Naba Khalid

architecture student and wedding photographer

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Naba Khalid is an architecture student and wedding photographer. She is in her final year of architecture. Her career has moved from architecture to photography, and she began full-scale wedding and event work in her fourth year.

Early life and background

Khalid says she moved around a lot while growing up, because of the army. Growing up, she expected to study engineering and take a nine-to-five job. When her parents were back in Lahore, she moved into hostels. She says the hostel helped her gain financial independence at a young age. [1]

Education

Khalid applied for engineering. She says NUST was her dream university at the time, and that she was enrolled in computer engineering then. She got into NUST and began studying architecture. She got into architecture within the top 10 merit positions. She says the NUST architecture test includes a large engineering component. [1]

Khalid decided she did not have to go into engineering. Her mother called to tell her she had been admitted to engineering. She expects to graduate in June or July. [1]

She says architecture is very hard but has good aspects as well. She says university showed her there are more opportunities than a nine-to-five job. She says her degree helped her grow from a shy person, and that her architecture training will stay part of her after graduation. [1]

Center for truck artists and artisans

Khalid is designing a center for truck artists and artisans. She says the center would combine a workshop with a visitor center, and that it would also have learning classes. She says she studied truck movement in the area to choose her site. She says her site is an already existing truck adda. [1]

Career

Khalid says her photography account began as an architectural photography page about photo walks and friends. She started out photographing with her iPhone. She was known as the official photographer of her class. She did not expect to shoot weddings when she started her account. Before weddings, she mainly shot portraits. [1]

She says she learned what she knows herself. She started by experimenting on friends and people she knew. She says she faced many problems early on because she was inexperienced. [1]

Wedding photography

Khalid says everything stopped during COVID, but weddings still took place at a smaller scale. She says COVID had a large effect over a whole year. She says people still want good pictures and are still willing to spend on a photographer. She says small, intimate weddings are a better experience for her, and that emotions are easier to capture at smaller weddings. [1]

Khalid works with two or three people from her own circle who cover events on their own. She says she used to do everything herself, from editing onward. She says doing everything herself overburdened her and reduced her creativity. She says her work includes wedding films, not only normal wedding videos. She says she needs team members who motivate her at every event. [1]

Khalid plans to focus on weddings over the next year. She would like to expand her wedding category and grow her team. [1]

Views on architecture and housing

Khalid says a home designed by an architect differs from one built only by a contractor. She says repeating one house design across many homes makes them feel less like their owners' own. She says many design choices can help build a sustainable home. She says people rarely consider how a home will perform over ten years, and that the carbon footprint of every building should be assessed. [1]

She says architecture firms are now thinking about long-term impact. She says the design phase should take at least six months to a year. She says vertical growth saves trees compared with horizontal growth. She says Islamabad is known for its greenery, so vertical growth is good in a way. She says an area chosen for high-rise should be fully high-rise. [1]

Khalid says design must account for the security needs of the country it is built in. She says adding a grill element can ruin the entire look of a house. She describes louvres as vertical elements that can be opened and closed to suit preference. [1]

University and classmates

Khalid says many women are working and changing mindsets in her generation. She says her class is 98% women, and that about half of the women in her class are entrepreneurs. She says her classmates call themselves archipreneurs. She says many people at her university run side businesses, and that the quarantine helped people at her university work out which interests to pursue. [1]

Views on the future

Khalid says she is pretty hopeful and does not want to shift anywhere else. She expects young entrepreneurs and business owners to lead the business economy within ten years. She says business empires are run by people who are quite old. [1]

Personal life

Khalid says her mother followed major female photographers on Instagram at her request. She says that without your parents' acceptance you cannot do it 100%. She says she is exploratory and likes to take on fears and challenges head on. Her dream house would have very open, airy spaces. [1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2021-04-28 Naba Khalid on switching to architecture in week one, building a wedding-photography business by 22, and what the people about to inherit Pakistan actually think Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Naba Khalid?

Naba Khalid is an architecture student and wedding photographer. She is in her final year of architecture. She began full-scale wedding and event work in her fourth year.[1]

What does Naba Khalid do?

Naba Khalid is a photographer who shoots weddings and events. Before weddings, she mainly shot portraits. She works with two or three people from her own circle who cover events on their own, and her work includes wedding films.[1]

Where did Naba Khalid study?

Naba Khalid got into NUST and began studying architecture. She got into architecture within the top 10 merit positions. She is in her final year and expects to graduate in June or July.[1]

How did Naba Khalid start in photography?

Naba Khalid says her photography account began as an architectural photography page about photo walks and friends. She started out photographing with her iPhone and began by experimenting on friends and people she knew. She says she learned what she knows herself.[1]

When did Naba Khalid begin shooting weddings?

