best

"Its never about taking a perfect picture,
its all about capturing the perfect moment"


Darshak & Ruple

November 6th, 2009 | Posted in Our Portfolio | No Comments
Tags: asian wedding, best, cake cutting, Candid, capture, central london, central ondon, Ceremony, couple, Darsha's ganesh pooja, Darshak, eception, fist dance, gala reception, grand reception, grosvenor house, Images, indian wedding, london, low, photography, Ruple, uk, venue, wedding
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Ruple-Darshak’s Wedding & Reception

June 23rd, 2009 | Posted in Our Blog | 3 Comments
Tags: asian wedding, best, cake cutting, Candid, capture, central london, central ondon, Ceremony, couple, Darsha's ganesh pooja, Darshak, eception, fist dance, gala reception, grand reception, grosvenor house, Images, indian wedding, london, low, photography, Ruple, uk, venue, wedding

This beautiful wedding started at the famous Grosvenor House in central London. The couple looked stunning along with the meticulously planned decor including the mandap, cake and food by Ragamama. The grand reception started with the dhol players followed by cake cutting and first dance ceremony.

Many congratulations to the couple for their journey ahead. Hope you enjoy some of the best moments captured by the team.

Please don’t forget to leave your comments and wishes for the couple. Read more »


10 Best Ways to Capture Candid Photos

July 8th, 2008 | Posted in Our Blog | No Comments
Tags: Asian Wedding Photography, best, candid photography, candid style, capture, secret

Here are some useful tips that would enable you to capture the moods and true emotions and take the best candid pictures:

  1. If distant candid photography is your style, it is good to have a long shot camera or the telephoto lens camera with you. For distant candid photographs, you need a 200mm/ F2.8 or longer focal length lens.
  2. Even if you are shooting at close range, engage your subjects in an activity or a conversation. People engrossed in their activity or even thoughts produce more animated pictures with real life emotions.
  3. If you are shooting with children, let them not take notice of you. Be extremely patient and friendly with them and try to shoot them in their familiar environment or with familiar objects, so carry their favourite toy or pet when you intend to shoot them. Outdoor location like their regular park or playground would give you the best and the most realistic pictures without giving you a tough time.
  4. Remember to take your camera wherever you go just like your toothbrush! Best moments usually come unannounced and if you have a good eye for the details, then you can take rare shots whenever you see one.
  5. Don’t worry about lighting techniques. Keep your shots simple without worrying too much about getting the correct lighting effect. Remember, to be obscure in order to get the best shot. A flash may alert the person and you would lose spontaneity.
  6. Best shots can be taken from any level. You can get good pictures from the waist level as well if you have some luck and some experience in getting the framing right.
  7. Convert images into black and white and even in sepia tone. You can create some magic with the colouring effect in the pictures when you develop them.
  8. Don’t shoot from the back! It is awfully boring to catch people’s back. Faces create magic and depict emotion from every corner. A smile speaks volumes about the moment or a shining flick of hair dropping the face tells more about the moment rather than clicking a person’s bare back.
  9. Shoot lots of people who are active. Passive activities like someone lost in a thought can definitely give a good picture but people engaged in activities like a plumber fixing a leaking pipe, tramp hunting, a boy with a colour ball or a girl on the swing give better pictures.
  10. Learn to appreciate the spontaneity of the moment and learn to think ahead of time. This way you can anticipate the moments and can position yourself strategically to capture the best shot. Position yourself the way people would be facing, moving or looking to catch the best light effects without using the flash.

There is nothing as cool as candid photography. Click the guests at the wedding or click the smile on the bride while getting dressed. These photographs would create a whole story and would be find jewels in your portfolio!!!

Nu’f Said, now is the time for action..! ;P


FAQs

June 12th, 2007 | Posted in | Comments Off
Tags: asian, asian wedding, Asian Wedding Photography, best, Candid, candid photography, candid style, capture, couple, guide, hindu, hotel, Images, london, low, Our Blog, photography, price, professional, quality, shoot, Simran, storybook, uk, wedding

check-green Who will photograph our wedding?
Nehal, himself carries out all wedding photography. You will have his utmost attention on your wedding day as he only photographs one wedding per day. Nehal usually work with an assistant but sometimes have more than one to help me get through a long and busy wedding day. Additional professional photographer is available but at extra cost.

check-green Do you provide Videography services as well?
No, we do not provide videography services. We like to concentrate only on photography.

check-green What equipment do you use?
None other than professional Canon cameras and ‘L’ series lenses including all the backup equipments.

check-green Do you charge extra for travel and hotel accommodation?
Yes. If the event finishes at unsuitable hours and is away for more than 2 hours drive, then overnight hotel charge will be charged at cost. All packages include up to 50 miles round trip. Additional miles at additional cost.

check-green How do we secure your services for our wedding date?
On day of sign of contract, 20% deposit is required to secure the date for your wedding. All remaining balance must be paid at least 4 weeks prior to your first event coverage day.

check-green What happens if we want to cancel our booking due to any circumstances?
Once contract has been signed and 20% deposit has been paid, you have up to 7 days for you decide if you want to cancel the contract. And if you decide to cancel the contract after 7 days all deposit paid are non-refundable in any circumstances.

