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SAFFRON - SESHU'S DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY & PORTRAITS BLOG
The Perfect Photographer For Your Big Fat Indian Wedding |
07.05.10 |
An Event Coordinator's Guide To Working With Visual Artists Who Document Your Event |
 This is a guest post by Richa Chandra Johari, Marketing Director for Indian Weddings Online. You can find her on Twitter as @RichaCJohari and @IndianWedOnline
Selecting the ideal photographer to capture the most celebrated occasion in the South Asian family's life is one of the most important decisions you will make. Whether you make four or seven pheras around the sacred fire, wear a Mangal Sutra, sign a Nikkah contract, or marry at the Gurudwara, you and your photographers must have the perfect chemistry. As an event coordinator and former Desi bride, I realize that this decision is more involved than may appear on the surface. One of the questions you may face is whether you should choose an experienced or rookie photographer when it comes to Desi weddings. There are two sides to this dilemma. The experienced photographer will capture the emotional moment of the kanya daan (when the father gives away his daughter) or the kick off of your garba circle. On the other hand, the Desi wedding rookie will see beauty in the display of barfis and ladoos, the details of your chudis, and the height of the havan fire. You may feel an intangible sense of awe captured in their images. You will feel like you are looking through the eyes of a person who is attending a Desi wedding for the first time, which can be quite poetic! Regardless of the experience of the photographer, the most important criterion is that you like the style of your photographer's pictures and that their style matches your taste. To ensure the photographer's style is complementary to your own, you should try to meet or talk to the photographers or have your wedding coordinator meet to explain your overall vision. Study their portfolios, ask for their creative input, and find out their shooting style. I recommend having an engagement and bridal portrait session with your photographer to also help establish chemistry. By the time of your wedding day, you will feel at ease with your photographers, and they will be more like friends. Some photographers have a natural tack at making you smile and laugh whereas others may be non-interactive. This is an important quality to consider in terms of whether you prefer candid shots or more posed shots. The type of photographer that works best for candid images is non-intrusive and will not need much guidance. The one who is great for posed shots will be interactive and skilled at directing and making everyone feel like a star. One of the most cumbersome moments during your wedding day for you and your photographers will be the "organized" portrait sessions. Whether you have an event coordinator or not, this is often chaotic because family and friends are often unaware of all the little behind-the-scenes details. Plan your portrait sessions in advance. Make sure everyone who needs to stay for a portrait session after the ceremony is informed. Send out an email, or make a list to be distributed to your family and close friends. Now, at your reception will you take pictures with all the guests? In my opinion, this always becomes a lose-lose situation. You may regret not having pictures with all your guests, but if you go through this strenuous undertaking, you may not have the energy to dance the night away. Consider the length of your wedding day and events and try to spread out pictures with family and friends over the nights of the mehendi, sangeet, and finally, ceremony and reception. This way you won't be overwhelmed with by "table shots" or "sweetheart table portraits" with groups. On another practical note, go over your contract! Make sure the package you choose fits your needs. As our desi wedding events are numerous and long, you may have over a 1000 images from which to select, and it may take anywhere from two months to a year to choose pictures for your album and prints! Make sure you know what this process will be like with your photographers. You also need to make sure you know how many hours the photographer(s) will shoot and what their overtime charges are for your events. Okay, so everything is clear as mud now, right? No worries, here is a summary for the overwhelmed dulha and dulhan-zilla: a) Make sure the photography matches your taste. b) Study their portfolios. c) Establish chemistry with your photographers through bridal and/or engagement portrait sessions, and decide whether you prefer posed or candid shots. d) Make a list of your needs: i.e. bridal session, engagement session, ceremony portrait session, all your events, number of prints, albums, and number of shooters needed. e) Plan for portrait sessions! f) Go over your contract to make sure it fits all your needs or hire an event coordinator to make sure you are covering everything. The photographic material of South Asian wedding ceremonies is diverse, and visually appealing with colors, jewels, and poignant moments galore. To ensure that your pictures transcend beyond the innate beauty of our wedding traditions, make sure you select your ideal photographer carefully. Unlike many of your wedding gifts, this will be the gift to yourself that keeps on giving. Get ready for the fun and exciting road of planning your big fat Indian wedding, and congratulations on your upcoming nuptials! |
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| category: Weddings tags: Weddings, Guide, Photographer, Indian, Event Coordinator, Wedding Planner |
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