Against the grain
 

Rami Al Lawati and Huda Al Lawati stepped out of their comfort zone to start ProShots which in a short span of three years has become one of the leading digital media and creative production companies in Oman. Reports Muhammed Nafie

It requires tremendous amount of self-confidence and determination to leave the comfort zone of a rewarding and respectable profession to venture into an own enterprise, especially if it means starting upon a less trodeen path. Only dedicated and passionate self-starters can brace themselves for the vagaries of uncharted territories they step into. For Rami Al Lawati and his wife Huda Al Lawati, it was their entrepreneurial zeal and passion for professional photography and creative designing that prompted them to start Proshots Digital Media and Art Centre, in February 2009. While Rami gave up his job as an accountant with Omantel, Huda joined him forsaking her career as a lecture at Higher College of Technology. Within a short span of three years, the couple managed to expand their venture from a studio to a multifaceted digital media and arts centre with focus on photography, videography, digital production, special effects, 3D animation design, framing etc.

Rami who firmly believes in the adage ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’, describes his decision to switch over to photography, his lifelong passion, as the most difficult but one of the best choices he has ever taken. “When I decided what I had to do, I proceeded in that direction. I did my Master’s from UK in business administration and completed various short courses and workshops in design, 3D animation, videography to equip myself for it.”

Powered by a Master’s in 3D animation and special effects and a Bachelor’s in IT, Huda had already made up her mind for the transition. “I am more into creative and design, while he is more business oriented. I learned a lot from the university of life through him. The shift from being an employee to become your own boss and to do things that you like is a big challenge.”

Rami adds, “To start and own a business requires more energy, more time, more knowledge and more planning than being an employee for someone.” He says it has been a successful, albeit challenging, journey. “We started as a photography studio but could expand our wing to production, design, print media etc. and emerge as one of the leading companies in Oman both in production and photography. I am looking for more competition in the market so that things will become easier for us.”

ProShots offers a wide range of retail and corporate services such as photography and videography for weddings and birthdays and album making to media coverage, awareness messages, commercial advertisement, documentaries, framing etc. Its fast growing clientele includes various ministries and some of the largest corporates and banks in the country.

Change of perception
ProShots accords more importance to impeccable professionalism and high-quality services. Huda says though there are commercially very few players in the market people are getting more serious about video production. “Unlike ten years ago when people hardly bothered about the quality of the production and looked for cheaper options, now they have understood the value of quality products. They came to realise that quality matters.”

While Huda attributes the success of their venture to the ability to think out of box and apply more innovative and artistic ideas, Rami highlights the significance of doing researches to understand the requirements and the latest trends of the market. 
 

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