Today we’d like to introduce you to Femke Tewari.
Hi Femke, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up in rainy Holland, I always felt restless so I left right after University for Asia and lived in Singapore & Hong Kong, working in finance. I always dreamed of traveling for a year, so I did. Alone, with just my backpack all over the globe.
After marrying my Nepali husband, we moved back to Singapore where I started photographing kids. This was about 12 years ago. My style has always been very lifestyle/editorial which helped when I switched to more commercial and editorial photography when I moved to Miami 7 years ago. Now I work for a range of clients in hospitality (like Hilton Hotels) as well as fashion. I regularly work with influencers and have been lucky enough to have had my work featured a.o. in the Miami Herald, Ocean Drive Magazine and The Scout Guide.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In the years that I have run my business, I moved back and forth from the US to Asia and back four times. Each time I had to re-start my business which depends a lot on word of mouth referral. That was tough. The toughest one was actually the move to Miami but now, after seven years I’m in a good place. And we’ve decided not to move anymore because my family and I really love it here.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in lifestyle photography and video for brands in the activewear, swim, resort wear and hospitality space. My style is authentic and natural, which is great at the moment because that’s what most brands want. For shoots where I get a say in what models to use, I always go for diverse talent. I love working with people from different ethnic backgrounds.
I’m most proud of a personal project that I started over a year ago, early on in the pandemic called the Miami Woman Project. The Project will be a book of photographs and life stories and an exhibition of inspiring women in the city and the passions that drive them. It will show the women that help create the melting pot that is Miami.
To date, I have photographed 30 women including Crystal Wagar, first black mayor of Miami Shores, Danie Gomez-Ortigoza, women empowerment advocate and owner of Journey of a Braid, breast cancer survivor Angeles Almuna who organizes a.o. the annual Fashion Fights Cancer gala and Paula Carozzo, cerebral palsy warrior and inclusivity activist.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My dad gave me his passion for photography. He used to convert the bathroom in our Dutch home into a dark room. Some of my best memories are being by his side and watch in awe as the images magically appeared on paper.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@femketewari.com
- Website: https://www.femketewari.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femketewariphotographer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/femke.tewari/
Image Credits
My personal photo: Terry Joshi. All other images created by me – Femke Tewari
