Sepia tones bring colour to weddings
The newest fad No more exotic locations or managing troublesome props, AMITA GHOSE writes how vintage is ruling the charts for pre-wedding shoots this season
Gone are the days when pre-wedding shoots would get a hundred pair of eyes glued to your Facebook account. Now is the time for a steep competition. The more unique your theme is, the more likes and comments you fetch. Oh yeah! And to score the highest in the league couples have taken the path of nostalgia. Dressing up like Raj Kapoor and Nargis – we have spotted couples revisiting Pyaar
Hua Ikraar Hua in their pre-wedding shoots.
In an attempt to do something unique and stand out in the crowd, the photographers these days are emphasising on the romantics of faded photography. Not only the professionals, the couples too show interest in vintage photography, claim the photographers. “Vintage is the current fad. Not only are brides opting for vintage decor or bridal looks but some are also opting for vintage prewedding photo shoots. I love a bit of vintage mixed in with the new world charm,” says Sharn Khaira, a wedding blogger on Desi Bride Dreams.
“It felt like we were time travelling through the pictures,” recalls Meenakshi Singh who recently had a pre-wedding shoot done with partner Vedansh Singh at the Shaniwar Wada Fort in Pune. As per most of the couples who opted for the same theme, the greatest attraction of vintage remains the nostalgia.
“Vintage themed photos can make even the mediocre frames look good. When the couples see a picture in black and white coming out like a dream or when we create the 80s feel with editing in the picture, it seems like a movie set. Unique as well beautiful,” says Divesh Kudvalkar, a professional wedding photographer from Mumbai.
Amanjot Singh, a newly wedded bride from Chandigarh shares, “My father was in the Army, so I have grown up seeing old hilly side bungalows that give you an ancient feeling, as if they still belong to the British era. I decided my wedding shoot has to happen somewhere at a bungalow in Wellington or Coorg.”
Location is vital
As per these photography experts and wedding photoshoot veterans, the location selection plays a pivotal role. And when the shoot's theme is vintage the photographer often needs to get a lot of research done before finalising the location. “We literally had taken several days to search the best places where the old world charm is present in a city like Delhi. Our first vinatge shoot – themed on the Pyaar Hua
Ikraar Hua song – was done in CP and then we had taken the couple to a dhobi ghaat. We had also selected an old garage as the location,” says Swetha Mukherjee from The Creative Lens. Shweta along with her husband Soumak Mukherjee have been shooting couples for several years now and this Goa-based couple claims vintage is their forte.
Rohan Sangodkar, another Mumbaibased wedding photographer agrees on the location research point and adds that the colonial structures in South Mumbai are an apt location to have a vintage shoot done. “Other than the Colonial structures like in South Bombay, historical places like Shaniwar Wada Fort in Pune can also be a nice vintage location if you want to explore a little more. Vasai Fort is also a very good outdoor location,” he shares.
Another veteran from this field, Abhijit Dwibedi, based out of Kolkata, says, “The streets of north Kolkata would give you that natural vintage look. Same is with Mumbai and Goa. But shooting a vintage in Delhi is really difficult. A photograph is forced to use props and heavy edits in such situations.”
Palash and Aditi Mitra Saha got married in 2014, and they share how their vintage photographs became a huge hit with the friends on social media. “We had gone to the Burdwan Rajbari which is on the outskirts of Kolkata and got some black and white pictures clicked there. Frankly it was our photographer who insisted on the black and white theme. We were a little sceptical but after the pictures went on FB it was a huge hit. The pictures got so popular that we saw they are being used unethically by several photography pages. Then we had to take them down!” exclaims Aditi.
Pale clothing, minimal makeup
Shweta further adds the couple should always discuss. “My husband and I make sure that I download a number of different looks and share with the clients. We also check their clothes to be worn on the shoot day prior the date,” she says.
People who want a Western vintage look, find it easier to look for a perfect pair of clothes which is not the case for those who want a desi shoot. “For Western shoot, you wear a gown and we make it look a little vintage but for desi looks, you need those blouse cuts and trouser lengths right,” adds Divesh.
Are you bargaining right?
Vintage shoot doesn’t require any prop or set up separately unless and until you want to create an extravagant movie set. The locations, an old building and an old car can do the job for you. So be wise when finalising the fees with your photographer.
“Since there are hardly any props used in vintage shoots, the extra expenditure can be cut down. The shoots are both pocket-friendly and hassle-free,” says Shweta.
Another wedding photography specialist, Rana Basu Thakur adds, “Vintage can be shot in your own city or wherever you live. The trend of going to exotic locations is passe. Now couples are getting wiser and spending wisely. The cost thus is cut by several thousands.”