It is the art of noticing.
It is the art of observing.
It is the art of storytelling through photographs.

I have been taking photos professionally for almost 20 years now, which feels absolutely insane when I put it in words. And one thing that I have realized and concluded over all these years is that taking a photo is honestly the easiest part of the process. Yes, there is a technical skill of knowing what lens to use, what aperture to set, and a few other numbers but once you learn and master that – the actual act of pressing the shutter button is almost too easy.

In 2025, technology has democratized photography. Everyone can take photos with their phone, without knowing a single technical detail. All modern cameras perform flawlessly when you press the shutter – they will autofocus where you want, accurately calculate the exposure, and know how much flash power to output. Many of these tasks once had to be done manually and mechanically, every single time, in the days of film. Therefore, we must question ourselves – what is our role as a photographer?

What you choose to shoot, what you include in your frame, what moment in time you press the shutter button – all of these define you as a photographer.

Your worldview and vision.
Your curation and ideation.
Your thoughts and opinion.

All of these are honed over a long time through deliberate thought and effort. Reading, seeing, living, and constantly consuming content and information – all of these shape your life and vision, and subsequently, your style or work.

I am very grateful to call myself a professional photographer and have the drive to continue to tell stories every day. While the burden of running a photography business can often be overwhelming, the passion to create meaningful work, keeps us going. It is our duty to document today, for tomorrow.

Currently listening to – ’85 Again by Robert Parker

Currently reading – The Entrepreneurs by Monocle

Currently watching – ReRuns of The Office (US)

I still remember the date that I bought my first digital SLR camera. It was a Canon 40D and my father bought it for me at the London Camera Exchange in Colchester. I had only been in England for a week, it was the first week of my University, I was a fresh faced 17 year old kid, eager, enthusiastic, and nervous. My father’s business trip happened to coincide with the Freshers’ Week at my University and he came by to see me. Its been 18 years since that day but the memory is absolutely fresh in my mind. We took the bus to town, walked around the streets, and went into the store. The Canon 40D was a very new camera and they had one in stock. I had done a lot of research before picking the Canon 40D, read a lot of articles about Nikon vs Canon. and even tried both brands in person (Sony was not in the picture then). The Canon felt apt for me, ergonomically, and had a good range of lenses available. My father, without a second thought, said let’s buy it for you. And that decision probably put into motion a series of events that have to led to my career as a photographer, and led to the announcement made yesterday by Canon India – they are officially getting me on board as a Canon Influencer in India.

Hand to heart – I can honestly say that 17 year old Kishor couldn’t be prouder of where I have come today. Its been no easy feat.

My degree at that time had nothing to do with photography – I studied BA Economics & Politics at the University of Essex and even today, I am passionate of both subjects and regularly keep up with world affairs. But my career took a different path, and after a brief stint as an Oil Trader in London, I decided to change my career to photography. The hobby of photography found me much earlier, when I was the editor of the school newsletter at my beloved alma mater – the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet. And that was probably the real origin of the creative bug.

13 years of professional photography. It feels absolutely crazy to write down that line. Where has the time gone? From those very early days of working out of bedroom to now, running my own large office – I am sometimes astonished at my own growth as a photographer.

One article will not be sufficient to enunciate the highs and lows of a career in the creative industry in India. Regardless of how fashionable it looks on social media, the hard truth is that it is absolutely grueling to stay relevant, creative, and consistent, especially for over a decade, while navigating personal and professional pitfalls, and not letting anything get in the way of the larger goal – to constantly tell stories of the world around me, in bigger and better ways.

That one single goal has helped me keep my vision clear and work relentlessly amidst all hardships. Shooting more than 700 weddings, publishing a dozen photo zines, photographing global celebrities for landmark movies, holding photo exhibitions of my work, documenting important stories all around my country, capturing the lives of politicians, creating a coffee table book to mark a centenary of HPS, conducting workshops, and enveloping myself into the photography community – its been a one-of-a-kind experience.

All through this journey, I have had one constant reliable and loyal companion – my Canon camera. Whilst many around me changed brands constantly, I stayed true to the brand with the belief that consistency is important, and familiarity is vital. Having the same brand in my hand for so many years means that it works without a second thought. My brain is hard wired to know all the Canon menus and button placements, which allow me to operate at speed. And speed is what we need in this industry. One missed moment and its all over. That also means you need a device that wont let you down, will work in all conditions, and always be there for you. I have photographed in snow in Scotland, in cold conditions on Great Wall of China, amidst the heat and humidity of coastal AP, and squeezed between immense crowds in Indian weddings. And always, all of my Canon cameras have stayed strong. Be it the old 40D, or the latest R5 Mk II.

