by Kalakar, took a 10 lakh bank loan, and learned photography from scratch without formal training, focusing on connecting emotionally with subjects. His advice to others is to 'Think of it as lifestyle and not just a profession' and to 'Dare to do' things imperfectly, as constant self-evaluation leads to improvement. His company has now covered over 75 weddings, generating over 1.4 crore clicks, and he now employs a team of 12 people to manage the growing demand.

Context: This is a TEDx talk delivered by Shresth Gupta at TEDxBIT Noida, titled "Dare to do it." Shresth shares his personal story of transitioning from a successful career as a graduate engineer trainee (GET) in the corporate world to becoming a full-time wedding photographer. He recounts the internal struggle and external pressures he faced, emphasizing the importance of pursuing one's passion as a lifestyle rather than merely a job, and the necessity of taking risks and embracing imperfections in the learning process.

Detailed Analysis

Shresth Gupta introduces himself as an engineer by education and a photographer by profession, known as 'Karakar' on Instagram. He reveals that his photography journey began in college (2019, second year) when he developed a passion for capturing moments like sunsets and everyday life, even though he lacked a camera initially. After securing a corporate job in Pune at Mahindra Automobiles, which offered good salary and perks, he realized the corporate life felt like a trap, despite its predictability. He felt disconnected from his initial passion. This realization prompted him to quit his secure job after only three and a half months, against his family's expectations, to pursue photography full-time. He took a 10 lakh bank loan to start his company, 'Stories by Kalakar,' focusing specifically on wedding photography, despite having zero prior knowledge in that genre. He actively sought mentorship from leading wedding photographers, assisting them to learn the practical aspects of shooting events and connecting emotionally with subjects. He emphasizes that photography, for him, became a lifestyle, not just a profession. This perspective shift was crucial. He stresses that success requires a 'Constant journey of self evaluation,' where one must dare to do things imperfectly and seek honest feedback rather than being complacent. He notes that while critics exist, true friends provide constructive criticism, and the key is to focus on growth rather than seeking external validation. Since starting, his company has covered over 75 weddings, resulted in over 1.4 crore clicks, and he now runs a team of 12 people, proving that stepping out of the predictable path led to fulfillment.