Today weddings are incomplete until the bride and groom have that once-in-a-lifetime kind of surreal photoshoot. But what makes a wedding photograph magical — evocative of a thousand memories and emotions? Hyderabad-based wedding photographer Joseph Radhik has all the answers having photographed the most celebrated couples in India. From Priyanka-Nick’s fun wedding and Anushka-Virat’s nuptials at the romantic environs of Tuscany, to shooting Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan’s soulful chemistry and Katrina-Vicky’s royal wedding affair — Joseph has mastered the art of capturing love in seemingly sentimental snapshots.
The master lensman discovered his passion for frames after a slew of odd stints. From working in rural parts of India to selling ideas at big corporate houses, he has done it all before venturing full-time into wedding photography in the year 2010. In just over a decade, he has travelled to over 35 countries and exposed himself to diverse lifestyles, customs, traditions and people. It was his way of getting acquainted with the idiosyncrasies of his subjects before clicking them. The result — stunning photographs rooted in beauty, intimacy and emotions. After completing a momentous decade-long stint in professional wedding photography, Joseph wishes to share his expertise with learners. He has collaborated with the Designer’s Class — a digital education platform that onboards industry experts like Masaba Gupta, Gauri Khan, Abujani and Sandeep Khosla amongst many others, to educate learners in lifestyle fields like visual arts, fashion and design. Joseph’s entry has just amped the great Indian wedding fever. We speak to him to know more about wedding photography.
What interested you to be a part of this course on wedding photography?
I completed 10 years as a wedding photographer last year, and this is my way of giving back to the community that has helped me reach where I am today. I have joined hands with the Designer’s Class to empower every wedding photographer — aspiring, beginner, experienced — in India to build a sustainable creative business that enables you to not just earn a living, but also enjoy the craft. The sessions will help learners to build a portfolio of beautiful and meaningful images.
What will the course entail for learners?
During the sessions of my course, you’ll learn my approach to wedding photography as a service and an art form. I will share about how to make beautiful portraits in less time, how to reliably capture real moments, the kind of gear we take to shoot, and a lot more. The duration is a few hours of video footage, but it’s packed with repeatability due to informative slides, behind-the-scenes photos, and more of my own work that has never been seen before.
As a connoisseur in wedding photography, do you think trends shape this field?
Trends isn’t a word I particularly enjoy because it implies that wedding photography follows a momentary fad. In my opinion, good wedding photography is timeless, not trending. These images are made to last decades — just like the marriage, hopefully; and they should stand the test of time.
How has wedding photography in India evolved over the years?
Good wedding photography has always existed in India, hidden away in albums in our homes. The rise of social media has changed how these images are now shared, and we see them a lot more publicly now. Our images have always strived to be hyper real — a dramatisation of a real moment, and not just documentation. You could say, that is a new idea. So it’s about real moments, real people, but captured in a way that they resemble cinema.
What are the three simple wedding photography tips you would give to budding photographers?
First, connect with the brides and grooms you’re going to be photographing. My best photos are made of the people I know, and the people who’ll ignore my camera during a vulnerable moment. Get to know your couples, and you’ll make meaningful photos. Second, practice more than you shoot for your profession. The practice involves shooting without a client, or a brief. It is the process of just picking up your camera and taking photos. Practice, practice, practice because people hire you as a professional and the last thing you want to do is to be practicing during a paid gig. Third, when you promise, try to overdeliver. This goes for adhering to timelines, quantities, and more. Always promise whatever you’re capable of doing at a gig. Anything beyond that may hamper the quality. Most of our best photos are not planned, but are an organic intersection of serendipity, skill, and relationships, so remember that in your process.
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