We all need some Abra-ca-dabra!

Here’s the thing about being a hands-on bride. You take it upon yourself to plan the most tiny, ‘blink and miss’ detail of every event of every day of the busiest week of your life, till it can't be planned anymore. Of course, you factor in the possibilities of some specific ‘going the other way’ while crossing those fingers that it doesn’t. I knew what I wanted so I went at it with all my heart. Because,I believe that if you don’t work for what you want, you’ll be forced to like what you get and by no stretch of anyone’s imagination was I going to let that happen to me. 

The best laid plans can go haywire and to limit the chances of that happening, do yourself a favour and be finicky about choosing your event planners. I didn’t have to do much digging around, cos I landed myself THE most reliable folks who stepped up even when they absolutely didn’t have to. ‘Wedding Factory’ is spearheaded by Shana and Bobby who were nothing short of magicians when it came to my special days. As if being in charge of the seamless execution of events during a week-long wedding under normal circumstances isn’t taunting enough, we were smack in the middle of a global pandemic. And therefore, getting things done seemed more herculean than otherwise. 

With team ‘Wedding Factory’

Bride’s outfit: Saree - Man Mandir, Chennai / Blouse - Razak Creations, Chennai

To start things off, the duo dove headfirst into putting together our engagement. Although an intimate affair with only our nearest and dearest, it still took an enormous amount of planning. No, I don’t mean it was chaotic. Shucks, not at all. Not with these two around. They took Abhinand’s astoundingly gorgeous resort, Samroha (which btw is a teeny bit of heaven of earth) by the stunning Athirapally falls and turned it into this dreamy, magical place that hit me right in the feels (if you get how hard that can hit). Shana was supremely patient - she took the time to understand what I had in mind, helped me visualise and ideate. Bobby took over the entire setup, gave it all we wanted and before I knew it, I was spoilt for choice!

Now, when you go do something THAT incredible with an engagement (see what I mean) under challenging circumstances it doesn't take Einstein to figure out who was gonna take care of our wedding. And so, we went straight from one event to another chugging along like a happy little team. (the photos do not do justice to how beautiful and thoughtful the space was designed)

Oh, I’m gonna squeeze in a little something here, before I go. Don’t forget to accommodate time for your bridal shower considering it's the only event you have no control over. So, be prepared to show up, be a massive sport and you’re bound to have a ball of a time. Mine was great fun - my troupe didn't let the fact that we were holed up in a building deter them and in Shana and Bobby’s efficient hands, they transformed a massive room into a beach with all the effects that suited the theme. It was ridiculously cute and so much fun, let's just say that I was being a beach bum without actually being at one. 

I’ve gotta go now. But, you should know I’ve stocked up on so much to share with you. That other BS, I was talking about? That’s coming up super soon. In the meantime, I suggest checking out Wedding Factory cos if you trust anything you’ve read here so far, you can trust that they truly make your dreams come true. 

A trip with my mother...

As a family, we've travelled extensively in India and around the world. But this trip was quite special from any of my earlier trips. The first time mom and daughter pair set out on their own to explore the United Kingdom. We booked our tickets, packed our bags and the desi-ladies were off to explore. We had an amazing experience meeting new people from different walks of life, interacting with them and understanding their stories. I've always wondered if a photographer can fight the temptation to take out the camera and be on a holiday. Well, I decided to wear my daughter's hat through the trip. We did a few touristy things, did some shopping, lazed around in our beautiful accommodation, watched a marathon of movies, did a lake tour from Windermere, enjoyed the sceneries and even had ice-creams in the freezing weather. A perfect holiday as I would call it.

I couldn't resist but to take a couple of shots of the beautiful landscapes.

So, just sit and enjoy a few photographs from our Edinburgh and Lake District trip.

It didn't quite end with Lake District... there's more to come...

Right now I'm going to go have some delicious Indian food, perks of having your mother in town! ;)

Have an amazing week!!!

Click away!

MOVE IT 2016

MOVE IT was the glorious celebration of dance and performing arts in London. About 22,000 dancers and dance enthusiasts participated in this event spread across three days, on the 18th, 19th and 20th of March 2016. Dancers had the opportunity to showcase their performances on the main stage, take part in various dance classes and discover new dance career options, one can even shop all their dance wear and needs at the event itself. It seemed like a little world of dancers and anything and everything to do with dance.

