Could you tell me about your life so far?

I was adopted from India when I was five months old, so that’s kind of the start of everything. I grew up in the United States in Michigan from zero to eighteen. At sixteen, I decided I wanted to go overseas to study at university and I developed my love for photography around that age. I’ve always loved it, and I always knew I wanted to go into some sector of fashion. At eighteen, I left home and moved over to England and got my Bachelor’s in fashion photography at Falmouth University. When I graduated, I had the choice of basically going home and starting my career somewhere in the States, or I could stay in England, which I did.

I decided to move to London when I was twenty-one. I didn’t know a soul; all my uni friends had gone home, or they weren’t living in London. I found my own flat and got a job at a sushi restaurant, which was great because I love sushi [she laughs]. And then I pursued my career from there, and here I am today. So that’s a very broad and general synopsis of me.

As an American who wants to move to a bigger city, you could have moved to New York. Why did you choose London?

I think a big driving factor for me was the fact that you know, having come over here at eighteen, those developing years happened in England. My friends were here and my independence was developed here. I was away from family. I was away from everything. So I kind of adapted to the British culture more. Being an American – that will always be in me – so moving to New York or somewhere like that would have been easy, but I chose London because I wasn’t ready to unsettle myself again. London is a major capital for fashion, just as New York is, but I think the draw of knowing that I would still have the life that I started building here was a big factor in why I chose London.

It has pushed me as a person to be more hungry for new opportunities. I would say London is a great city for that. You’re surrounded, usually by people who are very driven and want to achieve more and who are constantly changing, evolving and adapting.

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Is there anything in particular about the city or culture that made you choose London over New York?

I haven’t been to New York for several years now, but I think London has a very open feel to it – not that New York doesn’t. I think here you get a little bit of everything. Of course, you get that in all major cities, but I feel like here it’s blended very well in the way of the kinds of people that are here. There’s always this really lovely mix – you can be sitting in a restaurant with many different types of people from many different professions.

How has London changed you?

It has pushed me as a person to be more hungry for new opportunities. I would say London is a great city for that. You’re surrounded, usually by people who are very driven and want to achieve more and who are constantly changing, evolving and adapting. And I think though, that’s always been in me – having moved at eighteen across the ocean. I think London has harnessed those feelings for me and pushed them even further.

I love to learn about different cultures and incorporate them into my own life, and even just admire how everyone kind of moves in the world.

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You were born in India, then you were brought up in the USA. How has this mix of cultures that you’ve been exposed to influenced you?

I would say, being adopted from India at five months, I have no recollection of India at all, however my parents have been amazing and they have always made sure that I was exposed to my Indian culture. They always took me to summer camps that the adoption agency that they went through would put on. Every child who was adopted through the agency could come to the summer camps, and it was all Indian culture-based. We learned how to cook traditional Indian food and we learned the language. They would fly in some of the ayahs that were taking care of me as a baby from India, and I got to meet them. It was just a very open, very loving experience. My mom would also say ‘If you’re interested in going to temple, you can go to temple.’ So, she would go with me and she would learn as well. I also did traditional Indian dance for a couple of years and I loved it. So I would say, having that, and then of course the culture that I know and that I am – being an American – those two have shaped me into who I am today. I think that’s why I maybe crave the idea of throwing myself into other cultures and being immersed; again, why I moved. I love to learn about different cultures and incorporate them into my own life, and even just admire how everyone kind of moves in the world.

Your career. Are you someone who plans it meticulously? Or do you intuitively respond to what comes up in the path as it unfolds?

I would say the latter. I try and plan as much as I can, but I’m very much a day-by-day kind of person, I just kind of take my life that way. I realise I need to have a sense of ‘where do I see myself in five years? Where do I see myself in 10 years?’ But I couldn’t tell you ‘I’m going to be in THIS career and doing THIS.’ I just kind of have a very tentative outlook and plan, and a very simple and laid-back outlook on it.

I think that also kind of goes back to like how I was raised. My mom is a very spontaneous person. Because she used to be a schoolteacher, she had the summers off, so she took me at the age of seven travelling for six weeks backpacking around Europe. She just said, ‘Let’s do it.’ and so that’s what we did. So I learned how to go with the flow. I remember on that trip, there were times when we would arrive in a city and have no reservations at any place to stay. We had to sleep in the airport one night, but I loved it. And my mom, being the amazing parent that she is, always made sure that I was safe. I think experiences like that made me have more of a ‘just take life as it comes’ outlook and attitude and I wouldn’t ask for anything different to be honest. I think I much prefer that rather than being a super-planner. I think that has also really helped me with how I’ve approached my career and what I’ve done in my life so far.

I know it seems daunting. Because it is. It’s quite scary. But if you’re willing and able to do it then you should just take it and run with it.

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We are now in 2024, but what has 2023 taught you?

I would say that last year taught me perseverance and patience. I started doing a lot of freelance work last year. I learned to continue pushing through even though sometimes I felt that I didn’t achieve what I had set out to do. And patience – because I felt that I was being too critical of myself and my work straight after a shoot. I’ve learned to take time and review work over and over again, and with that, I’ve been able to see images that stand out when initially I didn’t.

Also last year was I felt a very good year in that I did get back to doing creative projects for myself. I tried to push myself out of my comfort zone with different styles and poses within my work. I feel as though 2023 has also given me my confidence back, in that I feel better about creating work and sharing it with the public

What are you hoping this year will bring you?

I was thinking about that because I’m not one to do New Year’s resolutions. I’ve always just thought ‘what happens, happens’ within the year. This year, I’m hoping to progress more in my freelance career. I’m inspired to do more shoots and push myself to push barriers in fashion shoots that I might not immediately think of. So I’m hoping to really grow that side of me. And being even more open to the ever-changing industry. And quite honestly, I’m trying to prioritise travelling more this year. I did quite a bit last year. I would like to do just as much if not more, because I think it kind of goes back to just seeing what’s out there in the world. Experiencing all those different cultures. And that also will bring a lot of inspiration to draw back to my work. I would like to take what I see and experience and incorporate it into the future work that I do. That’s how I want to push myself.

 If you know what you want to do then definitely just try and reach out and go do it, because I’ve taken a lot of risks already. Not all of them have paid off, but a lot of them have, and the ones that have, have also gotten me to where I am now.

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What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given that you can pass on?

I would say it wasn’t necessarily a word-for-word quote. But it’s always been the approach of my family; my mom and her brother – my uncle and my grandparents – they are all very hard workers. So that work ethic has always been instilled in me from them; to always chase my dreams. I know it sounds quite cliche. They didn’t necessarily say ‘Chase your dreams’, but it’s that idea that you can work for it and you can make it happen if you’re lucky enough – because I also understand that I’ve had some opportunities and it might be harder for other people. I recognise that I’m very lucky for having those opportunities and some of them have gotten me to where I am now. But I would just pass that on to anyone – that if you know what you want to do then definitely just try and reach out and go do it, because I’ve taken a lot of risks already. Not all of them have paid off, but a lot of them have, and the ones that have, have also gotten me to where I am now.

I have to give a lot of credit, especially to my mom and my uncle because they really took what I wanted to do and elevated it, and continued to push me and say, ‘Never give up.’ I think kind of giving that same advice and knowing that if there’s someone out there that would love to do something but they’re a bit unsure and they just don’t feel like they can do it – I know it seems daunting. Because it is. It’s quite scary. But if you’re willing and able to do it then you should just take it and run with it.

@tess_priya_photography