Prateek Tamta
Prateek Tamta has spent the past two years helping shape the visual identity of the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre while balancing being a student in university, entrepreneurship and leadership roles outside the classroom.
Originally from India, the Saint Mary’s University arts student is a self-taught photographer, cinematographer and designer who built his creative business, Pixels by Prateek, alongside his studies. Through photography, videography and storytelling, he has helped capture the energy of the Centre’s events, programs and entrepreneurial community while continuing to grow his own brand in Halifax.
Prateek’s creative journey started long before university.
“My mom used to buy film cameras when I was a kid and print albums of photos,” he says. “As I grew older, I became very keen on all things tech-related, would take a lot of photos on my phone, draw in my free time and watch lots of tech tutorials to get better at design.”
What began as curiosity quickly evolved into a passion for multidisciplinary storytelling. Over time, Prateek taught himself photography, videography and design through online tutorials, experimentation and trial and error.
“The most important skill I learned was how to learn anything,” he says. “Since I am self-taught, most of my skills came from Googling, YouTube tutorials, Skillshare courses and just trying things out.”
Prateek holds the Enactus World Cup trophy
While building Pixels by Prateek, Prateek was also balancing classes, his role at the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre and leadership responsibilities with Enactus Saint Mary’s University. As VP of Tech alongside Co-VP Maya Campbell, he helped lead the tech team during Enactus SMU’s World Cup win.
“It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” he says. “We pulled all-nighters, problem-solved and built a system that future tech teams could use as a base. The win felt worth it because everyone worked so hard to get there.”
At the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre, Prateek’s visual storytelling helped strengthen the Centre’s online presence by capturing authentic moments from events, student ventures and the entrepreneurial community. Through reels, photography and creative content, his work helped showcase the people and stories behind the Centre.
Balancing so many responsibilities was not always easy, but Prateek credits the Centre with helping him grow both personally and professionally.
“I was lucky enough to get a job at the Entrepreneurship Centre that let me work more within my skillset while giving me enough time to do well in classes as well as business,” he says. “The EC also introduced me to a lot of people and ways I could find clients for my business.”
As graduation approaches, Prateek will continue pursuing creative storytelling full-time. Looking back on his journey, he encourages other students to explore different interests and embrace the learning process.
“Make sure you’re taking care of yourselves,” he says. “It’s very easy to neglect your health when you’re passionate about something. Just make sure you’re not burning out, learning lots and most importantly, having fun.”