When I first walked into the venue, ExCel London, I stood there just absorbing everything around me. Thousands of dancers under one roof and their passion and energy was beyond anything. Being a professional dancer, I could understand and relate to the heights of passion prevailing in that room and the orderly chaos. It was quite evident from the energy, that for every performer present there, in that very moment, dance was everything, dance was what was driving them, dance was their way of existence and dancing was life.

Every single person there had a story to share varying from sad and painful to fun and silly, a story that the rest of us could learn from.

The arena was filled with people of all ages, not just watching but performing as well. The commitment each of them had for dance was inspiring.

Fighting my way through the enthusiastic crowd I managed to reach the media area. I jumped here and there between photographers, trying to find a place with the right angle until I found a nice spot to capture the action on stage. Performances after performances were so amazing, that sometimes I stood there frozen in awe, just staring at the dance forgetting to take photographs. The impeccable performances made me want to capture the action both through the lens and live with my eyes. The energy and enthusiasm was absolutely exhilarating and maddening. I didn't want to leave the place, I was contemplating whether to miss my flight to Edinburgh late that evening or stay back.

I made up my mind to leave, but not before capturing as many photographs as I could before I left. Though I left very hesitantly, the thought of the landscapes in Edinburgh and Lake District brought back my lost energy. In a few hours, I was en route to the capital of Scotland.

Next blog  post coming soon...

Sapnay at ExCel London

'Sapnay' is one of the biggest Bollywood dance companies in the UK.  This year at MOVE IT, the biggest dance showcase event in London took place at ExCel London, Sapnay brought a jaw-dropping performance, something completely new and very innovative. Breaking away from the assumptions that Bollywood dance steps are not just "changing the light bulbs" and "patting the dog" kind of steps, Sapnay made the audience rise with a powerful and energetic performance.

This was a completely new experience for me. Though I had a media pass from MOVE IT, I really had to struggle to make my way to the photographers space amidst thousands of enthusiastic dancers. When I got to the photographers space, it didn't get any easier. As a photography student, to get a spot with a good view in the pit alongside a number of professional photographers was a little intimidating. But I definitely didn't want to miss this huge opportunity. Breaking my inhibitions, I requested another photographer if he could move a bit to make some space for me. The kind man did. And I thought to myself 'phew, that wasn't too hard now, was it?!'

All went well, and thanks to my collaboration with Sapnay I had the opportunity to photograph Sapnay and many other dance performances at MOVE IT 2016.

Coming up in the next blog post.

Wait for it!

Till then keep clicking!!! :)

Sapnay's London Thumakda

In my collaboration with Sapnay Bollywood dance company, I had the opportunity to photograph their workshop at MOVE IT 2016. Dancers, dance choreographers, dance enthusiasts and everybody who has an interest in dance attended their Bollywood workshop. People from different age groups enjoyed a little bit of hip shake called 'tumkhas' in Hindi. Everybody danced to a number of Bollywood's latest hit numbers, they sang along and absolutely loved the energy. They all tried to understand the lyrics of the song, the steps and were deeply interested in the Indian culture.  

Here are some photographs from the workshop,

The Face of 'Sapnay', Bollywood Dance Company

As mentioned in my last post, I decided to photograph the Oberoi family and proposed to them the idea of a family portrait. The Oberois were more than welcoming to be photographed. In fact, the very evening we had a long conversation about their life in the United Kingdom. I was invited to come to their house to click pictures of the family. Unfortunately, as they were rehearsing for a big show, it was impossible to get all the four together at their house. During the day, it was impossible to find all of them at their house as they would be rehearsing at the studio and late night shoot was ruled out as they were all very tired after their back to back rehearsal sessions. However, Prabhleen, the future and the face of the company did squeeze an hour for a quick photo session at her residence.

The face of Sapnay, Bollywood dance company, Prabhleen is fondly known as Prabs. Though her roots are from Punjab, India she was born and brought in London. Sapnay, meaning dreams in Hindi, will not just be a dream to carry forward for this 18-year-old girl but also to transform the company with her innocent yet powerful British desi-ness.

