Today we’d like to introduce you to Amal Saeed.
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 started my photography journey back in high school. I took a photography class my sophomore year and that one class sparked my love of taking pictures! Since then, my personal and professional photos have changed so much.
Nine years since taking that one class I have been a photography editor for Ohio State University’s student-run newspaper The Lantern, where I photographed OSU football games from the sidelines, concerts at the Schottenstein, and other events. I have also been a real estate photographer, taking pictures and editing people’s houses when they were selling them in New Albany.
My real passion and love for photography came from taking wedding pictures. I started doing wedding photography 2 years ago when a friend asked me to take some pictures at her wedding and I am now a full-time wedding, event, and portrait photographer! I work in the central Ohio area, as well as Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely been challenging to get to this point in my career. I come from a family full of STEM professionals and I was the only one who wanted to do something more in the arts. I’m very lucky that my family was supportive but that doesn’t mean other people were or even now understand what I do.
It’s definitely not an easy job and many people don’t realize the amount of work it takes to be a photographer. It also took me a while to be confident in my skills and stand my ground.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a wedding, event, and portrait photographer. I do weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, maternity sessions, grad sessions, anything you could think of!
I am most proud of my growth since becoming full-time. I used to be super timid with customers and my social media but now I feel more confident in being able to show my work. I also love that I constantly learn from my job, depending on the photoshoot some editing styles change and I think it’s great that it’s never stagnant.
What sets me apart is that I specialize in Pakistani/Indian/Muslim weddings since I am a Pakistani-American Muslim. It’s sometimes helpful to have someone understand the culture and nuances of those weddings.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My parents, older sister, and husband definitely deserve credit, especially for dealing with my anxiety often. They have supported me from the very beginning and my husband was the one to push me to go full-time. My friends and even my clients have all been such huge supporters. Many of my clients have even become friends and they all support me by either sharing my social media or referring me to their friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amalsaeed.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asaeedphotography/
Image Credits
Amal Saeed Photography
