Moments are not lived anymore, they are captured to stay with you for life. Be it a small function or a big celebration the photographer has become the new added member to witness and capture the timeless memories.
There was a time when pictures were a mirror only to the event, there was no intimacy in it and couples would shy away from even holding hands.
But it is not the same anymore. In the last five years there has been a renaissance to the whole concept of photography. Every moment is yearned to be captured; the code is more for bagging the emotion than clicking the surrounding.
(Photography by Memory Writers)
Photography which at one time was a synonym to hiring a man with a basic camera handling capabilities has now become a value-added ‘moolah’ earning profession.
(Photography by 4toes)
The horizon of the profession has gone far beyond clicking mere pictures of the visible to clicking emotions that were once considered private. His job is not an event day task but a camaraderie that he builds with his clients to capture those special moments that stay timeless.
Be it a wedding photography, a maternal shoot, a birthday day party, a baby shower or the current trending pre-wedding and honeymoon shoot, the expectation is for candid shoots, in exotic locations.
(Photography by Memory Writers)
“Photography has taken a huge leap in the past five years, people are looking out for something different in their pictures, they want a story to the moments that are clicked, a serene background and most importantly memories that they can cherish for life. A huge amount of money is spent on the decor, the bride’s dress, the food and much more but all this is incomplete if it is not captured right,” says photographer Akhilan from ‘The 4toes’.
(Photography by Memory Writers)
According to him, “photography justifies the money spent creating memories that one can cherish for a lifetime. A great picture is a great reminder of the time that went by.”
There can be a thousand wedding pictures that capture the event, but what decorates the bedroom walls is that one candid picture that speaks a thousand words.
(Photography by Memory Writers)
There was a time when clicking pictures of a pregnant woman or for that matter the husband touching his wife’s womb when pregnant was considered a taboo, but not anymore. Maternity pictures are now described as being cute and filled with awes.
“I got my maternity photo shoot done by ‘The 4toes’, and I must say what they captured was outstanding, they did a beautiful job by capturing the progression of my pregnancy. They had done my wedding pictures too, so I was very comfortable doing my maternity shoot with them, I didn’t have to explain what I wanted since they knew what I was expecting,” says Mahita Ashwin, who feels it is very important to have a friend in a photographer for a perfect picture.
Photographers who initially travelled to the wedding hall for pictures are now not just travelling to serene locations with the couple but are clicking candid moments in the bedroom too.
“I felt extremely awkward when a couple asked me to travel on their honeymoon with them, I initially thought they were kidding, but it was for true. From the moment we sat in the flight to the bedroom cuddles, from foam baths to sunbaths, I clicked every frame of the minute that went by. It was very embarrassing to for me to click the intimacy, at one time I felt I was honeymooning through pictures. I took time to get comfortable,” shares a photographer who was hesitant to disclose his identity.
(Photography by Memory Writers)
“In our times we had a local photographer who came, clicked pictures of the bride, groom and the guests, and took a nominal charge and was done. Today the scenario is extremely different, my daughter wanted a pre-wedding shoot in Kochi, then candid pictures of the wedding, a video shoot and family shoot and so much more. I couldn’t deny her that because everyone else was getting it done. Even though it was an added expense I had to agree. But today when I look at her wedding pictures there are tears in my eyes, every picture is like a memory I want to treasure for life," says Elangovan, father of Aishwarya Sankar.
Sometimes these pre-wedding shoots have turned out to be ice-breakers for couples who go in for arranged marriages.
(Photography by 4toes)
“I remember I was with a couple in Washington for a pre-wedding shoot. They barely spoke to each other, they were in love but unable to express, amidst the shoot I asked the girl to peck on the guy’s cheek and it so happened they both turned and kissed each other, it was one of the most beautiful moments for them and a timeless picture for me to click. From that moment what I saw through my lenses and eyes was a burst of love that couldn’t keep them off from each other,” recounts Kumaran, Co-founder and photographer of ‘The Memory Writers’ based in Coimbatore.
It is very important that the moment is clicked right. One needs to understand the client as a friend, study him, watch his or her traits and then capture that particular expression out of the thousand expressions to get the perfect picture that becomes an eternal memory for life.