Sarthak Duggal

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United States
La Jolla, CA
Sarthak Duggal

My photographic style has been described to be creative and fun, engaging but relaxed.

A photograph takes 1/8000th of a second-the true beauty of a moment is captured in a friendly and comfortable environment between the photographer and the client.

10/26/2026

What if your wedding wasn’t just one day, but an entire adventure across Japan? 🇯🇵💍

I’ve been dreaming about creating something a little different with my photography.

Imagine spending a week exploring Japan with your partner, turning the entire experience into your own love story.

🍣 Tokyo: Wandering through Tsukiji Market, eating street food, laughing, getting lost, and capturing all those little candid moments that make your relationship yours.

🛍️ Ginza: Shopping for new outfits together, dressing up, and turning the streets of Tokyo into your own editorial fashion shoot.

⛩️ Kyoto: Hiking through beautiful forests, discovering ancient temples, and capturing intimate moments surrounded by nature and history.

🗻 Mount Fuji: Ending the adventure at Lake Kawaguchiko, with Mount Fuji reflecting across the water as you exchange vows in a beautiful, intimate ceremony.

Photography. Cinematic video. Travel. Adventure. And a whole lot of memories.

Not just wedding photos, but an entire chapter of your life documented together.

This is something I genuinely want to bring to life through Sartographer Photography.

I’m exploring the idea of offering weeklong destination elopement experiences in Japan, and I’m curious if couples would actually be interested!

So tell me…

Would you travel to Japan for a weeklong adventure, photoshoot, and intimate elopement? 👀

If this sounds like your dream, comment JAPAN or send me a DM! I’d love to hear from you. ❤️

10/26/2026

I hate running. 😂 But it’s teaching me one of the most important lessons about building my own business.

Stop treating failure like it’s inevitable.

Every time I go for a run, there’s a moment when my mind starts negotiating with me.

“I’m tired.”
“This sucks.”
“You’ve done enough.”
“Just stop. It’s okay.”

And sometimes, I genuinely do need to slow down or rest.

But other times, I realize it’s not my body asking me to stop. It’s that familiar voice trying to convince me that something difficult isn’t worth continuing.

And I’ve started getting curious about that voice.

Because I hear it outside of running, too.

When business is slow. When someone rejects my offer. When things don’t go according to plan.

That same voice starts whispering, “Maybe this just isn’t going to work.”

But a difficult moment isn’t the same thing as failure. And a thought isn’t an instruction.

I’m learning that I can acknowledge the discomfort without letting it make every decision for me.

I can slow down. I can change my approach. I can take a break.

And I can still choose to keep going.

Maybe success isn’t about never experiencing doubt.

Maybe it’s about learning that doubt doesn’t always have to be the one driving.

You don’t have to believe every thought your mind creates.

Sometimes you just have to take another step.

What’s something you’ve kept showing up for, even when part of you wanted to quit?

10/25/2026

Stop looking at how far you have to go. Start looking at what’s right in front of you.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced while building my photography business has been constantly comparing where I am to where I want to be.

I have these big dreams. Financial freedom. A thriving business. The ability to create, travel, and live life on my own terms.

But sometimes, those dreams feel SO far away.

And the more I focus on that distance, the more overwhelmed I become.

Am I doing enough? Am I moving fast enough? What if I take the wrong path? What if none of this works?

And suddenly, I’m spending more energy worrying about the future than actually building it.

So here’s something I’ve been reminding myself lately.

Just focus on the next two steps.

Not the next six months. Not the next five years. Just what’s directly in front of me.

What can I do today? What needs my attention tomorrow?

Maybe I need to slow down. Maybe I need to push a little harder. Maybe I need to change directions entirely.

But I don’t need to figure out the entire journey to take the next step.

And there’s something incredibly freeing about that.

I’m learning that having big dreams doesn’t mean I have to carry the weight of them every single day.

The goal gives me direction. The present gives me somewhere to actually begin.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by how far you still have to go, here’s your reminder to come back to where you are.

Do today’s work. Trust the process. Take the next step.

And little by little, you’ll find yourself somewhere you once only dreamed of being.

What’s one small step you can take toward your goal today?

10/25/2026

I got rejected from a job I thought was going to bring stability back into my life.

And what surprised me most wasn’t the rejection. It was how quickly my mind spiraled afterward.

A few months ago, I was overwhelmed trying to build my photography business. The uncertainty of not knowing when my next paycheck would come had finally caught up with me.

So I applied for a corporate job.

The interviews went incredibly well. I met with the CEO. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

And I could feel myself getting excited about the security again.