The above photographs were captured using a 5D Mark iii and a 50mm prime lens with 1.4f. The reason I chose this particular lens is to bring the subject in absolute focus and blur out the background completely. The shallow depth of field draws the readers attention to Prabs (the subject in the picture). This is to emphasize the importance of Prabs, her vision and her identity as the future of 'Sapnay'.

The Highlands of Scotland!

My first trip in the United Kingdom in 2016 was to this tiny little town called Inverness on the Highlands of Scotland. This place really takes you by surprise by what it can offer you. I was lucky enough to experience the best of the place and its people. All the five days in Inverness was so different and unique from one another. I got to experience the sun, the rain, the sleet and the snow on the last day of my trip which was literally the icing on the cake. Travelling helps you realize and understand everything different from you and that contributes to your growth as a person. It surely did to me. I'm taking back so much from this place and its people. When I travel and meet people from different walks of life I not only experience a completely new culture but also learn new things about myself that I never knew existed in me. Inverness will always have a special place in my heart, for the love and affection of the people and the mind-boggling landscapes.

RIVER NESS

I happened to stay in a house by the river bank, its backyard light is seen reflected on the river in this photograph. After a long tiring journey from London, I thought I would retire to bed, but the serene sight of this river took all the tiredness away.

FORT WILLIAM

This place is known to be one of the wildest landscapes in Scotland. I took the first bus out from Inverness at 5:20 am for a two-hour travel to Fort William. The clouds looked gloomy which made me wonder if I would get any photographs at all.

I walked by the river that led me to the Glen Nevis visitors centre. A lady at the desk directed me to a spot with spectacular view at the top of Cow hill. The Cow hill trek was quite an experience, fighting the cold wind and the steep path.

CULLODEN BATTLEFIELD

The Culloden battle was the last hand-to-hand battle, between the Jacobites and the government in 1746. The battlefield now is a place of pilgrimage for people from Scotland and throughout the world. The history and the extensive area of empty land leaves you with a chill.

Far away is the Memorial Cairn

GLEN LIATH, INVERFARIGAIG

I was lucky to meet the Hope family, who were kind enough to take me around Inverness and show me the beautiful landscapes. The first time I experienced snowfall was here. The sleet didn't stop me from managing to photograph the vast landscapes covered with snow. Even with 8 layers of clothing on me, I couldn't feel neither my toes nor my fingers. Both I and my camera were cold, looking for some warmth.

There was a beautiful cafe right in the middle of the mountains called the Camerons. Just as a hot bowl of Scottish lentil soup was placed on the table, the sun peeped out a little. Of course, I was confused, if I should run out to catch the sun or to have the hot bowl of delicious soup. You can guess what I would have done. :P

After a lovely lunch at the cafe, we were off to the Foyers fall.

LOCHNESS

Very many years ago the earths crust fractured and moved which resulted in the formation of the Great Glen of which Lochness is a part. It is also the origin of the famous lochness monster. The day I was leaving for London I spent the evening watching the sun go down right in between the Great Glen. It was the perfect end to the perfect trip.

As a photographer, the photographs from my trip to Inverness were more than just capturing with the right exposure. Weathering out the extreme conditions to get my camera to see what I see was definitely a challenge.

The Highlands of Scotland is undoubtedly a must visit place. When you are there, you feel like you are at the end of the world and the people there make you feel alive.

More pictures to come.

Stay tuned and happy clicking. :)

London Fashion Weekend, Feb 2016

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to photograph two shows at the London Fashion Weekend. The event was held at the beautiful Saatchi Gallery. We had a small briefing by Canon company, telling us what we must and must not do at the fashion event. One might think that it's pretty simple to shoot a ramp walk, but it's not. The change in lighting setups and fast movement by the models make it quite a challenge. Well at the same time, what differentiates you from the photographer sitting beside you in the same photographers pit is something to think about. Catching the right moment and angle of the legs of the model and dress is important. Photographers are expected to post-process and mail the photographs during the short period between shows. These are my pictures at my first ever fashion event. I had to place myself on the spot with the right view in the photographer's pit with 50 others and stay there for the whole show. This was such a new experience for me, opening up creativity through restricted time and movement.

I'd like to thank Canon and London College of Communication, the University of the Arts London for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

Have a great weekend. Keep clicking!