Naba Khalid began full-scale wedding and event work in her fourth year. She did not expect to shoot weddings when she started her account. Before weddings, she mainly shot portraits.[1]

How did COVID affect Naba Khalid's work?

Naba Khalid says everything stopped during COVID, but weddings still took place at a smaller scale. She says COVID had a large effect over a whole year. She says people still want good pictures and are still willing to spend on a photographer.[1]

References

  1. Naba Khalid on switching to architecture in week one, building a wedding-photography business by 22, and what the people about to inherit Pakistan actually think . Thought Behind Things , 2021-04-28.
Show the source passages (75 statements)
  1. Her career has moved from architecture to photography. this episode explores her journey from architecture to photography
  2. NUST was her dream university at the time. us time pe NUST was like my dream university
  3. She applied for engineering. Maine apply engineering ke liye kiya tha.
  4. She says she was enrolled in computer engineering at the time. I was in computer engineering jo ki ek bohot anomaly thi at that time.
  5. She says the NUST architecture test includes a large engineering component. NUST ke test is I think different in a sense ke usme engineering ka part kaafi zyada included hota hai rather than architecture.
  6. Naba Khalid got into NUST and began studying architecture. Haan, I got into NUST. It was my first week of architecture
  7. She got into architecture within the top 10 merit positions. architecture mein I got in like the top 10 merit position
  8. She decided she did not have to go into engineering. maine tabhi decision le liya no I don't have to go to engineering
  9. Her mother called to tell her she had been admitted to engineering. I got a call from my mom ke tumhara engineering mein ho gaya hai third fourth merit list jisme bhi
  10. She says she is in her final year of architecture. Haan, I'm in my final year.
  11. She expects to graduate in June or July. June, July, yeah. to graduate honestly at this point.
  12. She is designing a center for truck artists and artisans. I'm basically designing a center for truck artists and artisans
  13. She says the center would combine a workshop with a visitor center. Toh it's like a workshop but at the same time a visitor center as well
  14. She says the center would also have learning classes. there will be learning classes as well for for people like us
  15. She says she studied truck movement in the area to choose her site. I think where my site is because obviously I did a lot of study where toh aapko pura study karna hota hai where is the truck movement in the area
  16. She says her site is an already existing truck adda. abhi toh meri site is ek already existing adda near Metro Cash & Carry
  17. She says her photography account began as an architectural photography page about photo walks and friends. my account basically started as like a architectural photography account jisme I I used to post stuff about photo walks and my friends and everything in that aspect.
  18. She started out photographing with her iPhone. apne iPhone se hi initially maine start I used to use my phone
  19. She was known as the official photographer of her class. I was like the official photographer of the class
  20. She did not expect to shoot weddings when she started her account. maine jab start kiya tha I never thought ke I would step into weddings
  21. She began full-scale wedding and event work in her fourth year. fourth year mein properly I started full scale weddings aur full scale events
  22. Before weddings, she mainly shot portraits. I used to do more like portrait shoots
  23. She says everything stopped during COVID, but weddings still took place at a smaller scale. COVID mein ruka toh sab kuch hai lekin shaadiyan phir bhi even at a smaller scale people do have weddings
  24. She says COVID had a large effect over a whole year. this was an entire year that was COVID ki wajah se woh bohot zyada effect hua tha
  25. She says people still want good pictures and are still willing to spend on a photographer. they still need good pictures they still are willing to spend on the photographer
  26. She says small, intimate weddings are a better experience for her. Toh for me a small scale intimate weddings are obviously like a better experience
  27. She says emotions are easier to capture at smaller weddings. you capture emotions better I think in a smaller wedding
  28. She works with two or three people from her own circle who cover events on their own. I usually keep like do teen log hain that are in my circle I know they cover events just as their own
  29. She says she used to do everything herself, from editing onward. main sab kuch khud hi karti thi from editing to everything
  30. She says doing everything herself overburdened her and reduced her creativity. it's something that is overburdening yourself aur woh acha nahi hai obviously aapki creativity usme phir lack karti hai
  31. She plans to focus on weddings over the next year. I think in the next ek saal tak toh I think I will stick to weddings in the next coming year
  32. She would like to expand her wedding category and grow her team. I would kind of like to expand it in weddings category more and obviously have more people in my team as well
  33. She says her work includes wedding films, not only normal wedding videos. we make wedding films not just like wedding normal videos
  34. She says many of her wedding clients are also students. kyunke usually jinki shaadiyan ho rahi hoti hain woh bhi students hote hain
  35. She says being a student gave her wide reach among people her age. as a student aapki reach bhi itni zyada hoti hai ke you reach to more people as well
  36. She says university is the best time to expand and start a business. I think the university time is the best time for you to expand for you to start your business
