Vivek Narula (Photographer)

Vivek Narula is a damn good portrait photographer. 

Women love him, platonically, because he truly understands how to capture the essence of his subject.  

“Women tend to see the value of photography a little bit more too,” he says.

Considering that I was reusing many of the same photos for my thumbnails for months on end, Vivek is on to something. 

“It’s not to say that men don’t get photos done, but it’s more from a personal branding or business perspective,” Vivek adds.

We must also contend with the fact that women, typically, are more concerned with the way they look and are perceived by others.

“It’s also how our society is set up, and that for women, after a certain age, they tend to feel invisible,” Vivek observes. 

“So for women, there is a feeling of wanting to be seen, and photography is a way for them to capture that.”

In many ways, what the lens captures can tell a story, and when guided by an expert like Vivek, authoring a spectacular image is usually the end result. 

“If you have never had photos done professionally, it’s a way for you to step into yourself in an artistic way,” adds Vivek, who has worked with writers looking for a different medium to communicate through, and construction tycoons whose artistry is best expressed via hammer and nail, and not through a carefully curated art form like photography. 

For context, Vivek doesn’t just show up at your house, ask you to stand against the beige wall in your living room, and start snapping.

Rather, clients visit his studio, where they are treated to a pre-shoot process usually reserved for the ones who pose for magazine covers.

“A portrait session gives them an opportunity to celebrate themselves and capture that feeling for the rest of their lives,” Vivek says, and one only needs to visit his website to quickly discover that Vivek’s camera has for many years elicited profound joy and satisfaction.

Yet, as 2026 begins to uncoil, the advent of AI could stifle the ambitions of even the most decorated photographer.

“Some photographers think AI is going to take our jobs, but to be honest, I’m not concerned about that at all,” Vivek confidently proclaims, nary a trace of angst in his voice. 

“As AI gets more and more popular, there’s going to be a backlash,” he then predicts.

Not the kind of backlash where angry denizens storm a government building, or worse, voice their dissent on social media.

No, this aversion to AI is different, in that most people don’t need something artificial in order to feel whole. 

Instead of a spoon-fed solution brought forth from dictating into a phone, the everyday individual is craving authenticity you simply cannot get from interfacing with a computer. 

“Personal connection is never going to go out of style,” Vivek says, automation clearly not at the forefront of his brain on this windy winter day.

To be clear, there will always be a segment of the population who scoff at the notion of human connection, who are content to let a pre-programmed device create a headshot for them; and while generating that image may only take seconds, it is worth wondering if that level of efficiency is, well, efficient.

“I wouldn’t want a computer to try to capture who I am,” Vivek says.

“I’m really trying to capture the essence of the person, beyond their body and their face, and that only happens when you take the time to get to know what makes every person unique, before they step in front of the camera.”

This multi-layered approach that Vivek describes happens far before a lens ever shutters, and that’s intentional. 

“It’s all about the experience. Not just the photo,” Vivek emphasizes. 

“The journey toward capturing that photo, that’s just as important.”

In Vivek’s studio, professionals are brought in to handle makeup, hair, and wardrobe, simulating the aforementioned process usually bestowed upon pop culture’s most glamorous. 

Think Madonna in her heyday, albeit on a much less publicized scale. 

“Working with me, it’s not like going to the DMV to take a passport photo,” Vivek notes with a chuckle. 

Of course, to experience a session with Vivek is not for the budget-conscious consumer who just wants a quick flick. 

In the past, I worked with a photographer I met off Craigslist. 

Prior to meeting, I was warned that any tomfoolery on my part would be met with severe consequences.

Me being essentially harmless, we met, shot photos in sub-zero temperatures next to Lake Como, and $75 later I had a collage of headshots.

A deal, yes, but the photos were edited by someone who was accustomed to photographing aspiring models who would likely never make it, meaning those photos were enlivened in such a way that the women being photographed were portraying a version of themselves that arguably didn’t exist. 

Alas, the headshots I received removed all my blemishes, zits, and moles.

“I don’t look like that,” I remember telling the man, but since I was in need, and not trying to spend extra cash, the initial deliverables, in all their perfection, were mine. 

“You can brew coffee at home for $0.20, but there’s a reason so many people go to Starbucks,” Vivek points out, and he’s right:

As a consumer, you get what you pay for, but in my opinion Starbucks has gone downhill in recent years on account of their dirty floors and limited seating. 

For Vivek, the potential hurdles are aplenty when it comes to attracting more clients, but when you have been in the business for as long as he has, you reach a point where the clients find you.

“My favorite part of what I do is connecting with the amazing people that I get to meet from all walks of life,” Vivek brims, and while he can appreciate how far he has come, the maestro of the portrait understands that his evolution is not complete. 

“There is always room to grow as a photographer. You never hit your ceiling.”

In the coming years, Vivek is excited to continue mentoring other creatives who are navigating the predictably calamitous and murky terrain that comes with “making it” in the arts.

“I got to where I am thanks to other people who supported me,” Vivek shares.  

“I would love to pay that forward and lift others up.” QS

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