India is famous for its boisterous, vibrant traditional weddings that are full of joy and memorable rituals. One of the main things that newlyweds have to think about is how to capture these moments and preserve them for the future, that is why it is extremely important to choose a right photographer. But before doing it, it is necessary to decide what mood you would like your photographs to convey and what type of wedding shoot you would like to have.
How to Choose a Photographer in Mumbai?
Prices for the service of a wedding photographer in Mumbai, Maharashtra range from $60 to $500 per hour. In addition to that, every specialist has a different number of minimum shooting hours (but usually it is 4-6 hours). Another thing worth paying attention to is what language you expect your photographer to speak: Hindi, English, or maybe something rarer like Marathi or Gujarati.
However, the most important thing you should agree on with a specialist is the style of photography, because different professionals work in different styles. What can make it easier for you to choose one is the most popular ideas below.
Traditional Shoot
A traditional Indian wedding shoot implies taking photographs of some traditional rituals that take place during the 3 days of a wedding. It also means that the bride and the groom will have to pose a lot on purpose, so, this type of photography does not look very natural. For example, a photographer can capture the ceremony of presenting misri, the Sangreet party, the Mehendi ceremony, the Haldi ceremony, Laja Homa. Such photographs will reflect the Indian culture, but for some people it might seem that they lack individuality.
Documentary Shoot
In India, it is a wide-spread choice to take photos of a wedding without posing and just capture a celebration as it is. This type of photography is similar to videography. The goal of such a shoot is to restore all the events of a wedding so that future spouses could open their album after many years and immerse in their marriage ceremony once again. A photographer doing this type of shoot will focus on making pictures of the guests, the first dance of newlyweds and other classical moments of a wedding. Such photographs covey the real ambience of a wedding and do not represent any special style of photography.
Artistic Shoot
Indian weddings are famous for traditional attires with numerous elements, decor with a riot of colors, beautiful precious fabrics, mehendi, a lot of jewelry. So, why not make focus on these features of a marriage ceremony? It is especially popular to take many photos of a bride. At first, a photographer can take pictures of her elaborate clothing called Solah Shringar that usually consists of 16 elements. They can also capture other items such as jewelry. Such photos look quite aesthetic. Afterwards, a photographer can take pictures of a bride’s getting ready for a ceremony in a circle of her loved ones and the first meeting of the newlyweds in their colorful attires. This kind of photography is characterized by the attention to detail, which helps convey all the grandeur of an ornate Indian wedding.
Candid Shoot
In this style of shooting a photographer pays a lot of attention not only to a couple, but also the guests of a wedding. The purpose is to capture their emotions: friends’ sincere smiles, tears of parents, overjoyed and loving faces of newlyweds. Instead of a lot of posing and planning, these photographs are taken spontaneously, which makes them look lively and vivid. Another advantage of this type of a shoot is that it does not need a lot of preparation. Sometimes couples even purposefully arrange engagement shoots so that they could find out more about posing and angles from which they look better. But in a candid shoot, it is obsolete because photos are supposed to look imperfect.
Royal Shoot
In a royal shoot, a bride and a groom look like a raja and a rani. The photographs taken in this style are a bit darker than usual, newlyweds should seem reserved and majestic, shoots literally remind paintings. It is advisable to make a shoot in some former royal residence, for example, in Udaivilas Palace, Raj Palace, Mysore Palace and places like this. If the photographer manages to convey even a fraction of the mesmerizing ambience of such buildings, your wedding album will be bound to impress greatly all the relatives and friends. This type of shoot is not for everyone, and it might turn out costlier than a candid one, for instance, but it is worth it.
Dramatic Shoot
A dramatic shoot implies the focus on the two people getting married, their feeling and sensuality. Other people do not really matter in this type of photography. The shots look as if they depict a Bollywood love story. While taking dramatic photos, a photographer is expected to direct newlyweds in terms of posing but still give them some freedom so that they could express their feelings towards each other openly. It is also essential for a couple to have a certain connection with the professional photographing them and trust them. In contrast to the candid style, dramatic photos are often edited a lot in order to make their atmosphere more intense.
Conclusion
To sum up, it is advisable to make a list of pros and cons before you set your heart on a certain style, because your choice of a photographer will depend on it. Afterwards, discuss the type of shoot with a specialist, agree about all the details, and you will surely manage to create a wedding album that you’ll be proud of.
