I sat down with Harshil Thaker, an aspiring Desi photographer here in New Jersey, and asked him about some of his experiences dealing with judgemental aunties and egotistical teenagers. Read my interview with him to get some of the tea on breaking the norms of the Desi community. His social media will be down below so all of you should drop a follow and check out his amazing photography!
V: Tell me about what it’s like being Indian and a Photographer.
H: At first, even now, people used to roast the shit out of me for taking photos all the time. They would always make fun of me, saying things like “Yo this guy thinks he’s going to go somewhere with the photos.” Even to this day, one of the dudes from my old school was teasing me. I knew he wasn’t being serious and I could tell he was imitating me. For the Indian aspect of it, at first, my parents didn’t really take it seriously. Especially like last year and the year before, they were like what are you doing? It’s not real, get a real job. Even today my mom is like, “Work at Best Buy” or something along those lines. But I’m making more money and more connections doing this stuff, so why would I go there? But yeah, at first, they didn’t take it seriously. But now, when I say I’m going to Pennsylvania to take photos, they say “Oh okay, just come back before 11.” There’s just a lot more trust now.
V: Along the same lines, but how have people reacted to you saying that you are a photographer, especially like the older Indian generations?
H: The older Indian generation, honestly. When I started taking the football pictures for my school, when I started sharing those around, a lot of the parents hit me up from there, like they would be the ones DMing me asking me to do a photoshoot, etc. And I was always said Of course! In terms of the Indian aspect of it, I’ve only had like one Indian parent client ever. Most parents claim he’s too young, we don’t want to hire him. He’s inexperienced, stuff like that. But now people, at least people our age, people at Rutgers, message me and compliment my photos. They always message me for free photoshoots. This guy contacted me and was like I have these really nice cars, and I told him that I’d give him a discount. He was like, Oh discount? I thought it would be free and I said no, sorry. I have to pay for bills and so many people that pay for my time. At first, people are fishy about what’s going on, and they’re really suspicious about the process. But they have to see my photos before they judge. I told them I really enjoy doing this, and I’m making money, so I want to take the opportunity I have right here.
V: Have you gotten hate for what you do?
H: Oh my god, all the time. I constantly get DMs saying, “You’re trash”, “You’re editing this wrong”, “You’re taking photos wrong”. But I’m making money, I’m having fun, I’m living my life, I get to go to New York every weekend and meet new people. Every week, I live my life and I don’t let the hate get to me.
V: How do you balance school, work, and photography at the same time?
H: When school was in session and I worked for Morris Sussex, I’d get home everyday around 10 PM, and I’d have to do my homework for AP Physics and AP Calc. I’d be up until 2 or 3 AM doing my work. Then, I talked to my principal and managed to get an extra block of study hall, so I had two and a half hours during the school day to just finish all of my work. I ended up dropping one of my classes, but it was worth it. Plus, Morris Sussex is fun anyways. I was having fun while meeting so many cool people, so it wasn’t something I regretted. It’s all a fun experience, but at the same time, I was being responsible. I got new connections and experience, and it’s all just great. Now with all the money I have, I’m buying a new car.
V: What inspired you to get into photography, and how did you become a photographer?
H: Basically, before I had a camera, I used to take pictures on my phone. Most of my earlier Instagram pictures are from my phone. My friend, Anthony, and I used to go out all the time and just take photos. They were honestly pretty bad, but over time, we developed this love for it. Then, I got a camera and started messing with the settings and understanding how to work the camera. I just watched countless YouTube videos, and that’s basically how I became a photographer. For the first 5 or 6 months I had a camera, I didn’t even touch it or use it. I eventually got the hang of it and later got more creative with my photos and spun it my own way. And now, here I am.
V: What advice would you give to aspiring teens who are breaking the standards of the Desi Community?
H: My number 1 thing is just do what you love and don’t take what people say to heart. Yes, take constructive criticism, but don’t let it get to you. There will be a**holes, but there will be people who are genuine and give you good advice. Try your own thing, get creative, you don’t have to stick to the norm or what society says you should do. I tell my grandparents all the time that we are our own people now, and we can do whatever we want. I see teenagers pushing boundaries all the time on Tiktok or Instagram. Don’t take it deep, just go for it, have fun. If you end up making money out of it, then you’re making money. If you don’t, you’re still having fun, enjoy it and live a little. It’s not always about the money or the standards. Don’t care about what other people say, just have fun with life.
Harshil’s Social Media
Instagram: @_harshilthaker_
Tiktok: @_harshilthaker_
Facebook: Harshil Thaker
Twitter: @_harshilthaker_
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