Those who are not content with just changing their relationship status on Facebook to let people know that they have got hitched are now setting up snazzy shoots to share with the virtual world their happily everafter. And more than your friendly neighbourhood photo studio, it’s young shutterbugs that GenY couples are turning to. A number of photography enthusiasts have woken up to the creative satisfaction and quick bucks of wedding clicks. They have created Facebook pages and websites where couples can get in touch with them.

“Photography is my passion. I used to freelance but I soon realised it’s easy to start my own company with the help of social media. Couples no longer keep wedding pictures hidden in an album at home, rather they post them on Facebook for the world to see. They are ready to freeze a ritual for some time so the best shot can be captured,” said Somenath Ghosh, a former student of Jadavpur University, who used to freelance for wedding photography studios before setting up The Wedding Chronicles page on Facebook in December 2014 and on Instagram in 2016. Somenath has covered over 40 weddings so far.

The same way, Dibyodak Mitra started his FB page, Croons Studio, in 2013, when he was a first-year student at Techno India.

“Shooting a wedding is no more about documenting an event, it is about capturing sweet and awkward moments. And since Facebook is the first place where couples share pictures and videos, I decided to connect with them on Facebook itself,” said Dibyodak.

Pre- and post-wedding shoot

Think of a pre-wedding shoot as a promo to the actual nuptials. Since no news is real till it’s broken on social media, a pre-wedding shoot helps a couple reveal their wedding plans on their friends’ list with style and some drama.

“A pre-wedding shoot is like a presentation of the relationship shared by the couple. It is often shown on a big screen on the day of the Sangeet,” said Dibyodak.

From iconic monuments to nostalgic bylanes, photographers keep scouring the city for innovative “locations”. The price is usually between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000.

“We do pre-wedding shoots in both conventional and unconventional places, according to the comfort, availability and budget of the couple. I like playing it safe and going for obvious locations. Victoria Memorial, Prinsep Ghat, boat rides, Maidan, Jorasanko Thakurbari, lanes of north Calcutta, highways, railtracks and, of course, boulevards at midnight are some of our common shoot sites,” said Somnath.

Wedding Teaser

So you thought only Hollywood and Bollywood can tease? A wedding teaser is a video that gives a fleeting glimpse of a couple’s chemistry.

“We all have imagined ourselves in our favourite Bollywood romantic song. We try to make that dream come true with our wedding teasers,” said Dibyodak, who has shot several teasers till now.

The trend is to shoot a Bollywood love song featuring the real-life hero-heroine at a real location. “We have shot at locations like Eco Park, Victoria Memorial, Botanical Gardens, Elliot Park, Maidan and Vedic Village. Couples are even willing to travel to places like Digha and Mandarmani for the shoot,” he added.

The teasers are three to four minutes long and mostly come within a photography package, which could cost anywhere between Rs 70,000 and Rs 100,000.

TIPS ON HOW TO CHOOSE A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOUR BIG DAY

♦ Choosing your wedding photographer is as important as your dress.The day you’ve waited for will be over before you know and the only thing you’ll have left are the memories. Good photographs can transport you back to those moments to relive the joy over and over again,  perhaps even showing you moments you didn’t know were happening.

♦ Sit down with your potential photographer and ask to see a full wedding gallery from start to finish. Typically, photographers post one dynamic image from each shoot and we are wowed. I see so many brides disappointed with their wedding photographer because they book them based on those one or two images.

♦ Be wary when a photographer tells you they are a ‘natural light photographer’. This means they don’t know how to use artificial light well. Of course, we all want the pretty sunset photos and golden-hour engagement shots... but what happens on your wedding night and if the reception is at night too? Hire a photographer that knows light and how to bend it in a variety of environments.

♦ It is very important to choose someone who really has an eye for minute details. The invitation suite you spent weeks picking out, the beads that drape your hem, the way the room looks that you spend all day getting ready in, your gorgeous make-up that took hours to apply, the food you carefully procured, the smile on your Dada’s face, your mother’s ring you decided to wear, the way the tables look.... These details are special because they are expressions of you. They are all the little things that combine to make a big impression at your event.

♦ Bring your photographer and coordinator together for scheduling your day’s timeline. I speak to the bride and the coordinator eight weeks ahead and we create a timeline. The coordinator is the expert on ceremony, nikah or puja timings... and perhaps on the drive time between locations. I am the expert on light. We always want to get some daylight photos (because they’re dreamy) so we make sure to allot time for that.

♦ Let go. Your wedding day should be a celebration of you and your families joining together. Hire people you can trust and on your day, let go and enjoy the festivities in confidence knowing you have a team capturing and working exactly how you planned.

Danielle Valimont
(The writer is a photographer based in the US)