I am incredibly grateful to Canon India for this momentous occasion. It still feels surreal. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my long creative journey, from my parents, my colleagues, my staff, my friends, my clients, and most importantly, my wife. The level of perseverance needed to get here has been almost inhumane and it couldnt have been possible without the constant support of all my well-wishers.

Currently listening to – Loud Places by Jamie xx ft Romy

Currently watching – Trigger Point on Amazon Prime

Currently reading – My Income Tax returns for FY 2024 – 2025

The recent demolition of the Secunderabad Railway Station was a stark reminder that life is not in our hands. A place that was filled with memories was simply gone within a week, and will be a replaced by an ugly metal/glass structure, without paying any homage to architecture of the past.

This isn’t the first time that I have experienced this in my city – many places that I held with deep regard disappeared over the past decade, either to be replaced by a new spot that has no charm of the old, or to be simply gone with the widening of the road. I miss all the simple Irani chai cafes where one could sit undisturbed enjoying chai and biscuits – they have been replaced by a fried chicken franchise and car decor showrooms. I miss the dive bars where the rum was cheaper than the Thums Up. I miss the charm of going to the library, the kirana shop, and the juice centre.

City planning is changing from a focus on people and convenience, to a focus on cars and capitalism. Footpaths barely exist in a usable manner which forces people to buy bikes & cars, we isolate several parts of the society by forcing everything to be done via an ‘app’ or a ‘website’, normal products are being pushed towards a ‘premium’ segment in an attempt to raise prices, and I feel that quality of life is being lost in this race towards speed/convenience/money.

The loss of physical spaces is one thing, but growing up is also the loss of people that we loved, the loss of goals that we once hoped would come true, the loss of ambitions that are incompatible with reality, the loss of friends that grow apart in different countries, the loss of little habits that meant a lot, the loss of optimism and a sense of wonderment.

At my relatively young age, I already feel a deep sense of loss. I wonder how the older generation has coped with seeing their city being ripped apart at the seams and watching memories fade away into nothingness.

Growing up is a metaphor for letting go. There is no other choice.

Currently listening to – Svefn-g-englar by Sigur Rós

Currently reading – Monocle February 2025 Issue

Currenly watching – House of Cards on Netflix

However, the creative mind works differently. We are not motivated by money. We are often indifferent to material goods. The pursuit to create, inspire, and further our skill surpasses the need to actively earn. But reality is different. We live in a world where bills need to be paid, family needs to be supported, and every act of existence costs money. Unless we have the privilege of generational wealth, we have to come to terms with the fact that the rest of the world works on a different spectrum, and we must accede to it – whether we like it or not.

I used to grow up thinking anything is possible, full of optimism, and a fire for life. But growing older, I’ve realized that while yes, anything is possible – it either requires access to generational wealth, connections with the powerful, or a willingness to sacrifice.

I truly believe that it is cruel to make my mind work on daily drivel and admin tasks. A creative mind filled with ideas, energy, and inspiration is forced to settle for mediocre tasks that slowly erode the enthusiasm. Life is a daily battle with capitalism, with its imposition to earn my bread and shift my focus on ways to sustain a livelihood, rather than ways to tell stories. This becomes doubly difficult in India where, as a small business owner, an inordinate amount of time is spent in dealing with mundane compliance, chasing up for payments, doing endless paperwork, ensuring employee satisfaction, keeping clients happy, and a whole array of tasks that come and go which require constant problem solving. And after all of this, one has to find the energy for oneself, for loved ones, and the actual creative work that we aim to do. While also keeping an eye of health, both physical and mental. The number of decisions that need to be made, the constant choice between what we want and what society wants, while juggling admin tasks and creative tasks – its a never ending fight.

Currently listening to – La Forêt by Lescop

Currently watching – Ramayana : The Legend of Prince Ram

Currently reading – Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Now I know that all of the above probably sounds exciting. But the personal cost of achieving it is often unspoken. I had to sacrifice a lot of time that I would have spent with family and friends. The amount of stress that I had to endear for most of the year was not healthy. I often had to do a juggling act between my commercial work that actually paid the bills, and the range of personal projects that I was pursuing. There were definitely many moments of self pity where I wondered where this was all leading. The life of a photographer can seem glamorous but a creative career can be quite lonely at times too. But discipline and perseverance was key, to endure through moments where there was nothing to look forward to. I am not going to say that everything is fine now but I will admit that I learnt a lot of important life lessons over the course of the year.

Spending time at the Indian Photo Festival and interacting with other documentary photographers was an interesting experience. The art world sometimes tends to be in its own bubble, in isolation from the rest of society. While that does allow one to have acute focus on one’s art, it also means that we sometimes forget if our work is even valid or relevant in the wider world. It also reminded me of my very first photo festival, which I attended back in 2013 – the Delhi Photo Festival. At that point, I had made it a goal to have my work exhibited at a photo festival – it *only* took me 11 years to see that goal come to fruition and ultimately, it didnt feel as good as I thought it would. But that seems to be the general emotion of growing up.

