My first memory of a wedding is watching my parents’ Wedding Photography and wedding video on our old AIWA TV when I was just a small boy. The wedding video footage was recorded on a VCR tape and it captivated me immensely. The wedding rituals, the over-the-top video effects, all the embarrassing things my parents were made to do by the videographer, each element held a special fascination for me.
Not too long back, I had the wedding photographs and video digitized and I had an opportunity to see it again, this time from the eyes of a candid wedding photographer. This time I noticed the video editing, the grainy quality, and the washed-out colors. But the one thing that stood out was this: There were no other cameras in the frame. No aged women toting point-and-shoot cameras with loud flashes. No amateur photographers (with an “XYZ Photography” Facebook page) carrying a brand new DSLR (from their NRI uncle) blocking the middle of the frame. No one jostling the videographer to get the best vantage of the wedding rituals.
It was a revelation. In those days, you could only own a camera if you were fantastically rich, financially irresponsible, or both. Nowadays every other person owns a DSLR or an iPhone. Jostling with enthusiastic wedding attendees and trying to time photographs in-between bright flashes is an occupational hazard among wedding photographers.
An unplugged wedding is one where guests are requested not to carry DSLRs or other cameras and let the official wedding photographer do his job unhindered. It’s a fairly new concept, and as a candid wedding photographer, this is a dream come true. But even so, I’ve never asked anyone for an unplugged wedding. Why? Because it would mean that my wedding photographs are more important than grandma’s wedding photographs. And they’re not. Wedding photography is more than just technical or artistic skills, it’s an emotional ride. Every guest wants to capture their own unique view of the wedding, their own unique wedding photography. Guests are happier and feel more involved in the wedding this way, and capturing pictures of happy people is the best gift a wedding photographer can get.
As my colleague aptly put it, “The day isn’t about you or me. It’s about them.”
Of course, as Bangalore’s Best Candid Wedding Photographer, I’ve learned to wriggle and sidestep these difficulties with ease! My wife tells me that my dancing has considerably improved over the last few years, so I guess that’s a good thing, right? Do check out the rest of my blog and portfolio while you’re here!
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