| How much does Candid Photography cost |
Candid photography, unlike the traditional wedding photography, does not record all the events that happen in an event. So, what is candid photography?
Candid photography is the art of finding the best shots, capturing emotions and special moments, as they happen. Anything that is captured with explicit instructions from the photographer is bound to feel contrived, made up and look and feel unnatural.
This is because, it takes the best actors to bring emotions in a snap. And, none of us are accomplished actors. And it is bound to have an effect on the pictures that are taken. Especially, on a day like the the wedding day, we are all tensed up, the participants, the immediate relatives, the guests, even the photographer and the videographer all.
So, the trick is to remain in the background and capture the scenes as they happen, being invisible to the people being captured. Candid photography is all about that. There is a cost to every photograph that is captured.
And a professional candid photographer whose cost is on the higher side, is on the look out for special moments. He is trained to expect certain things at a certain time; the tying of the knot, the applying of Sindur, the happy parents, the mothers kiss, the fathers hug, they all happen in the time of the wedding.
The big challenge for the candid photography team is to capture those special moments as they happen. And, these moments cannot be replayed and the cost of missing out on these moments is high. The reason why people go for the professional candid photography is on the belief that they will not miss out on anything and capture everything of substance.
There was an event where the puppy was the highlight of the wedding. The brides adorable pet puppy was captured in many angles and situations which the bride loved.
Some of the candid photography needs a bit of a set up though. Like letting the couple have a lazy walk along the pathway; capturing candid moments as the couple chill under the shade, getting the couple have a chat like shiva with shakti, let the couple run around, couple relaxing inside a vintage car, enjoying a couple of private moments in a typical village house; these kinds of situations are explained to the couple and then the camera crew goes silently in the background and let the couple be themselves. This is another type of candid photography that is done. These captures also look natural as after a few moments, the couple go into their private world and forget the candid cameras that are capturing it all in the background.
Then there are games in the event. These give us the best group photos that blend along and give us the right ambience and feel of the moment; we had this uriyadi game in the in progress, which was captured cleanly, with the pots breaking, the water splashing and the excitement in the faces; these are all the candid shots captured in ambient light that take your wedding photography to the next level. The album that comes out of these pictures; they breathe life.
What else is there to talk about? Okay, at the reception the previous day, the couple janavasam procession in the well polished, open top vintage car looking just out of the showroom, is a speciality. That and a couple of contemplating minutes by the groom as she is getting ready, the close-ups of the brides jewellery etc.
Coming to the wedding, the arrival of the bride in a decked up palanquin, like a princess, the exchanging of garlands; the smiling, laughing scenes, the jesting affable purohit making lighter comments during the wedding ceremony, the happy family moments with the family and the guests are all meticulously photographed by the candid photography team of photographers; precious moments that cost a lot.
The event culminates with the blessing crowd of friends and relatives, after the couple circumabulate the sacred fire as they begin their journey with agni as sakshi to their lifetime of bonding. Capturing these moments costs just a click from the camera; but the value that they carry for the people captured, is priceless.
Since, unlike traditional photography, candid photography involves expertise with events, the camera equipment etc, they cost on the higher side of the price bracket. A typical experienced professional candid photographer may charge you an equivalent of $500 upwards. But, the number of candid photographers that you will need will depend on the number of guests that you will have for your event. Typically, in a wedding, there are three candid photographers, one covering the bride, one the groom and the other the guests and relatives. You may decide how many you want, based on the budget and the number of guests that will be attending.
