IWD SOUQ . COMMUNITY FEATURE . JULY 2026
Community Feature:
Meet Ankana Chowdhury
Founder, Shots by Ankana
Your headshot is making introductions before you even say hello. Is it telling the story you want?
By IWD Souq . iwdsouq.com
Photography has always been an integral part of my life, which took shape as a profession after my daughter was born. She is the one who gave me the meaning to walk more deeply into this world of keeping memories.
At IWD Souq, we do not just curate products. We celebrate the women behind them. And Ankana Chowdhury of Shots by Ankana is exactly the kind of woman this community was built for: a skilled professional who turned a lifelong passion into a thriving Dubai business, and who now uses that skill to help other women show up in the world with confidence and clarity.
Ankana is a portrait and lifestyle photographer based in Dubai. She works with professionals, founders, and entrepreneurs who are ready to invest in how the world sees them. Whether that means a fresh LinkedIn headshot, a personal branding shoot for a new website, or photographs that tell the story of a business she has spent years building, Ankana knows how to find the image that makes people stop and pay attention.
Her session is now available to book directly through IWD Souq.
HER STORY
The Photographer Who Lets You Be Yourself
Ankana has always been drawn to creativity. Art, drawing, cooking, finding beauty in the everyday: these were constants long before photography became her profession. The camera was always part of her world, but it was motherhood that gave her work its deeper meaning.
Her daughter's arrival sharpened everything. The desire to preserve what passes, to create honest records of the lives we are actually living, to find the image that captures a person as they truly are rather than as they think they should appear: these became the animating questions of her practice.
“I love to capture the uniqueness that we all carry within us and share it with the world through my lens. So let us create the moment, the picture, and the story you want to tell.”
In a city as image-saturated as Dubai, Ankana's approach stands out precisely because of its restraint. She is not chasing trends or producing content. She is making photographs that last. Her visual style is clean, timeless, and centred entirely on the person in front of her lens.
She is also deeply committed to her own learning. In the digital era, she believes, education never stops. She continues to build her skills across portrait, personal branding, maternity, child, and commercial photography, expanding what she can offer without ever losing sight of what she does best: making the person in front of her feel seen.
THE SESSION
The IWD Souq Personal Branding Session
This is the service that changes how people see you before you walk into the room. Ankana's 30-minute personal branding session is designed specifically for the kind of woman who is building something in Dubai and needs her visual identity to match the standard of everything else she brings to the table.
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What Is Included |
✦ 30-Minute Personal Branding Session
✦ 8 Professionally Edited Images
✦ Perfect for LinkedIn, Websites and Speaker Profiles
✦ Guided Posing and Direction Throughout
✦ Professional, Polished and Authentic Results
The session is built around the specific platforms and contexts where your image does the most work: a LinkedIn profile that earns a second look, a website that communicates credibility before a word is read, a speaker profile that positions you as someone worth listening to.
Ankana handles the direction entirely. You do not need to know how to pose. You do not need experience in front of a camera. What she is expert at is reading what a person needs to feel comfortable, and translating that comfort into photographs that look effortless because they genuinely were.
Who this is for: Founders and entrepreneurs refreshing their brand. Professionals updating a LinkedIn profile. Speakers preparing for an event or panel. Anyone in Dubai who is ready for their visual identity to match their professional ambitions.
WHY IT MATTERS
Your Headshot Is Working Even When You Are Not
In Dubai, first impressions happen online before they happen in person. A potential client checks your LinkedIn before agreeing to a meeting. A brand partnership starts with someone looking at your website. A speaking invitation comes because a conference organiser saw your photograph on a panel bio and decided you looked like someone their audience would trust.
Your headshot is making introductions on your behalf, constantly, without you in the room. If it is a blurry crop from a party photograph, or an old corporate shot from three roles ago, or a selfie that does not quite capture who you are now, it is quietly working against you.
“Whether you are building your personal brand, refreshing your LinkedIn profile, updating your website, or preparing for speaking engagements, she knows exactly how to capture the version of you that people remember.”
Ankana's personal branding work takes this seriously. The session is not about producing a flattering photograph. It is about producing an accurate one: a photograph that shows you as you actually are when you are at your most confident, most capable, most you. That is a very specific and valuable thing to have.
For the women of the IWD Souq community, many of whom are building businesses and professional profiles in Dubai simultaneously, this kind of investment in how you present yourself is not a luxury. It is part of the infrastructure of a serious career.
IN HER CLIENTS' WORDS
What It Feels Like to Work With Ankana
The most honest measure of a photographer's work is what clients say after the session is over. Here is a selection from Ankana's testimonial record.
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“This was my first time doing a professional photoshoot, and I honestly could not have asked for a better experience. From the start, Ankana's warmth and positive energy made me feel so comfortable and confident, as if I had done this many times before. What I thought would be a nervous, awkward session turned into something natural, fun, and effortless. The photos are absolutely beautiful, and she delivered them right on time as promised.” |
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“Ankana made me feel at ease right from the prep to ambience and to the stage. Only a professional makes the process enjoyable. Unbelievable result. I would highly recommend her creative and professional approach to all.” |
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“Time flies with her in just a blink of an eye, and every moment working with her feels fun, light, and effortless. Thank you, Ankana, for making every frame beautiful and every experience unforgettable.” |
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“She is extremely talented and very good at her craft. I trust her completely and I always know her pics come out fab.” |
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“It was such an easy going and hassle free process. She just fit into the part seamlessly. Loved her work and attitude so much that we are working with her again.” |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Your Questions Answered
How do I book Ankana's session through IWD Souq?
You can book the 30-minute personal branding session directly through the IWD Souq platform at iwdsouq.com. Browse the services section and select the Shots by Ankana listing to proceed with your booking.
What exactly do I get from the 30-minute session?
The session includes 30 minutes of shooting with guided posing and direction from Ankana, and 8 professionally edited images delivered online. The images are specifically optimised for use on LinkedIn, websites, and speaker profiles.
Do I need any experience in front of a camera?
Not at all. Several of Ankana's most enthusiastic clients had never done a professional shoot before. She directs you through the entire session, so you do not need to know how to pose or what to do with your hands. That is her job.
Where does the session take place?
Session location details will be confirmed at the time of booking through IWD Souq. Ankana works across Dubai.
Is this only for women?
The IWD Souq community is women-led, but personal branding photography is valuable for any professional or founder looking to strengthen their visual identity. The session is designed for professionals, entrepreneurs, and founders at any stage of their career.
What should I wear and bring to the session?
Ankana will guide you on preparation as part of the booking process. As a general rule, choose clothing that feels like you at your best and reflects how you want to be seen professionally. Solid colours and clean lines tend to photograph well for personal branding work.
Book Your Session With Ankana
30-Minute Personal Branding Session . 8 Edited Images . Book via IWD Souq
iwdsouq.com . Women-led. UAE-based. Community-first.
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Published July 2026 . IWD Souq . iwdsouq.com