Imagine you and your significant other being shot under the celestial glow of the Milky Way galaxy, 10,000 feet above sea level in the chilly Ladakh at minus 15 degrees! Well, sky’s the limit when it comes to the modern day couples’ expectations. And wedding photographers are like dream catchers for them, capturing their most intimate moments. We speak to three renowned photographers from Canon EOS Ambassador Program — Nitin Arora, Nitin Dangwal and Anand Rathi on how wedding photography has become one of the most important aspects of the wedding.
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While Anand has shot Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja’s wedding, Nitin Dangwal is an award winning photographer helming Shutterinc Photography. Nitin Arora is one of the country’s first wedding photographers who has become a podcaster. Together, they spill the tea on wedding photography’s popularity, tips for budding photographers and more.
How has wedding photography evolved?
Nitin Arora: About five to six years back, a couple’s parents used to be in touch with wedding photographers. But now the charge is taken by the couple. Post Covid, the focus of prewedding shoots is on authenticity where the story is about the couple and not about the location or what they are wearing. Earlier, people wanted cinematic shots like those shown in movies to create a sense of grandeur. Now, they want it to be intimate and simple. They want to showcase their individual character and chemistry together as a couple.
Anand Rathi: We oscillate between ‘dream catchers’ to ‘nightmare extinguishers’ (laughs). I have personally gone for scuba diving training for a wedding shoot because the couple knew diving and they wanted underwater shoot. I have shot couples under the Milky Way in the dead of night in Ladakh when the temperature drops to minus 15 degrees!
Nitin Dangwal: In the last decade, wedding photography has matured as a field. People are aware of what they want and how they want to get it documented. They want to bring out their real persona. Anand Rathi: I noticed the expense ratio in European or American society versus India when it comes to spending on photography: 10 percent of the entire wedding budget goes to photography in European weddings. In India, it was only 0.5 percent about 10 years back and has become almost 2–5 percent now. Artistic wedding photography has gone from optional to mandatory in the last decade. In fact, wedding photography has evolved from mere documenting to becoming like filmmaking, where we are shooting with equipment used for filmmaking. If you see the Made In Heaven series, they have used real footage from weddings shot on OTT approved graded cameras. How far have Indian couples gone for their pre-wedding shoot?
What are the top wedding photography destinations in India?
Anand Rathi: Leh, Spiti and Meghalaya
Nitin Dangwal: Rajasthan, Kashmir and Goa.
What’s your advice for budding wedding photographers?
Anand Rathi: Have a conversation with yourself on the commercial and artistic side of wedding photography. Do not compare yourself with others watching Instagram. Focus on your growth.
Nitin Dangwal: When I started my career, I used to think photography is about beautiful photos. Now I realise, it’s about being a better person and observer of life. When I connect with the couple organically, you can see the glitter in their eyes and their happiness which you can easily capture in photos. It’s important for me to fall in love with the bride (laughs) and strive to create a beautiful story for her. So connecting with the couple and their family is key. Get a hang of AI tools such as face detect softwares and editing tools. Remember, you are as good as your last wedding shoot.