There are moments that we can’t express through words but can show in actions and pictures. Moments that we live for, whether it’s a proposal from your loved one or your birthday surprise. One of the best ways o tell a story is through a series of photographs. The concept of storytelling has become an integral part of photography these days, especially in Indian wedding photography.
When it comes to documenting one of the most important days of your life, wedding photography is an art form that truly captures the essence of the moment. Wedding storytelling photography takes it a step further by telling a cohesive narrative through a series of images, allowing you to relive your special day just as it happened. The series of pictures helps you connect the dots which are moments that you’ve lived and look forward to cherishing them. The popular Instagram reels are a good example o this concept, that people combine various captures to tell a story.
Other than cherishing the moment, what is the other purpose of storytelling?
Your photos act as a roadmap to a moment that has happened already. In other words, photos should allow a viewer who was not present at an event to feel the feelings displayed by the subjects through their behavior, as well as let the subjects relive that time when they look back at their photography. As the word storytelling goes, the story should be told with what’s being displayed.
“Storytelling is an art.”
When you are being able to narrate a story with visuals without putting out a strong word with it, you’re creating an art in itself and that’s what storytelling is about.
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Storytelling Speaks Of Creativity:
Storytelling requires imagination, inventiveness, and the ability to create something new and engaging. Artists use their creative skills to craft stories that captivate, entertain, and provoke emotions in their audience. A professional Indian wedding photographer shall narrate the story that connects the dots with the wedding and later, the rituals as well. It all shall be done in such a creative manner that it’ll all look smoothly happening in a flow.
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Storytelling Is Communication:
The art of storytelling involves effectively conveying a message or idea to an audience. Artists utilize different techniques such as symbolism, metaphor, and imagery to communicate concepts and evoke certain emotions in their listeners or viewers.
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Storytelling Is Creating An Emotional Impact:
Having people connect with a story that they are listening to or viewing for the first time does require an extra effort to make them connect inside and out. Storytelling has the power to elicit a range of emotions, including joy, sadness, fear, or inspiration. Artists use their storytelling skills to evoke specific emotional responses from their audience by utilizing plot twists, character development, and other narrative elements. Pre-wedding photography is one way of narrating the story of the couple. It has also become one of the top preferences of the wedding couple these days.
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Bringing On That Aesthetic Vibe:
Artists use visual mediums to add depth and beauty to their narratives, transforming them into visually pleasing and emotionally profound art forms. For example, people add retro themes pictures and even black-and-white effects in their pictures to add that classy effect to the pictures.
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Storytelling Is Creating Engagement:
One of the unique aspects of storytelling as an art is its ability to engage the audience actively. Each individual can bring their own interpretation and understanding to a story, making it a personalized and interactive experience. Artists often leave room for interpretation, encouraging viewers or listeners to think critically and engage with the story on a deeper level.
Storytelling is one of the effective ways to keep the viewers engaged and that you have them stick to the story to learn more about how it reached happily ever after!
These stories give more insight into the reality that took a seat and adds meaning to the purpose.
What Are The Elements Of Storytelling?
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Let there be light:
Light plays a very significant role in photography. Especially when it comes to wedding photography, light plays an important role to create a dramatic effect as and when needed. We don’t have an image without light, and without decent light, we have a terrible one at most. However, our professional Indian wedding photographer Chicago has proper knowledge and skills based on practical experience with light setups.
Lighting is not only concerned with where the light is; it is also concerned with the absence of light in a composition. We can tell better stories, add dimension, and hide distracting components in an image by employing both highlights and shadows, all while leading viewers to our subjects. As we discussed the retro and black & white effect, lightning has to be carefully handled in such scenes as the whole narration is based on the same.
You can utilize both natural and artificial light in documentary photography, but it’s critical to grasp how to employ artificial light fast and efficiently. Because we can’t control many events in documentary wedding photography, getting to our shoot as quickly as possible could mean creating a spectacular moment or missing it because your flash wasn’t ready or didn’t go off. There is considerable disagreement about how much money to spend on specific forms of lighting. It doesn’t matter in the end. Purchase what is appropriate for your budget and skill level.