check-green Can we change the date of our booking?
Yes, but further date is subject to availability & at additional cost of £700 per date changed. All deposit paid are non refundable. A written confirmation is required for any change in the date.

check-green Do we have to sign any agreement?
Yes. To ensure highest quality and minimise legal proceedings, we both are required to sign a formal agreement. Please click here to download our sample contract.

check-green How many photographs will you take?
I don’t place any limits on the number of photographs I take, but as a rough guide, for a typical Hindu wedding where I am shooting for a whole day, I would normally take up to 400 shots. However, I truly believe that the quality of the shots is far more important then the quantity! ;)

check-green Do you take formal shots?
Certainly. I treat every wedding as a unique event and if formal (group, friends or family) shots are required, I am happy to fit these in along with the more informal, creative and candid style images. However, I would strongly recommend that formal shots are kept to a minimum so that there is enough time left for couple’s portraits. It would be even better if the best man or close friend can have the list ready beforehand to allow us to work through them quickly and efficiently.

check-green How much time should we allocate you for the reception portraits?
Unlike most of the Asian weddings, if you reception is on the same day, then it is extremely important to strike a balance on your wedding day. You should allow yourself enough time to relax, get the personal portraits done and yet not feel rushed. Surely, you don’t want to leave your guests waiting for too long as well!

You can spend as much or as little time as you like with me capturing stunning images of your day with your spouse! It’s your choice really!

check-green Do we receive all the pictures?
Yes, once I have edited out all the inappropriate images (blink, duplicates, missed expressions etc.) the remaining images will be presented to you in either a CD, proof book or the on-line proof slide-show, both of which are yours to keep (depends on the package you have chosen).

check-green When can we see our photographs?
We endeavor to update our blog within 2 working days. However, depending upon the wedding season, your on-line proof slide-show will be ready within 2 working days and you may be just lucky to see them while on your honeymoon. Once you have received the low resolution images, you can then select the best 115-120 images for your Storybook (depending on the package you have chosen).

check-green How many photographs will be included in our main album?
Depending upon the package you have selected, up to 120 images can be included in the hand crafted Italian make Storybook. However, in practice most couples end up with around 100 images in their Storybook to make it look more attractive and less cluttered. You can of course add more images but we do not recommend this as this will make your Storybook look very busy. However, we leave this decision entirely up to the couple! Please note that all additional images will be charged at extra cost of £10/ per image.

check-green After I have confirmed the artwork, how long will it take to get finished album?

After you have confirmed that you are happy with the artwork, it will take another 4-6 weeks for the album to be back with you. During peak wedding season, Christmas, New Year times vary.

check-green Do I get rest of unused images on the CD?
Maybe. It depends on the package you have gone for. Some packages includes no of low or high resolution images on the CD while other don’t. How ever if you are interested in having some or all of the images on CD, additional cost (£350) will apply.

check-green Can friends and family see the photographs?
Yes of course! Our all packages offer this facility where we upload selected photos on our blog. In addition, you can always email them your on-line proof slide-show link. All your guests can view them on-line and if they like any of the picture, they can always order it through Candid Photography.

check-green Will the photographs be digitally manipulated?
We prefer the word “finished”, but in short, the answer is yes! We are a firm believer that taking a good composed frame is just half the process of producing a great photograph. Whether it was in the old days of dark room technique or today’s sophisticated software like Photoshop CS4 , finishing has always been a very important part of presenting your final images.

check-green What happens if the weather is bad?
Living in the UK means you can never bank on having great *Australian* weather even if its the middle of the summer! Although, I prefer to work outdoor in natural light, I am quite happy to work indoors and make the most of your wedding venue. Therefore, I am always prepared with my mobile studio lighting equipment too in case the available lighting is insufficient. Having said that, even in the UK, it’s very unusual for the day to pass without a 15-20 minutes of clear day to capture some great outdoor shots in a natural light.

check-green Who owns the copyright to the photographs?
As with all professional photography, the copyright remains with the photographer unless mentioned exclusively on your wedding contract. If you would like to own the original image files, I do offer you the opportunity to buy these along with the full reproduction rights so you can make as many prints from them as you like.

check-green Can we just book you over the phone?
No. If you are happy with the prices, I would strongly advice you to come and have a look at my portfolio in print and also to see the final finished products. Once satisfied, we can sign the contract and pay the non refundable 20% deposit fee to secure your date and hours.

check-green How much would you charge to hire you just for capturing the photos on a DVD without the album or storybook?
It’s simple, just calculate number of hours you need me for and multiply them with £125.  Please remember, if you leave outside the Greater London area, there will be extra charges depending on the distance of the venue.

check-green Would you split the total number of hours (as listed in your packages) over two days?
May be. We may be able to come to an agreement if your wedding is outside the peak wedding season (May-September) or the coverage tends to be on a weekday.

check-green Are you insured?
Yes. I have full public liability and professional indemnity insurance up to 50K. I would also recommend that you take out our own insurance to cover all eventualities.

check-green Do you belong to any professional photographic bodies?
No. However, I have submitted my work to gain the membership of the British Institute of Professional Photography and WPJA.

If you still can’t find the answer to your question, then please feel free to get in touch using the form below.