Fil-Aus Niña Gadhia of Five Dock, Inner Western Sydney has been named in the Best 11 Family Photographers in Sydney. This piece of news was proudly shared on social media by her uncle Jun Relunia, OAM.
The Australian Filipina tracked down Niña to speak with her about her recognition.
"Peerspace curated a list of their top 11 family photographers in Sydney and I was lucky enough to be included in that list. I didn’t enter a competition, I just received a lovely email informing me that I had been chosen and featured in their blog. It was an honour and very exciting to be listed among some great Sydney photographers."
The list she refers to can be viewed here: The 11 Best Family Photographers in Sydney | Peerspace
It was interesting to hear that 42 year old Niña took the leap of faith and followed her passion for photography. Before working with the lens, she was a Chartered Accountant for 18 years.
We are glad to share Niña's responses to a few questions to gain an insight into her persona and outlook in life.
Aside from your recent recognition, what other achievements do you hold fondly in your heart?
Being able to leave a stable career in accounting to running my own small business Niña Gadhia Photography (www.ngnewbornphotography.com) has been an achievement. It's hard when you’re your own boss but I love my job.
Seeing my boys grow up to be happy and healthy kids is also a great achievement for me."
On the flip side, what challenges have you faced and overcome?
Running your own business is a daily challenge. I do everything. I’m not just a photographer, I am also a marketing manager, accountant, admin,everything. Some days are very stressful and I have learned that I don’t need to do everything right then and there. If there’s an email that can wait tomorrow, I’ll send it in the morning. It's been really important to try and balance running my business and family life as well as looking after myself.
I take coffee breaks and walk to my local café and I make sure to carve out time for my husband and kids. It's important that it's not all work work work. I burned out when I was first starting out and I don’t want to burn out again.
If you can change something you did or experience in the past, what would they be?
Nothing. Everything that happened in the past whether good or bad happened for a reason. If I had a bad experience, there was a lesson I learnt. I wouldn’t be who I am, or where I am without my past experiences.
What else do you wish to achieve in life?
I would love to have a house that is big enough to host our annual family Christmas party one day. We have a big family here in Sydney and Christmas lunch is the best. Also, I want my boys to grow up to be happy, confident and kind men. My life ambitions are simple.
When did you realise your passion for photography and what motivates you most being a photographer? where did you study to be a photographer?
I’ve always loved taking photos. I took my film camera with me everywhere when I was a teenager and I used to take landscape photos and photos of family and friends.
I first took up photography as a hobby so that while my brain worked the logical side as an accountant, my photography worked the other creative side of my brain. I studied at the Australian Centre for Photography to learn the basics in digital photography then took small courses to learn more specialised photography like lighting and newborn photography. The courses were either at a community centre or I mentored with an experienced photographer.
What motivates me most about being a photographer is being able to capture a moment in time for a family. Maybe it’s a photo of you with your newborn baby, maybe it’s a photo of Lola, Mama and Apo, maybe it's your family doing something they love to do together. I know that when my clients print and frame THOSE photos, they will have something they value on display for them to enjoy every day.
Some people say “I don’t need a professional photographer, I have a cell phone”. But you’re not in the photo if you take your own.
Or sometimes the mums don’t want to be in the photos because they are conscious about something in their appearance. I always take one or two with them and they always choose those photos with them in it. You want your kids to be able to see you in the photos too.
What advice would you give those who may have the passion for photography but are hesitating to pursue it?
Practise, practise, practise. The more photos you take the better you will get. Also make sure you do a business course. It's important to understand the basics of running a business; it's not all about the creative side.
Lastly, how do you define success?
A happy and balanced life.
About Niña Gadhia
Niña was born in Quezon City and came to Sydney with her family when she was 6. Her parents Johnny and Nimfa are from Bicol. She is the eldest of their two daughters. The sisters grew up in Penrith and both attended Penrith Selective High School. Niña went on to complete a Bachelor of Business with a major in Accounting at UTS.
She is married to Hinesh who was born and raised in London by his parents who are of Indian heritage. They have two boys – Niam, 6 years and Kai, 9 months. Every day is a busy day for Nina and Hinesh as they juggle work, family and school life. In their spare time they like to go to parks, go for bushwalks or catch up with family and friends.