The world of photography has changed into an almost unrecognizable beast today. When I started my career in 2012, we relied on blog posts, word of mouth, and some social media to get the word around. Now its almost only social media, and even though we all often feel tired of it, we still go back to it and rely on it for recommendations and entertainment. I wish there could be more avenues where we could see visual work and interact with it. The photo festival was a super place for this. But it happens once a year and at one place. I am glad Zines are picking up globally – experimenting with the printed format is great for both the creator as well as the consumer. It allows the creator to break the mould of the 6 inch screen, and it allows the consumer to interact with content in a new way that makes it more memorable.

I wrote this blog post 10 years ago but how Satya Nadella would inspire all the alumni of HPS Begumpet to believe in themselves and their ability to achieve the impossible. But never did I dream that I would, one day, have the opportunity to personally interact with him and Shantanu Narayen. We met them in a personal setting, with both of them praising the Coffee Table Book that was created by me and a wonderful team. It was an experience that will remain with me for a long time. Both of them being Alumni from our school, they became students once they entered the campus, making jokes and being jovial guys, not the corporate CEOs that one would expect them to be. The book itself is an absolute masterpiece, if I may say so myself. I know for a fact that it is probably the finest book of its kind, made for any institution in the country, maybe even the world.

The effort of the team cannot be understated in pulling off this book. Pranav Pingle was instrumental in navigating the complex world of bureaucracy and pushing us to completion even when there seemed to be no hope. Sanjiv Chakravarthy patiently kept up with all our inane requests and ensured that every fact in the book was fully researched and accurate. Anish Penti illustrated and designed the book from scratch with a meticulous eye for detail. Alok Yepuri wrote the text in the book, managing to compile 100 years of history in 340 pages, without missing out on any critical information. And we were supported by a large team from Mirage Media who worked relentlessly over the past couple of years. The book was spearheaded by two absolute gentlemen representing the school, Mr.Chandra Shekhar Reddy Kundur and Mr. Faiz Khan, both of whom showed us the direction to follow and were always available for us.

What does 2025 hold for me? The first step is give my mind the time to relax, to rejuvenate, and to revitalize. The coming year is going to be important and I need to be prepared. An overworked and stressed mind is no place to accommodate new ideas. I will balance life and invest my energy in the right directions. And then? Sky is the limit. As my school motto says – “you are the eagle, to soar is your destiny.”

Currently listening to – Video Life by Chris Spedding

Currently reading – Land by Simon Winchester

Currently watching – Lockerbie on JioCinema

On the professional part, I held my first solo documentary photo exhibition, built my wedding photography team to scale new heights, spent an unusually large amount of time navigating committees, and made a coffee table book to mark the centenary of my alma mater, the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet.

The year tested me thoroughly, pushing me to the limit, and made me learn that I actually have more to give that I originally thought. I had to work to keep a steady head while juggling personal responsibilities, professional commitments, creative ideas, financial duties, all amidst the constant news of doom & gloom. The world is in a strange place right now.

War and genocide ravage the globe and we feel insulated from it, unable to do anything but post about it on social media. We are forced to go about our daily lives, albeit with a cloud of guilt hanging over heads. If you wonder how World War 2 happened, how the holocaust happened, how dictators came to power, you don’t have to read a history book – it’s all happening right now, around us, and we can simply sit and watch. We can feel upset, we can write about it, we can debate about it but it feels so depressing to know that we actually can’t do anything about it.

The opulence of capitalism is almost nauseating. A never ending game to one-up the other through material goods and visible wealth, not genuine growth of self or intellect. Almost a modified Dutch disease, with new money coming in, without working for it. The appearance of luxury is what everyone seems to worry about, without realizing that money is just a means to an end. The false lifestyles of social media make people lust for it, creating the wrong goals for the future generations.

I worry about the environment, and wonder if anything mankind is doing today will ensure a sustainable planet for us. Electric cars and metal straws are an eyewash to pacify the wider public. Priorities of lives have changed, and living in harmony with the planet, caring for plants, animals, and people – none of these seems to matter. To stay optimistic is a full time task.

For the coming year, I feel I am old enough to not need to set goals but rather establish broad areas of focus and conduct a reassessment of priorities. I am a storyteller at my core, and want to focus on new and improved ways to tell stories, of both weddings and the world, using photos, text, videos, and audio. Everything else is a part of this process or a distraction. And on that note, happy new year!

