Tips For An Indian Wedding Photographer
For many years, I have been a professional photographer, but it wasn’t until 2007 that I began photographing Indian weddings. There were a lot fewer Indian wedding photographers doing wedding photography in a documentary approach back then, and I was one of the few. New photographers are flooding the market as a result of this quick transformation. In addition, Indian weddings have grown popular across the globe, and as a result, a growing number of international photographers are attempting to capture one.
Photographing an Indian wedding is unlike any other kind of wedding photography you’ve ever seen, as is photographing an Indian wedding anyplace else in the globe. As a first-time Indian wedding photographer, these ideas may help you avoid some of the pitfalls that come with the job.
These are some pointers for Indian wedding photographers.
Greetings from the subcontinent of India. Your watch should be set to IST, which stands for ‘Indian flexible time’. In Indian weddings, no matter how much the family cares about being on time, they never are. It’s fun to relax with a drink in your hand, but if you’re a photographer getting ready for a session at 9 a.m. and the family shows there two hours later, it might be stressful. Even if it seems like a dramatic exaggeration, it was true. A ten-hour workday might turn into a 14-hour one at times. Planning your day should take this into mind. It could be a good idea to include a language in the contract that covers overtime pay.
How about photographing the same wedding with eight other photographers? A few amusing images may result from this, but it may be difficult to deal with. Having many teams of photographers during an Indian wedding is not unusual. The groom’s family may have engaged their own crew “just in case” without informing the bride, despite the fact that you were in contact with her. When you get to the wedding, you discover that there are six or more additional photographers vying for the same spot as you. You don’t need me to tell you how detrimental this is to your mental health and well-being. Let the bride, groom, family, and wedding planner know that in a case like this, pre-coordination is highly suggested so that everyone understands what to do and you have your area for work. This is extremely vital. Keep your cool and take a deep breath in.
Keep in mind that technology hasn’t yet reached every part of this vast continent. It’s not uncommon, particularly at South Indian weddings, to have to deal with videographers who are still shooting with scorching halogen lights. Once upon a time, I was informed that in India, people prefer to seem ‘fair and attractive’ in the wedding film, and halogen lights, which are bad for still photographers, are really the norm in southern India. You may ruin your stills with this light if you don’t know how to use it creatively. However, if you’re able to place your subject between you and the halogen, it might be an excellent backlight.
The wedding may take place at odd hours of the day or night, so be prepared. Most but not all Indian marriages are arranged with the help of an astrologer who determines the most auspicious moment for “tying the knot”. When it comes to weddings in Delhi and the north of India, this fortunate period is often between the hours of 2 and 3 AM (!). Dinner is served, and everyone departs. Only the immediate family and the couple remain at the location, and even they may nod off before the program really begins. Tamil Brahmin weddings in southern India often begin around 5 a.m., when the bride begins her preparations. Chill. To ensure a good night’s sleep before the big day, find out whether it’s a late-night or early morning wedding.
Where do you go to get the best Indian food in town? Love Indian food? You’re in for a treat. My metabolism is quite rapid, and I have a very short fuse when it comes to hunger, so I don’t know about you. After a few hours of working without food, a red light begins to flash and I have to eat quickly. A midnight meal may leave you unsatisfied, not to mention starving, if your usual dinnertime is around 8:30 p.m. or earlier. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen sometimes. In India, people eat their meals late. It’s beyond midnight now. Eat something before supper or take advantage of the pre-dinner appetizers in order to stay alive and productive throughout the day.
It’s going to be a lengthy one! The normal wedding ceremony is roughly two hours long, with a lot of tiny details and sanskrit poetry thrown in for good measure. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s virtually never the same sequence as your last wedding and there’s always something new to see. Gujarati weddings, with its lengthy pre-wedding rites that included the groom’s brother and his wife conducting their own wedding-like ceremony, were the most ornate ones I’ve seen. Have your camera cards and batteries ready because a traditional Tamil Brahmin (TamBram) wedding may run up to four (!) hours and a lot of material will be thrown into the fire. On the first TamBram wedding I attended, I took hundreds of photos since I didn’t know which “swaha” was the most meaningful.
Photographer for Indian weddings
There’s something unique about the old-school Indian wedding photojournalist. For many years, his employment has been based in Indian culture, and he knows exactly what is expected of him. As part of their duties, wedding photographers are tasked with photographing every single attendee at the event. Guests will line up in front of the newlyweds, who will be sitting on a stage, and they will be able to bless them, give them gifts, and take pictures with them. In certain cases, this procedure might go for hours and is a nightmare for everyone concerned. The parents know that no one will ever see these photos, but it is culturally expected that they allow everyone of their visitors to feel as if they are important enough to have a photograph taken with them. I have a hunch this is not what you envision when you envision your career as an Indian wedding photographer, so plan ahead if you don’t want to do it. Have someone else do it, or make sure that it’s not a requirement of yours so you can focus on taking unique photos. To hire a top UK based Indian Wedding Photographer follow the link.
When compared to the Indian wedding photographer I’d previously stated, there is no posturing in my style of photography. I’m not a big fan of posing, and I want my photos to seem more natural anyhow. In spite of this, if you don’t pose for a photo, you’ll lose one opportunity. This is a photo of the two of them together. For the parents and grandparents, this will be the photo they cherish. You’ll have to get in character for that. The photographer who photographed my wedding told me this, and he was accurate. When it comes to Indian weddings, the ‘ideal time to do it’ is often immediately after the ceremony. What happened? Photographing a newlywed couple in their wedding gown is ideal, but since weddings may last for hours, you don’t want them to be exhausted and unflattering in their portraits, which is clearly the worst case scenario. Even if you try, the vermilion (Sindoor) that is painted on the bride’s forehead will always get up on her nose, making it very hard to remove. Because of this, I believe the official wedding photograph should be taken before the celebration, rather than immediately after the ceremony. Take a shot with the filthy nose, but don’t wait until the reception to take your best photo.
Dawoodi Bhora weddings are common in Mumbai, India.
Destination weddings in India are growing more popular, particularly for beach nuptials in Goa or Kerala. There are a few things to keep in mind while planning an Indian beach wedding. Because the sun sets behind them in Goa and Kerala, this is essential. Having a flash or a reflector on hand is a good idea in case you don’t get the perfect silhouette photo.
It’s not uncommon for Indian weddings to span several days, resulting in a lot of time spent traveling back and forth between your accommodation and the ceremony site. Due to the unpredictable nature of traffic, you can miss a significant portion. If feasible, try to get a room at the same hotel as the couple. You won’t have to lug about all of your stands and lights all the time, and you won’t have to worry about them if you leave them behind. It may seem absurd, but I can think of a slew of professional photographers and videographers who will attest that this is a critical advice.
Even though I specified “ten suggestions,” I think that 10 is a better number than 11. When it comes to weddings throughout the globe, this is a universal truth. Try to get to know the couple, not just the wedding planner or a family member or a friend of the couple. It’s a good idea to get to know the bride and groom before the wedding so that they know what to anticipate from you, and this is exactly what we all want. I need to see the magic in their eyes if I’m going to be able to pull it off. As a friend rather than a service provider, this is considerably simpler.
