Aastha Atray Banan spoke to India's only female automobile photographer, Shraddha Kadakia about how eking out a living by shooting a man's indulgence, has earned her respect

Shraddha's photograph campaignu00a0 for Skoda India

Why did you choose to be an automobile photographer?
In life, you taste independence for the first time when you start driving your car. I remember getting a fake driving licence! The need for speed is so important when you are young. When I photograph automobiles, I experience that rush all over again.

You are a lone woman in a man's world. How does that feel?
It's great, not only because I am doing something that no other woman in India does, but also because of the immense respect I garner from male colleagues. At first, I met hesitation from those I approached, but ifu00a0 you are good at your job, you'll be fine. It was after I shot for Skoda that things changed dramatically. That was the turning point: I realised automobiles were my specialty, and the industry woke up to my talent.