To capture moments of somebody's special day is a huge responsibility. The pictures are often cherished as precious memories for rest of the couple's life. Thus one can only imagine the pressure felt by wedding photographers. What's more, to add to the challenge, there are times when the clients themselves complicate the process. So The Week asked some professional wedding photographers about the difficulties they have had to overcome and tips on how to avoid such hassles.
Buddha Singh Maharjan
Foto Pasal, Patan Dhoka
Backed by their work experience with various media outlets, Foto Pasal and their core three member team have been covering wedding ceremonies for about five years now. In their experience, communication is the key to glorious wedding photos.
As Buddha puts it, "Everybody demands good pictures but only a few actually think it is important to have a discussion with their photographers. It's very important for the bride and groom and their families to develop a rapport with the people who will be taking pictures of the ceremony. Families mainly give their priorities to the pundits or other aspects such as the menu, music, and decorations but most don't give the photographers a second thought. This kind of carelessness can ruin the memories once the day is over."
So while giving the photographers creative control, it's also important for the families to share their ideas and concerns about the ceremonies coverage. Likewise, it is always smart to brief the photographers about the event's format so that they won't miss anything. Another must is to get the photographer acquainted with the important guests and close relatives so that they will know whom to keep an eye on.
"Photographers are always in search of good photos but good photos are impossible without the cooperation of the bride and groom and their families. Despite the best efforts of the photographer, it can be difficult to bring out the best if there is no communication," he concludes.Buddha Singh Maharjan Foto Pasal, Patan Dhoka.
Rukesh Shrestha
Wedding Nepal
Photography, Kupondole
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In his 12 years long career covering weddings throughout the country, Rukesh believes, that of late, there is this one trend that has become quite a nuisance to his work: Using Smartphones.
“For instance if there is a ring ceremony going on, along with the bride and groom, their parents as well as the videographer, there is already quite a crowd on stage. These days relatives and friends also get in the way with their own cell phones.
Perhaps they want to post the photos on Facebook or Instagram but their need to update their status makes it incredibly tricky to capture the desired shots. Sometimes it really is a mammoth task to take a picture without getting other people’s body parts in the frame,” says Rukesh.
He thoroughly enjoys helping couples’ and their families treasure their special day and believes that at the end of the day catering to the details is what makes a good photo. So he highly recommends concerned parties to pay attention to them.
“There have been some unfortunate times when a bride’s makeup has not suited her skin tone; this can play a big part in ruining wedding photos. My advice is to always have test trials with the makeup artists. In fact there are some beauticians who even call me up beforehand so that we can see how the makeup plays out in the pictures. We can’t redo a wedding so it is best we don’t risk it,” he adds.
Similarly when it comes to picking a venue, his advice for the families is to choose one that has light colored walls. Dark colored, dramatic walls and ceiling may make a good impression in person but Rukesh says they make very bad backdrops for photos.
Kushal Bista
Studio Kushal
With a strong 16 member team, Studio Kushal has earned quite the reputation for their wedding concept photos but Kushal reveals that it is not an easy task to get such wonderful shots.
“What we look for is that natural moment of love and affection between the bride and groom. But perhaps it’s because of our tradition and culture that it’s sometimes very hard to get such moments. Some couples aren’t very expressive, and some are even feel too shy to hold hands in front of the camera,” says Kushal
According to him, timing is another crucial factor. It’s the wedding photographer’s job to capture the moments of the function but they are also expected to take group pictures of the families. These moments Kushal confesses are always chaotic. It would be much simpler if the families would settle on a specific time before or after the function to have their family photo sessions.
Further, Kushal talks about how couples abroad tend to have their photo shoots before the wedding itself. “This actually leads to a lot less hassle on the D-day. You take pictures in your wedding attires with your families beforehand as well. It gives us time to play around with concepts and locations. It’s a very common practice abroad and we do recommend it. But people here are yet to warm up to the idea. Usually it’s the families who think it’s not right to take the photos before the wedding, but the results cannot be denied,” shares Kusha
