A Hindu Secret
What do you do when a wedding couple tells you that a VW camper is to be their guest of honour? That’s exactly what Kanish and Leslie told me when they hired me as their official photographer. A young Hindu couple living in New York, they’d already had a ceremony back home, and were doing everything again for friends and family in the UK.
Asian weddings are often very long and take place over several days. I’ve done a few, and I’ve discovered how to approach them with patience and respect. Taking care not to be intrusive is really important as you capture the details of all the different rituals and traditions. Thankfully the super-high resolution of the cameras I use allows me to shoot from a distance and crop in close afterwards with no loss of quality.
Taking care not to be intrusive is really important as you capture the details of all the different rituals and traditions.
For Kanish and Leslie, I photographed all three days, including the ganesh pooja at the groom’s house, the mehendi at the bride’s house, and the sangeet. It was an honour to share these very special moments with the couple, and shooting in such small, intimate environments I got to know everyone, which really helped on the day of the main ceremony.
After capturing all the important moments like the stealing of the shoes, the grabbing of the nose, and the rituals at the mandap, it was time for the VW! This iconic camper van occupied a very special place in the bride and groom’s hearts, and their story, so we had some fun and got really unique shots in, on and around it. Kanesh & Leslie were thrilled.r