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Candid Moments:
Things are beautiful when they are raw, with no effects, and everything is just natural. The basic purpose of clicking candid pictures is to capture the moment in the most truthful way and create an unedited version of it. Those pictures] do not just represent a candid moment but also moments filled with love and good times. It’s like an unscripted version of a movie that portrays the real personalities, love, and fun that people have behind the scripted version. Where they actually live in the moment. Showcasing who we truly are doesn’t make us vulnerable but truthful to ourselves and the world. With candid wedding pictures, it would showcase how two people are truly happy with each other not just because it’s a wedding.
How do You Give Your Best Shot
- Anticipate moments before they happen to give yourself the best chance of obtaining the perfect shot. Let your imagination flow as far and creative as it can go and try to pull it out in reality. Try to bring on the poses and pictures that you saved on your Pinterest board long before even the wedding date was finalized!
- Be patient with what happens at the moment. Losing patience in the process of getting the perfect shots is quite common but you have to train your mind that if it’s not the planned shot then better be a raw one because that’ll be loved by viewers too. Once your composition and lighting are in place, you can capture the moments you’re looking for. They won’t always appear, so don’t be disheartened if you’ve prepared everything and your moment doesn’t match your composition. Instead, capture the moment because a good moment outweighs good light and composition.
Techniques Used By An Indian Wedding Photographer For Better Storytelling:
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Your Stories Should Be Layered
Use several subjects, people, and items (clothing, details, etc.) in your photo to create a composition that will help tell multiple stories. This allows you to highlight a variety of elements. People select particular clothes, props, and other things that may go with the theme or story as planned.
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Shoot In Successions
Shoot many frames in the same composition while your subjects are in motion, and then lay them together on a page to make a story.
How To Draw A Perfect Storytelling Plan For Indian Wedding Photography?
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Choose a photographer with a storytelling style:
Look for an Indian wedding photographer who specializes in storytelling photography and has a strong portfolio to showcase their work. Review their past wedding albums to ensure their style aligns with your vision for capturing the narrative of your day. If you are living in the States, then choosing a professional Indian wedding photographer who would be the U.S based as that would be a great option for you as they can travel to other cities within the States as well.
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Communicate your vision:
Schedule a meeting with your wedding photographer before the wedding to discuss your ideas and expectations. Share any specific moments or details that hold significance to you as a couple. This will help your photographer understand the story you want to tell through the images.
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Prepare a wedding-day timeline:
Work closely with your photographer to create a detailed timeline of the day. By sharing the schedule of events, you allow the photographer to plan and capture all the essential moments. A well-organized timeline ensures that no precious memories are missed. You can discuss the availability and when the scenes would be shot to get the pictures that might be on your mind.
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Pay attention to details:
Infuse personal touches throughout your wedding to enhance the storytelling aspect. Incorporate meaningful elements that reflect your personalities and relationship. These might include personalized vows, heirlooms, or thematic decorations that hold sentimental value.
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Involve loved ones:
Encourage your family and friends to contribute to the narrative. Liaise with your
Indian wedding photographer Chicago to capture candid moments between you and your loved ones. This could involve capturing emotional moments during the getting-ready process or capturing happy interactions during the reception. Your close friends who know your story as much as they do, can also help you to curate some best creative ideas.
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Be present and authentic:
This is not an exam, so feel free and enjoy the moments! The pictures will naturally look so pretty and authentic. Allow yourselves to be fully present on your wedding day. Embrace the emotions, joy, and sometimes even the unexpected moments. Authenticity and genuine emotions make for the most compelling storytelling images. Trust your photographer to capture these moments naturally.
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Plan time for couple portraits:
Allocate a specific time during the day for couple portraits. This enables the photographer to capture intimate moments between the two of you without interruptions. Choose picturesque locations that complement the overall wedding narrative. Trust your photographer’s guidance in posing and capturing authentic emotions. If your photographer is based in the U.S. then this would be a bonus for you, as they would be having about the wedding locations as well.
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Interact with guests:
Engage with your guests throughout the day as much as possible. This will provide opportunities for your photographer to capture candid moments of laughter, hugs, and interactions between you and your loved ones. Candid shots of your guests’ reactions contribute immensely to the storytelling experience.
