A behind-the-scenes look at what we do to create that special image
One thing we’ve learned from shooting weddings over the years is that anything can happen. There are tons of unplanned situations and challenges that we have to overcome to create beautiful images for our couples. We don’t always shoot at fantastical locations with fireworks, sometimes we work in plain banquet halls and unadorned rooms. So it’s quite right to say that getting stunning images is never dependant on whether the location is exotic or the decorations grand. It’s all about your perspective and the beauty that you choose to see even in the ordinary.
We don’t want our audiences or other aspiring photographers thinking that the situation is always perfect for us. Things often go wrong, but what we do differently is adapt quickly and change our game plan. So we decided to take a few images shot over the past few months, take you behind the scenes, and talk about how and what we did to get the final result. We hope it helps you understand that it’s not always about the ideal setting but trying to create something incredible with whatever you have.
Beauty in the Mountains
Isha got married at the beautiful Jaypee Resort in Mussoorie. While doing her portraits, we really wanted to create an image that captured the beauty of the hills, combine it with the sunset while doing something crazy! We got this gorgeous picture of Isha from outside the room with the Mussorie mountains and a remarkable sunset reflected on the window glass.
How we got the shot: Shot with a 24-70 lens at 1/160 with 2.8 f-stop and at ISO 500. We placed one off-camera light inside next to Isha.
Love-struck
We’re always looking for interesting angles and perspectives to add a layer to an image – a reflective surface or an interesting shoot-through space. This would have been a pretty but nevertheless, a standard couple entry shot had we taken it from front and centre. But we thought it would be more interesting to shoot Rahul and Sanya’s sangeet entry from a different viewpoint. The reflective surface caught our eye and the decor added another element to the image. And don’t you just love the adoring look on Rahul’s face?
How we got the shot: We shot this with a Fuji XH-1, 16mm F1.4R WR lens at f-stop 1.4 and shutter speed of 1/100 and ISO 200.
Old-World Charm
Another one of those portraits taken in a plain bridal room. Sometimes, instead of trying to create something dramatic, it’s much more powerful to play on the simple. By keeping the background basic, we draw more attention to Varsha.
How we got the shot: We shot this with the Fuji XH-1, a 16mm F1.4 R WR lens at f-stop 1.4 with a shutter speed of 1/200 and ISO 200. This was a two light set-up shot. We placed one light with a softbox in front of Varsha to illuminate her face while one light with a magmod grid was placed behind her.
Joy of Traditions
Haldi ceremonies are action-packed and SO unpredictable that it’s not possible to plan anything. You just have to wait, crouched in between the family members, for that right moment when everything falls into your frame. We did and we got this fantastic shot of a joyful groom surrounded by family during his haldi ceremony.
How we got the shot: Shot at 14mm with a 14-24mm lens, shutter speed at 1/160 with f-stop 2.8 and ISO 1000.
Beauty in Reflection
Often, the places where the brides get ready are plain, nondescript hotel rooms with nothing to play around with. But as wedding photographers, it’s our job to create magic and make an ordinary frame look exceptional. What you can’t see in this photo is the same regular room that our bride Varsha was getting ready in, and that is exactly the point of creating something like this! The location takes a back seat because the perspective we take absolutely fixes one’s attention to our gorgeous bride! We shot this with Varsha’s dupatta in the foreground while we focus on her reflection in the piece of mirror that she holds.
How we got the shot: Shot with Fuji XH-1 with a 56mm F1.2 R lens at f-stop 1.2, shutter speed of 1/250 and at ISO 100. We used one off-camera flash with a softbox aimed at Varsha’s face.
Look of Love
The energy of every baraat and groom is different and it gives us the opportunity to create something new every time we shoot. We shot this particular image through the horse’s ears who was pulling Ashish’s carriage during his wedding procession. Instead of the usual chaos that is typical of a baraat, we wanted to capture Ashish’s easygoing personality and his happiness on getting married to the girl of his dreams. And this perspective gave us the perfect opportunity to drown everybody else out and focus on his radiant expression.
How we got the shot: Shot with a Fuji XT-2 with a 56mm F1.2 R lens at f-stop 1.2, with a shutter speed of 1/200 at ISO 1000.
The structure and rituals in most Indian weddings are pretty similar. So it’s always a pleasure to push ourselves to create something distinctive for each couple during a wedding. In fact, we love the challenge that weddings throw at us! It gives the chance to approach the same scene differently.
If you have any questions, ask away in the comments! We’d love to hear about your BTS (behind-the-scenes) stories and know how you overcame a challenge at a wedding.
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