BEYOND THE CLOUDS

The agency behind the soulful shots of the Kiara-Sidharth and Alia-Ranbir weddings, House On The Clouds makes sure their photographs convey emotion. In conversation with founder and director Siddharth Sharma, we unearth how they unfold magic behind the lens and capture sentiments in their rawest form.

- SHRADDHA CHOWDHURY

Brides Today: Congratulations on completing 10 years in the wedding industry! Please share the moments that stand out as milestones, and what went into becoming one of India's most sought-after group of photographers.

Siddharth Sharma: It's unreal that it's been a decade. The memories from our first wedding in 2014 are still fresh in my mind. We started very small. At a time when there weren't any planners, we used to carry lots of fairy lights and reach the venue at 3am to put them up at the mandap just to get a better backdrop for the ceremony.

After doing photography for a while, we started with films, which was a huge milestone for us as it changed the whole wedding scene in India. We were probably the first ones to combine nonlinear storytelling with cinematic visuals. Before that, wedding films were template-based, all made in the same format. We dismantled that template, and I can say with absolute surety that this was a significant milestone for us as well as the Indian wedding industry

BT: What are your key learnings from all these years behind the lens?

SS: I always say that three things hold the key to everything: learn, adapt, and evolve. Commit to at least five years to learn and hone your craft. Understand it deeply. Arm yourself with enough curiosity to learn all there’s to know about your area of expertise. There will be sacrifices, late nights and sleepless nights. But your passion and zeal will take you through it. And that’s when you’ll have a solid foundation to stand upon.

BT: How do you envision bringing a couple’s story to life?