Um, I'm so sorry...that Iggy Azalea lyric came from out of nowhere! What I was going to start with was some background on my name and how to say it. Pronouncing it is much easier than it looks. Shaw-ma, that's it! Think of famed movie director M. Night Shyamalan and just drop the "lan" off his surname. And just like him my name is from India. I, on the other hand, am not. 

I was born and raised in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and no one in my family hails from India. Right about now you may be wondering how in the world did this west coast Newfoundland gal end up with such an exotic name. Well that is the result of a brilliant and creative woman known as my Mom meeting Dr. Shyama Virmani while pregnant with me. The good doctor was head of Cardiology for the Janeway Children's Hospital back then, and my mom's sister, my Aunt Joanie, worked with her as a Radiology Technician. My mom met Dr. Virmani and fell in love with the name and the rest they say is history! 

I'm a total ham in front of the camera and also behind-the-scenes. That being said, I'm very driven and focused, and have dedicated the last 17 years of my life to photography. I began when everything was still film and darkroom-based, and am so happy to have that foundation and understanding in my arsenal along with the digital skills required of today's shooters. As the old saying goes, "you don't know where you're going, until you know where you've been".

Photographing people is my jam! I love connecting with people and the exchange that happens between me as the photographer, and the subject, on the other side of the camera. I feel honoured by each and every person who picks me to capture their big life events, and their small quiet moments. Getting to know my clients and becoming a part of their lives is the best perk of the job.