HYDERABAD: Facebook may be finding it hard to increase its profits through advertisements and convincing investors of its profitability, but some of its users are definitely repeating a good harvest. Photographers from the city have made professional progress by simply starting an FB page, or even easier, by uploading their work on their profile. One such example is freelance photographer Manisha Panchawati, for whom FB proved to lucky more than once.“I started photography in 2006. Once I started an account on FB, uploading my pictures became a habit and that landed me with my first job. One of the feature writers of a magazine saw my work and I started working for that magazine,” recalls Manisha, who is currently shuffling between Hyderabad and Mumbai for her work. Post this, Manisha received an offer of working with Publicity Designers Anil and Banu. “This was also through my work that was uploaded on my FB profile. They saw my work and approached me to click publicity stills for films,” she shares. In a span of one year, Manisha has clicked pictures for about 15 films (and counting). And, that’s not all. Facebook proved lucky to her the third time, when an agency approached her to do shoot for the IPL team Rajasthan Royals. “Again, they saw my work on FB, and I was offered the job,” she says, adding, “FB is crucial for networking and it has worked to my advantage. Everyone knows what work I am doing and the progress that I am making. Plus, with the amount of work offers that I have received by simply uploading my work, I should really thank Mark Zuckerberg.”While Manisha did not even have to go through the pain of even starting a FB page, Sucharitha Rao, another freelance photographer from the city received a large number of assignments because of her page --- Sucharitha Rao Photography.”There were a lot of people who knew me, but did not know that I was into photography. My FB page helped me send that message across,” says Sucharitha, adding, “Because of my page, initially I received various portfolio assignments from actors and models. And later on, I started freelancing for a magazine.” Currently Sucharitha freelances for a number of magazines and newspapers, all thank to her FB page, which helped get her talent noticed. “FB is a great platform to showcase one’s work and letting people know what one is capable of,” opines Sucharita, who is a full-time photographer.Apart from the full-time photographers who are benefiting from FB, there are people who click just for the sheer pleasure of capturing something beautiful. One such example is city-based Kamal Kiran. Even though he has pursued his MBA, and worked with various companies, his ultimate passion is to click photographs. “I started photography in 2010 and started my FB in 2011 just so showcase my work to everyone,” recalls Kamal, adding, “People started appreciating my work. But, what surprised me the most that people started giving me photography assignments by looking at my work.” Kamal received various portfolio shoot offers and was also the official photographer for the ISM alumni meet, which was held a few months ago. “Facebook is the only place where actual talent can be shown. It gives me more authority on my work --- shows how many people liked it, which picture has gone viral, and a lot more. And, the best thing is that it helps me improve and it has been a learning process all the while,” shares Kamal. So, these were the stories of a few photographers, who have managed to create opportunities for themselves by simply showcasing their talent.
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