Meet our Members: nparekh

It's another bright, shiny Monday here in the Sooner State. Weather like this makes me want to grab my camera and head outside for a few hours. In that vein, I want to introduce everyone to nparekh, one of our newer members and a great photographer to boot. Let's learn more about him!

1. Introduce yourself.
Hello everyone, my name is Nimish, I live in Tulsa and I'm the artist behind Nimish Parekh Photography. I'm actually a third year medical student at OU-Tulsa in the midst of my clinical training, so it's been really fun/challenging keeping a balance between photography and school. I grew up in Oklahoma City, went to college in Los Angeles, took a year off during college and lived in Mumbai, India, and now I'm back in Oklahoma for medical school and have no idea where I'll be for residency next year. Life is fun...

2. Tell us about what you make. When did you start making it and why?
Right now my main craft is cards/stationary, photographic prints and I hope to expand to postcards. I started learning photography in 2005 while I was in college. I literally bought an old manual SLR camera off Ebay, loaded it with film and just taught myself through trial and error. I was lucky enough to be living in Los Angeles at the time, so I had a great city to explore and train my eye on. In terms of what makes my work unique, I'm told by friends/fans is that I have an eye for ordinary everyday things, and I capture them in a way that makes them more beautiful or interesting. I'm drawn to odd things like doors, power lines, garden hoses, street markings and buildings, and apparently I find a way to capture them and make them photo-worthy.

3. How long have you been crafting? When did you decide to start selling your handmade goods?
I started making these card series in 2008 because I wanted to start a small business and promote my work. I feel there is much to be gained in learning to manage a small business, but the main reason I started is that I get to meet great people and have really unique experiences when I sell my work. It's really been about the ride, the people, and everything I've learned along the way.

Flower Burst Limited Series

4. Other than what you sell, what's your favorite thing to craft?
I can't say I have any other crafting skills...but I do love gardening!

5. What do you love best about Etsy?
I have been impressed by how supportive the Etsy community is from the top down. You can tell that this really is a community and everyone wants each other to succeed in their creative/business ventures. That seems so rare sometimes, so I really love that part of Etsy.

6. What's your favorite thing about Oklahoma?
My favorite thing to do in Oklahoma is explore local shops and meet people. People in Oklahoma are generally very kind and nice, and this state is full of so many characters that you can't help but have a good time meeting random strangers.

Doors Limited Series

7. Do you sell anywhere else or have a blog, Twitter, MySpace, etc.?
Right now I sell through Etsy and my online Shutterfly store which are linked off my blog: http://nimish.blogspot.com/. Locally in Tulsa I sell cards at Cafe Topeca, Shades of Brown and Inner Peace Yoga studio. Some of my work is being featured at Cafe Topeca in downtown Tulsa, please check it out! I just started a new photo blog here: http://alphabetographee.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for the interview, Nimish, and welcome to the team!