Life & Work with Aneela Urooj of Litchfield Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aneela Urooj.

Hi Aneela, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been in the photography business for almost 15 years. I started when I was living in Virginia as a high school student and continued to pursue it up until college. Around graduation time, life got a little crazy with graduation, I was planning a wedding, preparing to move across country to Arizona, started graduate school, and was working full time as a behavior analyst. Photography drifted away from me for a few years until we had our beautiful son. He was born in 2021 and when I was getting closer to the end of my maternity leave, I realized I was not ready to leave him. I decided last minute to not go back to work and it was the best and most life changing decision I made. When I first made that decision, I felt like I lost a part of me because I worked for so many years and it was all I knew. My amazing husband saw that there was something missing in my life and mentioned to me that I should start my photography back up. I looked at him and laughed because I thought time has gone by and things are so different. I told him, my camera is probably so old and he immediately said, “ok, which one do you want, let’s get it”. I didn’t take him seriously right away but he kept encouraging me. We bought a brand new camera and he walked around our neighborhood with our son so I can place flyers on neighbors doors for a free session! I had no portfolio and nothing to prove myself but then I received my first call from my first client. They were a beautiful family with a sweet little girl and that was the beginning of something life changing. I had such amazing support from my friends who were always there when I needed them to add to my portfolio. Especially one of my closest friends whose son is my son’s age and to this day, has always been ready for a photoshoot. She was there from the beginning and trusted me with her family pictures, to maternity, to holiday sessions. Whenever I needed to advertise or update my portfolio, I would text her asking, “Can I borrow your family this weekend?” haha and she has always been there without hesitation. My parents and my two sisters have been nothing but in “awe” with the company I created. It warms my heart when they tell me how proud of them they are of me and brag to their friends of what I do. I also feel so proud that my niece’s look up to me for what I do. One day, my oldest niece said if she were to google me, would I show up. I told her to try it, so she googled my name and when she saw my company pop up and my headshot show up, she said, “Omg, you’re famous!”. It made me laugh and also proud because it shows her that she can do whatever she puts her mind to. Four years later, I am blessed to say that I have my beautiful boy and a breathtaking baby girl while also being booked out months in advance. I have also hired a second shooter who is absolutely amazing. Most importantly, I have the most amazing support from family and friends. I give my husband a lot of credit for supporting me, pushing me to be better, and having confidence in me when I didn’t have it in myself. I am where I am because of the amazing support that’s all around me. I know I could not do this without them.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was for sure not a smooth road because, I was struggling for the first few years on what type of editing style I wanted to go towards. I started off, really bold, dark, saturated vibe because I thought that’s what was trending but it never felt right. I had late nights editing the same gallery over and over again trying to find my niche. I did extensive research and I was trying to mimic and copy other photographers style thinking that’s what people wanted. After a couple years, I was never 100% proud of my final edits, something always felt off but then I decided to focus more of what I wanted. I completely changed my style to a more natural, calm, and subtle edit style and that’s when it touched my heart. Three years in, I found my niche and had to go back and update my social media, website, and everything I thought I knew. I got a lot of positive feedback from previous clients and friends. It only took my three years in my business but it was worth it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in families, couples (engagements, proposals), graduates, maternity, and events. I mostly get a lot of family and couple sessions which are where I am the most comfortable in but I have recently been doing some small events such as bridal showers or bachelorette parties. I absolutely love what I do so what my clients love the most about working with me is that I prioritize making our sessions fun and exciting. I have no problem being silly and loud to get those smiles from the little ones and I focus a lot on detail. Making sure everyone looks perfect! I don’t stress too much on the session time and focus more on making sure my clients get exactly what they want. I want my clients to be happy so I am flexible on certain things. To ensure my clients get the perfect images, all my packages include an apparel guide which helps them color coordinate outfits, making sure they pick outfits that best fit the location of their choice.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
A lot of feedback and reviews I get from my clients are that they really appreciate that I have a bubbly, fun, and outgoing personality. I’ve heard, I am the best hype man during sessions lol which I love. People book sessions mostly to create memories or they are celebrating a special occasion, so it’s important to me that they have the best time. I do take in consideration that my clients are also spending their money to make sure they have the best images so I always make sure I make it as perfect for them as possible by focusing on details such as fixing their hair or necklace.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aumemories.com
• Instagram: aumemoriesphotography