FRAMING MOMENTS, CREATING MEMORIES

It takes a keen eye to capture the raw emotion behind photographs, one that this lensman has proved he possesses aplenty. JOSEPH RADHIK, the man who immortalised the magical moments behind many a celebrity wedding-Anushka-Virat, Deepika-Ranveer, Vicky-Katrina, to name a few-shares his love for portraits and using visual narratives to make a couple's special day even more so.

- SHRADDHA CHOWDHURY

Brides Today: Take us through how you envision bringing a couple's story to life through your photos and videos. What does "stories" entail to you?

Joseph Radhik: My first goal is to get to know a couple beyond the transaction. What brought them together, what brought this wedding dream to life, what they look forward to and a myriad of other things. This is done through an in-person meeting or a call but is usually a long session. The end goal is to get to know each other, so they can happily ignore my presence during their big day. That grants me the privilege of documenting them through the lens of a friend rather than as a service provider. All my best photos are taken up close and personal, when the couple can be real in front of me. The story of a wedding, then is simply the visual narrative of the day, as it unfolds through the tiniest of details and emotions. The people who matter to you should be front and centre in the photos, the décor that means something to the couple should be captured… It’s a personal process customised for each couple.

BT: How do you direct the more camera-shy bride and groom?

JR: There are two parts to documenting a wedding: the portraits and the moments. It’s while capturing the portraits that a camera-shy couple may need some direction, but the moments are completely unplugged and undirected. Portraits—especially of regular folk—are a very relaxed process for me. I don’t get too hung up on technical perfection, but I gun for making the couple feel their most beautiful during this time. This involves a lot of communication, a pinch of tips and tricks to boost their confidence and a healthy amount of positive feedback by showing them their photos to put them at ease.