  37. She says waiting a year could have cost her the clientele and reach she had then. if I wait for another year or so toh probably jo is time pe mujhe clientele ya is time pe jo reach milegi woh us time pe shayad na mile
  38. She says a home designed by an architect differs from one built only by a contractor. probably ek obviously architect se design karaya ho ghar aur ek contractor se bana ho ghar
  39. She says repeating one house design across many homes makes them feel less like their owners' own. Wohi ek ghar ke ek design ke woh phir itne chhape kar dete hain ke obviously woh phir ek ghar apna nahi rehta
  40. She says many design choices can help build a sustainable home. ek sustainable ghar banane ke liye hum bohot zyada cheezein use kar sakte hain
  41. She says people rarely consider how a home will perform over ten years. hum log itna nahi dekhte itna nahi sochte ke within 10 years hamara ghar humein kaisa response dega
  42. She says the carbon footprint of every building should be assessed. we have to look out at the carbon footprint of every single building jo hum banate hain
  43. She says architecture firms are now thinking about long-term impact. even architecture firms at this point are thinking about the long term impact
  44. She says the design phase should take at least six months to a year. you at least spend a year or six months on to the designing phase
  45. She says vertical growth saves trees compared with horizontal growth. trees to aapke bach rahe hain na with vertical expansion rather than a horizontal expansion I think
  46. She says Islamabad is known for its greenery, so vertical growth is good in a way. I think it is good in a way because of the fact ke Islamabad is basically known for its greenery
  47. She says an area chosen for high-rise should be fully high-rise. if this is the area for high rise to it has to be completely high rise
  48. She says design must account for the security needs of the country it is built in. us environment ke hisab se us country ki security aur woh sari cheezein dekh ke hi design karna hota hai
  49. She says adding a grill element can ruin the entire look of a house. aur phir usme halke se grill ka element aa jaye na to it kind of ruins the entire look of the house
  50. She describes louvres as vertical elements that can be opened and closed to suit preference. vertical elements that you can open and close according to your preference
  51. Her dream house would have very open, airy spaces. I think I would like very open, airy spaces
  52. She says she is pretty hopeful and does not want to shift anywhere else. Yeah, pretty hopeful. I don't want to shift anywhere else
  53. She expects young entrepreneurs and business owners to lead the business economy within ten years. probably in the next 10 years in Pakistan I think a lot of young entrepreneurs and young business owners will be leading the business economy
  54. She says business empires are run by people who are quite old. all of the business empires are run by people who are quite older
  55. Growing up, she expected to study engineering and take a nine-to-five job. probably engineering kar lungi I'll do a 9 to 5 job
  56. She says university showed her there are more opportunities than a nine-to-five job. aapke paas aur bhi bahut zyada opportunities hain
  57. She says architecture is very hard but has good aspects as well. even though it's very hard, it's very tough but there are its good aspects as well
  58. She says she moved around a lot while growing up, because of the army. I moved around a lot because of being in in the army
  59. When her parents were back in Lahore, she moved into hostels. my parents were back in Lahore to I shifted to the hostels
  60. She says the hostel helped her gain financial independence at a young age. hostel also helped me a lot to kind of have that financial independence at at such a young age
  61. She says many women are working and changing mindsets in her generation. there are a lot of women jo ke abhi bhi they are working even and they are changing mindsets of people at this stage
  62. She says her class is 98% women. Aur hamari class mein there is 98% ladkiyan aur 2% guys
  63. She says about half of the women in her class are entrepreneurs. I think at my class at this point 50% of the women are entrepreneurs
  64. She says her classmates call themselves archipreneurs. we call ourselves archipreneur
  65. She says many people at her university run side businesses. a lot of people in my university that are doing side businesses
  66. She says the quarantine helped people at her university work out which interests to pursue. the quarantine helped us a lot in figuring out ke maybe this is the kind of interests I want to pursue
  67. She says her degree helped her grow from a shy person. I think the degree completely helped me kyunki obviously four years back, five years back I would see myself I was a very shy type person
  68. She says her architecture training will stay part of her after graduation. Even after I graduate I think it will still be a part of me
  69. She says her mother followed major female photographers on Instagram at her request. then I made my mom follow all the big photographers Instagram account that were females
  70. She says that without your parents' acceptance you cannot do it 100%. I think without your parents acceptance you can't do it 100%
  71. She says she is exploratory and likes to take on fears and challenges head on. Main explorative thi aur mujhe I liked taking on fears aur challenges head on
  72. She says she learned what she knows herself. jo maine seekha hai I learned it myself
  73. She started by experimenting on friends and people she knew. I started experimenting on my friends and people I knew
  74. She says she faced many problems early on because she was inexperienced. you face a lot of problems because you're inexperienced in the start
  75. She says she needs team members who motivate her at every event. you need people in your team who kind of motivate you every single time