Getting cheesily romantic for a wedding shoot

And if you arestill not inspired, the man behind the desk offers to run you through albumsafter albums of painted faces, broad smiles, flashing jewellery and happy gueststo make your realise how critical it is to look ‘made for eachother’ on your wedding day.Like never before has weddingphotography become serious business, particularly for the couple in question.From Europe to Asia, pre-wedding shoots are a rage with contracts being given toprofessional photographers who all but built their portfolios around weddingphotography. Even if he is a niche photographer, a small part of his profilewould include trailing soon-to-be-married couples around gardens and lakes andgetting them to gaze into each other’s eyes when the moment is opportune.They say photographs evoke nostalgia and what better than an old wedding albumto revive old memories. But when an album is a perfectly staged one withpre-decided locations, colour schemes, and not to mention, facial expressions,one wonders if it really carries any sentimental value.When MBA student Sucheta Karan’s wedding dates were finalised, she first went to see a wedding photographer. “I wanted everything to look perfect, from pre-wedding rituals to the wedding. In fact, I was in talks with a professional photographer for a pre-wedding shoot with my fiancé enjoying a romantic evening together, but it never materialised,” says she. She, however, made up for it by closely following her wedding photographer’s every move and telling him from time to time the backgrounds and expressions she best preferred.Sucheta probably has a mate in Vani Sharma, a freelancejournalist, married a few years now, who too admitted stalking her weddingphotographer to get a peep into his lens. “I had him booked for mymehendi, sagan, engagement and wedding, and instructed him at the onset not totake my close ups as my face appeared bloated, and to go for only angular shotsof my long tresses. On my engagement, I got him to take stills of the rocks onme and my fiancé’s fingers.” Vani concedes having a hard timesuppressing a giggle when she goes through the albums after all these years. When photography is a passion as well as profession it could mean afew aesthetic sacrifices here and there, but not when the photographer isSandeep Bali. By doing at best 10 weddings every season, Sandeep believeswedding photography forms a very small part of his repertoire as a photographer.Even in an unstructured market such as this, he sticks to what he does best -candid shots. Says he, “I am not one for posing. I’d rather spend alot of time around the couple and their families to get familiar with theirmoods and reactions. My pre-wedding shoots too are candid, though the locationis pre-decided and so are the costumes and makeup.” But Sandeep is open toall the airbrushing that goes into different post-production work. “Theclient’s interest matters after all,” he adds as anafterthought.In a bid to look deliciously made-for-each other, acouple’s attention may waver briefly from the wedding rituals but neverhis photographer’s. It wouldn’t be out of place to say that awedding photographer is the new ritual expert. Justifies sociologist ReetaBrara, “This is an urban trend. We all know weddings happen, livingtogether also happens, but while it does elaborate photographs open up a new wayof being powered by technology. When I got married, we had a member from thefamily take our pictures and were content, but now weddings are gettingattractive and hence the need to capture it in all its glory.”Memories of a lifetime or a well-enacted record, it is the way oneperceives the marriage, and the warmth one shares with the partner.anwesha.mittra@indiatimes.co.in