Then came the rejection email.

My heart sank. My energy dropped. And suddenly, all those familiar thoughts came rushing back.

But about five minutes into feeling absolutely miserable, something shifted.

I started observing my disappointment instead of getting completely lost in it.

I noticed how strangely comforting it felt to curl up in that sadness. How easily one emotion could shape the thoughts that followed.

And I realized I didn’t have to stay there.

That night, I went to a concert. I danced, sang, laughed, and had the BEST time.

Suddenly, my mind was full of excitement, creativity, and possibilities again.

Same life. Same circumstances. Completely different experience.

And that taught me something.

Neither the sadness nor the happiness was the whole truth of my life. Both were temporary experiences passing through it.

I’m learning that I don’t need to chase every good feeling or escape every difficult one.

Sometimes I can simply observe what’s happening, allow myself to feel it, and remember that it will change.

Maybe that’s what equanimity really means to me.

Not being happy all the time. Not being unaffected by life.

Just learning to experience life without getting completely swept away by every emotion.

Have you ever noticed how differently you see your life depending on the mood you’re in?

10/25/2026

I’ve been so caught up in figuring out my future that I almost forgot what it feels like to just enjoy being myself.

Building my business has brought up so much uncertainty. Will I have enough clients? Will I make enough money? Is any of this actually going to work?

And without realizing it, I started carrying that fear everywhere. In how I walked, talked, and showed up around others.

But last night, I went to a Logic concert, an artist I used to listen to back in 2016.

And suddenly, I remembered how I felt back then. Confident, playful, excited about life. Just being myself without constantly worrying about what comes next.

It made me realize something.

When did I start treating life like something I needed to figure out instead of something I get to experience?

I’m learning that I can struggle with uncertainty and still experience joy. I can take my responsibilities seriously without letting them consume every moment.

For me, running, music, and movement have become ways to reconnect with that version of myself.

Not to pretend everything is okay, but to remember that I am so much more than whatever challenge I’m currently facing.

We can’t always control what life throws at us, but we can become more aware of how we carry it.

And maybe that’s where the real freedom begins.

How do you reconnect with yourself when life feels overwhelming?

10/24/2026

I hate running. Like, genuinely HATE it. 😂

Which is exactly why I’ve decided I need to do more of it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about discomfort lately. Why do we resist certain things so strongly? Why does our mind create so much friction around something that’s actually good for us?

For me, running has become this weird little experiment in understanding my own mind.

Every time I hit an uphill stretch, the same thoughts show up.

“I’m tired.”
“This is too hard.”
“Maybe I should walk.”
“I’ve already done enough.”

And for the longest time, I just listened to them.

But recently, I started getting curious.

Am I actually exhausted? Or is my mind just uncomfortable?

And if I’m uncomfortable, why does that automatically mean I need to stop?

So instead of immediately reacting to the thought, I started observing it.

The resistance. The frustration. The desire to quit.

And something interesting happened.

I realized that just because my mind tells me to stop doesn’t mean I have to obey it.

Of course, there’s a difference between pushing through mental resistance and ignoring what your body genuinely needs. But learning to recognize that difference has been fascinating.

Slowly, I went from barely making it up the hill to running the entire loop without stopping.

I’m still slow. I’m still breathing like I’m fighting for my life. 😂

But that’s not really the point.

The point is that I proved to myself that I can do something difficult, even when every part of me wants to avoid it.

And I’m starting to see how much this applies to everything else in my life.

Building a business. Having uncomfortable conversations. Facing rejection. Learning something new. Sitting with difficult emotions.

So much of growth seems to happen in the moments when we’d rather turn around and go home.

And maybe the goal isn’t to make everything easier.

Maybe it’s to become someone who doesn’t need everything to be easy.

What’s one thing you’ve been avoiding simply because it’s uncomfortable?

10/24/2026

The scariest part of starting my own business hasn’t been finding clients. It’s been believing that I’m worth what I want to charge.

For years, I’ve been comfortable charging $200–$300 for a photoshoot.

But now that I’m trying to build something sustainable, I’ve started having conversations about charging $1,000. Even $2,000.

And let me tell you… saying those numbers out loud is TERRIFYING. 😂

Not because I don’t believe in the quality of my work, but because there’s this little voice in my head asking:

“Who do you think you are to charge that much?”

So I’ve been practicing something.

Just say the number.

No apologizing. No nervous explanations. No trying to justify my worth before someone even responds.

The first time I quoted someone $1,200, I was practically hiding behind my own words, bracing myself for rejection.

Their response?

“Yeah, of course. That’s fine.”

