Hello
I am Tashdique Mehtaj, a self-taught photographer based in Guwahati, Assam. I am interested in shooting portraits, lifestyle scenes, events and PR events in both digital & analogue format.
Currently, I am one of the exclusive contributors to Getty Images from India. In addition, my works have featured in numerous International Media Houses and brands, such as Axe India, Milaap.org, Huffington Post, Food & Wine, Tripsavvy, Forbes, CNBC, Capital One, Acquia, The Points Guy, etc.
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My Story
My association with Getty Images started in late 2015. I got introduced to stock photography via a popular mobile app called EyeEm, vastly similar to Instagram but with added features of photo contests and a marketplace to license your photos for commercial use via third-party platforms, viz., Getty Images. Fast forward some months, and with still with the least amount of guidance in this field, I uploaded whatever photos I clicked using my mobile phone in the hope of getting some extra income out of those. And during one such fine day, I came across a message from a person named "Andrew Brett Wallis", who later on became my mentor in the field of stock photography. Now, let me let you know Andrew Brett Wallis is an Independent Artist based in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, specializing in mixed media digital painting and photography of landscapes and nature. He guided me throughout the beginning phase and constantly kept me motivated as it is a game of luck when you are a third-party contributor to stock footage sites, and earning can be pretty tricky. It took me close to 3 years to grasp the industry, and finally, on 1st April 2019, I signed my Exclusive Contract with Getty Images as a direct contributor. After that, however, the task got a bit more complicated. Now I had to shoot exclusively for Getty Images, unlike before when I would go out and shoot random stuff with my friends for social media pages and make a side income out of those. Now, I had to schedule separate shoots for Getty Images. The rules are simple; I could not share any images from that particular shoot until I got clearance from Getty Images, nor the sister images; take care that all releases (model & property) are correctly filled and attached with the photos. The load upon me subsequently increased, but I guess that is what it is.
The BIG breakthrough came in the form of the COVID-19 Pandemic as people got confined to their houses, the inability to travel led to a massive surge in the need for stock footage. As a result, since May 2021, I have shot for numerous funded briefs for Getty Images at triple rate of what I used to do before. Also, the recent trend has seen a deviation of the industrial needs to feature people from the Asia-Pacific region, the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ members & themes leading to massive market demand in our area.
Every passing month, I am getting briefs for more shoots that need new faces and locations to avoid repetition across different briefs. Also, let me tell you if you want to model for some shoot but have never been given the opportunity because of your looks, skin tone, height, etc. Then, my friend, you should sign up for the next shoot with me for Getty Images. Because at Getty Images, we believe in the actual representation of diversity among all human forms.
Who should sign up to be a Getty Images's model?
One of the critical requirements for Getty Images is the realness of the footage. Realness is about authenticity. It is about inclusion, regionality, specificity, abilities, body size, age, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, etc. All people want to see themselves reflected in their imagery, and our customers respond to that.
So, to be a Getty Images's model, all you need is to be interested in getting clicked & the ability to create scenes in your mind and act.