NEW DELHI: Arnob Das’s love for photography was cultivated when his father gave him a Sony digital camera. With it he explored various subjects, from street photography to religious festivals, and others. Das was a part of the photography club at his alma-mater, Hindu College, University of Delhi, from where he participated in many photography competitions. Eventually, he got a chance to work with Discovery Channel, where he honed his skills. At the same time, he also prepared for the entrance exams of National Institute of Design. But life had other plans for this Delhi photographer, as despite clearing the entrance, he couldn’t take admission due to financial constraints at home.
But he decided to upload his photographs of people he clicked in Gandhinagar on Flicker, as one of the practical tests to qualify for the institute. An international photographer found his portraits quite fascinating and suggested he should take up wedding photography. That’s how Das started in this genre since 2014. Even now, he doesn’t take multiple projects at one time. “It doesn’t justify the payment if you slack off and divert your attention. The shots clicked on the day of the wedding are never scripted and you just can’t afford to miss a moment being not alert,” he explains. Das shared two of his favourite captures that he shot in Delhi with The Morning Standard.
The picture with the bridal shot was taken at Lavanya Grand, Mayapuri, Delhi. “We were to take the photographs at the beauty parlour where the bride was getting ready. But the date, December 11, 2019, was a busy one for the parlour too, we could only take the shots at the aforementioned banquet hall. The venue, being a three-floored space was also packed with three weddings on the same day, and guests were flowing in and out the place. Most of the bridal shots were done in the bridal room but for this one, I asked the bride to come towards the stairs and stand under the lamplight. Further, I asked my assistant to hold the flash and point towards the bride’s face. With the help of flash modifier called MagMod and MagGrid, I made this shot.”
The other picture with the couple hugging each other was taken in December 2017 at Yamuna Ghat in Delhi. “The couple featured here are my friends who hired me for their pre-wedding photos in October. In December, when they saw a similar picture I had shot of another couple, it enamoured them so much and they wanted to get clicked in the same way. For the shoot, I decided to meet Ganesh at Yamuna Ghat. We chose the boat keeping in mind the composition I had planned for this image. While I fixed my camera, Ganesh threw bird food in the water to attract flocks, giving you a nice backdrop to the shot. As for the couple, I remember telling them to take their time to be comfortable in front of the camera. The whole idea was to show their friendship and the everlasting bond they were going to share,” Das explains.