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Have a “first look” moment:
Consider having a “first look” before the ceremony. This special moment where the couple sees each other for the first time can evoke authentic emotions that the photographer can capture beautifully. It also allows for more time together, resulting in relaxed and natural couple portraits. Here is where the candid part dives indirectly!
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Trust your photographer’s vision:
Lastly, trust in the expertise and creative vision of your chosen photographer. They have the experience and skills to capture your wedding day story in the most artistic and meaningful way. Allow them the freedom to capture the moments as they unfold, and you’ll have a beautiful narrative of your day.
Considering, these tips will help ensure that your wedding storytelling photography captures the unique essence of your special day, creating a collection of images you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
How Do We Pursue Storytelling Photography:
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Get to know the couple:
We aim to portray the true love between the couple. Before the big day, we take time to meet and connect with the couple. Understanding their personalities, preferences, and vision for their wedding will help you tailor your storytelling approach. Building a rapport with them will also make them feel more comfortable with you and allow you to capture natural, candid moments. Having raw conversations and hearing their side of the story is definitely going to help us to sketch it out in the wedding pictures as well.
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Scheduling Time Slots:
We make sure to sit down with the couple and discuss the shots and time accordingly. If there is a shot that should be taken in a golden hour or something like that then we have to discuss the same with the couple so that an adjustment can be made.
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Capture the details:
Wedding storytelling photography is not just about capturing the big moments but also the small details that make the day unique. Take close-up shots of the rings, flowers, centerpieces, and any other intricate decorations that the couple has put so much thought into. These images add depth to the story and help set the scene.
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Embrace candid moments:
Undoubtedly, we Indians do have some Bollywood essence within us. So don’t hesitate to dance or enjoy the moments like it’s your movie being shot by one of the most eminent directors of Bollywood.
Candid shots often result in the most genuine and emotional images. While posed shots are essential, the Indian wedding photographer Chicago makes sure to also capture the unexpected moments. These can be a stolen glance between the couple, a heartfelt conversation, or even a spontaneous dance move on the dance floor. These candid moments truly reflect the emotions and joy of the day.
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Use natural light:
Whenever possible, we utilize natural light for your wedding storytelling photography. Natural light creates a soft and flattering effect, adding a touch of warmth to your images. Look for opportunities to shoot near windows or outside during golden hour to make the most of this beautiful light. There are many beautiful and scenic places in that we can definitely pull out for the wedding shoot, based on your location in the States.
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Experiment with different perspectives:
To create a dynamic visual story, vary your angles and perspectives. Mix wide shots with close-ups, shoot from above or below, and experiment with different compositions. By incorporating diverse perspectives, you add visual interest and enable the viewer to immerse themselves fully in the day.
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Capture the relationships:
Apart from focusing on the couple, we make sure to also capture the relationships and interactions between family and friends. These moments of love, laughter, and support are integral to the story of the day. Capturing the proud parents, the excited friends, and the touching moments between loved ones is the way we add compassion to the stories.
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Post-processing:
Once the wedding is over, we genuinely invest our time in post-processing. Enhance your images by adjusting exposure, color tones, and cropping. Consistent editing styles throughout the images will create a cohesive story. We maintain the natural essence of the day and avoid heavy-handed editing that alters the original emotions and atmosphere. We have a professional team of editors who give their all to generate the best wedding pictures and videos.
In conclusion, wedding storytelling photography is about capturing the essence of the day in a storytelling manner.
By getting to know the couple, planning ahead, and embracing candid moments, you can create a beautiful visual narrative that will forever preserve the memories of their special day. But this is something that you should get done by someone whom you can actually count on. We at Shan Photography are one of the best Indian wedding photographer Chicago and curate the best and most professional wedding work for our customers. We are professionals who have been in the field for years and earned the name through dedication and transparency in our work. We understand the responsibility that comes to capture such a big day. Feel free to check our work on our website, and let us know. We would love to hear from you!
Also read – Traditional Vs. Candid: Exploring Different Styles Of Indian Wedding Photography In Chicago