WAIT, WHAT? 😂

The next time, I confidently quoted $2,000.

Their response?

“That’s a little outside our budget.”

And you know what? That was fine too.

I’m slowly realizing that someone saying no to my price isn’t the same as someone saying no to my worth.

A price is just a number. It’s not a measure of who I am.

Of course, pricing should reflect the value I provide. But I can’t discover what people are willing to pay if I’m too afraid to even ask.

And maybe this lesson goes beyond business.

How many opportunities do we talk ourselves out of because we’ve already decided we’re not worthy of them?

I’m learning to stop rejecting myself before anyone else even gets the chance.

Just say the number. See what happens.

Anyone else struggle with asking for what they believe they deserve?

10/24/2026

📸 FULL PHOTO GALLERY LINK IN BIO! ✨

What a beautiful night of music, dancing, and togetherness at the CRY San Diego Dandiya event! 💃❤️

I had such a wonderful time capturing all the joy of the evening, from the little ones showing off their dance moves to the colorful outfits, endless twirls, and smiles that filled the room!

But what made this night truly special was the community behind it. Seeing families, friends, and generations come together to celebrate our culture while supporting a cause that helps create brighter futures for children was genuinely heartwarming. It’s a lovely reminder that something as simple as coming together to dance, laugh, and celebrate can make a meaningful difference beyond the dance floor. ❤️

These are the moments I love capturing most. The connections, the laughter, and the little memories that make a community feel like family.

A huge thank you to CRY San Diego for bringing everyone together for such a meaningful celebration. So grateful I got to document a little piece of it! 🥹✨

The full photo gallery is linked in my bio! Find your favorite moments, download your photos, and share the memories! 📸

10/24/2026

3 months into building my own business, I genuinely thought I was failing.

I had this whole plan figured out.

Fall was coming. Families would want holiday portraits. I’m a portrait photographer. Perfect timing, right?

I convinced myself that this was going to be my big opportunity.

Except… it wasn’t.

The bookings didn’t come the way I expected. And because I had put so much hope into this one idea, I started questioning everything.

Was I even good at business? Did I make a mistake trying to do this full-time? Was I ever going to figure it out?

But something interesting happened.

Instead of giving up, I kept showing up. I kept meeting people, trying new things, and saying yes to opportunities that didn’t necessarily fit my original plan.

And somehow, that led me somewhere I never expected.

Brand development. Helping people bring their ideas to life. Building websites. Creating something much bigger than just taking photographs.

And it made me realize something.

Sometimes we’re so attached to how we think life is supposed to unfold that we completely miss the opportunities happening right in front of us.

I’m still figuring this whole thing out. But I’m learning that maybe the goal isn’t to have the perfect plan.

Maybe it’s to keep moving, stay curious, and trust yourself enough to change directions.

Have you ever had something not work out, only to realize it was pushing you somewhere better?

10/19/2026

I started a photography business. Somehow, it turned into a journey of healing my childhood trauma.

Three months ago, I thought the hardest part of working for myself would be finding clients, making money, learning marketing, and figuring out how to run a business.

Turns out, the hardest part has been learning how to exist without the structures that once made me feel safe.

For most of my adult life, there was always something telling me I was doing okay. A salary. A job title. A career path. A sense of progression. External validation that I was moving in the right direction.

And then suddenly, all of that disappeared.

What I didn’t expect was how much of my identity, confidence, and sense of security had been built around those things.

Without them, I started noticing all these little beliefs I’d been carrying around for years.

That my worth is tied to my productivity. That I need to be accomplishing something to feel good about myself. That uncertainty means something is wrong. That if I’m not moving forward, I’m falling behind.

And the fascinating part is that so many of these beliefs were formed long before I ever had a career. They’re rooted in childhood experiences, the environments we grew up in, and the ways we learned to feel safe, accepted, and worthy.

Starting a business didn’t create these insecurities. It just removed the distractions that kept me from seeing them.

So lately, I’ve been doing a lot more than building a photography business. I’ve been learning to recognize my subconscious patterns, question the stories I tell myself, and figure out who I am when there’s nothing external telling me who I should be.

It’s been uncomfortable, humbling, and honestly, much harder than I imagined.

But maybe that’s the real opportunity in all of this.

Not just to build a business that supports the life I want, but to build a relationship with myself that doesn’t depend on how successful that business becomes.

Three months in, and the biggest thing I’m learning has very little to do with photography.

Maybe the hardest part of building something of your own is realizing how much of yourself you have to unlearn along th

Address

La Jolla, CA

Website

https://sartographer.com/

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