You need to find out where you belong and struggle hard for success to march to your door: Tushar S.

Hey, this is Tushar Solanki from Bhayandar Mumbai, and this is my story.

It all began when I lost my dad at the age of 12. Things were terrible at that time since my dad was the only earning member of the family. I knew that my mom and my elder brother were struggling hard to meet up to the house bills, food, and school fees. But they would not tell me anything about it. My brother made it a point to see that I lack nothing. 

My brother is my greatest motivation. I saw him struggle hard just to put the food on the table for my mom and me, ever since dad passed away. He tried various work fields like jewelry designing, working in a pharmacy, teaching dance, and so much more; that would make him a small income. Yes, he would fail, but he would still keep trying to keep me and mom happy.

Watching him try is what gave me the zeal to do something. Even though I was small, I had a deep feeling that even I should contribute something to my family. So even at an early age, I started little things like learning to dance, karate, etc. But I found my interest in photography. I struggled with all the limited resources I had to teach myself to be a professional photographer. When my friends got to know that I wanted to pursue my photography career, they criticized me and tried to put me down, but my brother was always there for me as a strong pillar of support. But even after learning due to financial circumstances, my mom made it clear that she could not afford to buy me a professional camera and all the necessary equipment. I did not lose heart, though; I would rent cameras and equipment and take orders of photoshoots. 

Amazed by my work, one of a local police officer got in touch with me and asked me to learn crime photography. So at the age of 16, I would accompany the police officers to various crime scenes to understand the work, sometimes they would call me in the middle of the night. At the age of 16, I have visited crime scenes and watched half decomposed bodies, people who committed suicide by hanging from the ceiling fan, and much more horrible scenes, which would cause a deep sense of fear in me. But I had to overcome this fear to succeed in the profession of photography. 

I still don’t have a camera or equipment of my own, but I rent or sometimes borrow from my friends and find other ways to keep going. So after I pay the rent of all the equipment and stuff, even though I contribute a little to my family, I still feel proud of it. At the end of all this, I have learned that if any person wants to achieve something, he/she can do it. All one has to do is find the field of work that one enjoys. Not having enough support or not having enough resources are not an excuse to give up.