Nandini Swaminathan

In India I Am A ‘Female’ Photographer!

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A quote doing the rounds recently was ‘female photographer is not its own genre’. Is the term ‘female photographer’ redundant? Is there even a need for this term?

Wedding photography as a niche under photography is growing with leaps and bounds here in India. However, for the most part it still remains a male-dominated industry. This is slowly and gradually changing, and organizations are beginning to realize that they can no longer ignore talent that comes from women photographers. Read more

wedding photography workshop silk inspire 2017
Natasha Desai

Overcoming Fears as a Photographer – Interview with Juya Gentil

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Being a wedding photographer, or any photographer for that matter, comes with its share of burdens. You find yourself doing the dance between staying inspired, earning a living and making sure that you meet client expectations… after all, you have been hired to photograph a wedding because of your expertise. These burdens are no stranger to Juya Gentil, who gave one of the most insightful talks at SILK INSPIRE 2017. How do you keep going without running the risk of getting bored? How do you deal with the inevitable fears that go with the creatively challenging profession that photography is? These are questions that go through any photographer’s mind at some stage or the other. Read more

Raj Lalwani

Photography Festival – Seeing Why They See The Way They See

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Since the past several months, I have been in two minds on the place of conversation within photography. And every time I attend a photography festival, I realise why my thoughts tend to veer in two opposite directions. 

The pioneering colourist William Eggleston had once said, “Whatever it is about pictures, photographs, it’s just about impossible to follow up with words. They don’t have anything to do with each other.” There is, of course, great irony in the fact that I subscribe to Eggleston’s distrust for words. Having written on the medium for the greater part of a decade, I have indulged in precisely what he warns against. And yet it was six months ago at Silk Inspire 2017, that I reassessed my thoughts, and realised why there is a conflict in the first place. What is it about photo festivals and conferences that speak to each one of us? And what is it about them that we should be wary of? Read more

Adele Fernandes

If You Want To Be A Successful Wedding Photographer

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The word success has always bothered me. It was a goal, an elusive one, and no matter how much I tried, I always felt that I wasn’t anywhere close to it. What I considered ‘success’ or ‘successful’ had a lot to do with status and money. I was brought up to think this way, and I am going to assume that many of you reading this will agree with me. For my parents, at least, money was the singular marker for whether they had succeeded or not. And that became my definition too, for a long time, that is, until I got my first job.  Read more

Adele Fernandes

Jen Huang – Finding Clients Who Appreciate Your Work

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I remember being absolutely mesmerized when I saw Jen Huang’s photographs for the first time, and the fact that she almost exclusively shoots on film. Using a medium format camera, today, in a genre like wedding photography, is quite unheard of. Here is someone who uses film, not for its novelty aspect, but because she understands what shooting with it stands for and has imbibed its qualities in her line of work.

Jen’s presentation at SILK Inspire last year, was one of the most interactive and fun talks. As she walked amongst the crowd, and handed out props (several velvet ring boxes), she mentioned a few things that we can all stand to gain from. Read more

Natasha Desai

A Myriad of Emotions: Andrea Corsi at SILK INSPIRE 2017

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As a wedding photographer, you owe it to your clients to deliver the best possible results of their big day. How you photograph their wedding, is how they will remember it, making it a tremendous responsibility. One way of ensuring that you live up to your craft and produce the best work possible, is to always keep evolving as a photographer.

SILK INSPIRE 2017 brought together an assortment of photographers from around the world. Each brought their unique view on how to photograph weddings. While their methods and vision may have been different, their goal was the same. They all were there to share their vast experience to help attendees better understand the language of photography. Among these masters, was the incredible Andrea Corsi, from Tuscany, Italy. Read more

Nandini Swaminathan

A Question Of Equity Not Equality – Women in Wedding Photography

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Here is something to ponder on for us this Women’s Day. Are there enough female wedding photographers, and who defines ‘enough’? If not, are we doing enough to make aspiring female photographers want to get into the field, and should we even bother?

Is wedding photography primarily a male-dominated industry? In a previous blog post we discussed closing the gender gap in the wedding photography industry , and whether women make better wedding photographers. This time we’d like to take that a step further. If women offer a fresh, different perspective into photography, why is it that they are so underrepresented? Read more

wedding photography workshop Sergey Ivanov
Natasha Desai

An Artist’s Masterclass of Wonder: Sergey Ivanov in India

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If you’re serious about your photography, then you know that attending a photo conferences will do wonders for your work. You find yourself exposed to different ways of thinking and seeing, which you can take and apply to your voice in photography.

What did you miss at SILK Inspire 2017? Three days of artist talks, an exchange of ideas and thoughts in an atmosphere filled with love for photography, creative, emotional, stunning visuals from weddings and so much more! The festival brought together an eclectic mix of talent which included, among others, the Ukraine born artist, Sergey Ivanov. Read more

Photography conference
Natasha Desai

Should You Attend a Photography Conference? The Answer is Always YES!

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Every year, hundreds of photography conferences and conventions take place all over the world. Both amateur and expert photographers travel the globe to attend these educational events where they can learn new skills and connect with some of the best in their field.

With gatherings this diverse, and of such a large scale, questions inevitably arise. How do you decide whether you should even attend a conference? Does it really help? What should you bring to a conference? How will you decide whose talks or master class to attend? Attending a photography conference can be not only a great way of experiencing different kinds of photography, but an opening to approach your photography and philosophy with a fresh new outlook. You can get to hear about the inner workings of a photographer, and how they approach their craft and business. The inspiration and motivation that you gain can be game changing for your photography.

With the fast approaching SILK INSPIRE 2017 wedding photography festival, we turned to some of the biggest names in the world of photography expos for advice. We wanted to know why they believe photographers should invest in such a structured education, in a time where online resources are vast and easily available. Read more

Adele Fernandes

Having A Style As A Wedding Cinematographer

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Is it possible to have a unique style as a wedding cinematographer? Today, with so many people owning cameras and cellphones, thus making photography and videography a truly democratic platform, why is it that there are only a handful who have made a name for themselves? The answer is simple. Their work has something extra that others don’t. They’re able to see things or do things with the camera that others can’t. They’re able to tell stories in a manner that no one else has.

But does this change when you’re a wedding cinematographer? Is it possible to have a style when making short films on the couples that you document, especially since every wedding is so different? We placed the question in front of a few accomplished wedding filmmakers in the industry, and this is what they revealed. Read more