Your world through my eyes

Sephi Bergerson, Owner and Photographer, Sephi Bergerson Photography says, “India is one of the most exciting, colorful and intense market and photographers need to go beyond just recording the information. The market is changing and has evolved with time. Photographers have started participating in International platforms as they aspire to become bigger and better by exposing themselves to a global market. We all have the same thought of looking for something new and we try to create a new approach to wedding photography as well. He adds that, “To make a difference, photographers need to be open to experiments. The job of a wedding photographer is just not about making the client happy. A photographer needs to shoot for himself to create his own style and this is what will set him/her apart.”

Discussing the evolution of the conventional formats Sephi says, “We are always trying to innovate. If a fashion photographer comes and shoots, it will be like a Vogue kind of wedding album, which is new. For me photography is something that speaks to me and I always want to talk to it. At the end of the day is our emotions and as a photographer it is important for me. Photography is interesting, funny and different. I want photographers’ to have an open mind when they shoot. I once did an entire wedding shoot on the iPhone in a wedding in Udaipur. It was an experiment for me, but it came out pretty well. An opulent wedding, incredible décor and shot on Apple. Photographers can start with couple shoots on the iPhone”.

At a wedding, the coordination between an event planner and the photographer also makes a big difference. “There is a huge difference in how we approach a wedding and how wedding planners do. A wedding planner spends a few months with the family and remembers them forever. I majorly communicate through e-mail or Skype. So even if my work is not coming from a wedding planner, I will still be there. On the contrary, I also believe that to take my work to a higher level, I will have to at a point collaborate with event planners. The mentality of people is changing and event management industry is growing and I see a great place and scope for collaboration. Sometimes planners reach out to us to work in collaboration and it is really great. Every photographer has his unique style. I like the couple to feel the smell the flowers and remember what they felt at that moment instead of showing how much the family spent on the wedding. I want to enjoy with couples’ and my work is much more intimate. Weddings aren’t happening for us, but we are there for weddings,” says Sephi.

Photography now is a lot more disciplined and structured says Ashish Chawla, Ace Indian Photographer. He adds, “I grew up looking at art and I see a lot of people jumping into wedding photography. Visually, it is a lot more fun than before, but I am not still looking at opportunities of documentary. I prefer catering only to certain couples’ and families. Fashion photography requires a different skill set and creativity. We shoot for brands, and designers. It is about making a model look like a princess or a bride and people look at these pictures and buy. So we create that fantasy!"

Talking as a critique, Ashish says, “It is hard to be a critique as of now. The wedding industry is giving back to Bollywood. At the end of the day it is visuals that gives feelings beyond documentation. I feel aesthetics and feelings need to go beyond technology. Education and professional training for photographers should be there. It will be good to expose them to a variety of cinematic and art so that awareness is beyond the rectangle.” He adds, “In India people celebrate only two things, cinema and weddings. There are two sides of it. Some enjoy what is simple and sensitive while others enjoy the opulence and they both will grow together. As a photographer, you have to discover more. Understand what your client wants. The photographer should stay invisible, capture the moment and disappear."

There are always two sides of a story says Sephi.“I don’t spend a lot of time with the planners or the family. Thinking of it in the other way, as a photographer this way I can tell the story of the wedding in a way I understand. It is like an event planners world through my eyes. This way I think I can tell the event planners how the guests and the couple perceived that concept,” adds Sephi. 

Ashish shares, “Photography is a flip of seconds. If the wedding photographer is in a good coordination with the event planners they can discuss and fix the details like lighting, etc. A better coordination between them can do wonders.”