Currently reading – The Invention of Essex by Tim Burrows
Currently listening to – Free at Dawn by Small Black
Currently watching – The Crown (Season 6) on Netflix

The wedding season was already very bleak, with all couples who live abroad having cancelled or postponed their weddings. Even couples who were resident in Hyderabad were cautious about going ahead with their weddings, and few had chosen to downscale their events. Nevertheless, these are definitely wise decisions given that safety is paramount in this situation. However, the economic impact of it would be monumental on the events industry, which was still reeling from the effects of last year’s lockdown. In the end, the government order had clear information that weddings would be allowed to go ahead, albeit with a cap on the number of guests, restricted to 40 people only.

Day One of Lockdown – Mehendi

I was in conversation with the bride till the late hours of May 11th, wondering how to proceed with the already planned Mehendi on 12th evening. She had to coordinate with multiple vendors, from the decor company, the makeup artist, and the Mehendi artists, in order to figure out whether it would be possible to even go ahead with this event. Fortunately, everyone was willing to support in whatever way possible. A decision was made to shift the event from its original evening schedule and move it to the morning instead. I drove to the bride’s house by 10am, when she was getting the final touches to her make up and Mehendi. What was originally supposed to an event from 3pm to 7pm with 30 guests was now from 10am to 1pm with 10 guests. But the family was definitely upbeat that the event was going ahead, and this smaller gathering allowed everyone to be more relaxed. I got much more time to shoot portraits of the bride, and she was also equally enthusiastic that I was present to capture moments of this little celebration. I drove back home at around 2pm, and while there were police checkposts, they didn’t stop my car. I figured that this was probably because it was the first day of the lockdown and they were giving people some leeway before they enforced the rules strictly.

Day Two of Lockdown – Pellikuthuru & Engagement

We had 2 parallel events on Day Two. I would be leading a small team and covering a 40 guest engagement at Avasa Hotel while Suri would be covering the Pellikuthuru event. Both events were scheduled to start at around 6am and all of us had no issues with checkposts on the way to each venue. We noticed a high level of discipline amongst the guests in wearing masks, something that was very lax in weddings last year. They started mostly on time and finished on time. No hiccups were faced during these events. Once again, we had plenty of time for portraits of the couple at both events. However, on the way back from the events, the police at checkposts were randomly stopping people and questioning them. There was a visible bias, in that they were more inclined to stop people on bikes, while allowing cars to pass through. All of my crew were stopped and let go after showing the police a copy of the invitation card and their photographer ID card. The police did tell them to apply for the E Pass for future events.

Day Three of Lockdown – Wedding & Engagement

There were 2 slightly overlapping events on Day Three as well. The muhurtam time of the wedding was 6am, which meant that we had to be at the venue by 3:30am to cover the bride’s makeup. The early morning drive to the wedding venue i.e Park Hyatt was seamless, and it was nice to drive on empty roads after a long time. The lighting team for the decor was slightly delayed due to some issues and they were only able to set it up in the nick of time before the wedding rituals started. We also had a hard time convincing the Reception staff at Park Hyatt that we needed to access the bride’s room to take her getting ready photos. Apparently they had some Covid policy of only letting guests into rooms. But we got sorted it out eventually and the wedding went on smoothly. The main mandap area had less than 10 guests and the other 25 guests chose to sit far away. While this wedding was going on, a parallel team had gone to the other engagement and were already setting up.

Once all the main rituals were done at the wedding, I went to the other engagement while the rest of my crew continued to stay at the wedding for some photos, etc. The engagement was probably one of the smallest events that we had covered with only 8 people in attendance, including the couple. It was held in the front lawns of the bride’s house and we setup a 8ft by 6ft LED Screen opposite to the stage area, to show all their relatives on a Zoom call. It was truly a one-of-a-kind experience for all us, but we made the most of it. All the rituals got done by around midday and we spent more time taking couple portraits and family portraits, in all permutations and combinations.

Tips for Photographers

• Carry a Photographer ID Card
• Keep a digital copy of the Wedding Card
• Apply for a E-Pass (if you are traveling outside of the free movement times of 6-10am, you can apply here – https://policeportal.tspolice.gov.in/covidReg_interstate_veh.htm)
• Wear an N95 mask at all times (I personally use this one – https://www.amazon.in/SWASA-PM0-3-Reuseable-White-Without/dp/B09558LB3N/)
• Avoid eating at the event, if possible (or make sure you go to a quiet corner and eat quickly)

Tips for Couples

• Schedule your home events in the morning (people find it easier to travel during the 6am to 10am free movement time)
• Send digital copies of your event invitation card to all guests and vendors
• Minimize external vendors for home events (with a small number of guests, consider cooking at home instead of hiring a caterer)
• Only have essential family members on stage for the wedding ( just parents, priests, photographers – rest can be seated off stage)
• Give face shields to the priests (they often find it hard to chant the mantras with facemasks)
• Keep plenty of N95 facemasks available for guests (some may turn up with cotton masks which have been proven to be ineffective)

Covering these intimate events over the past week made me understand how essential a photographer is to any event. I distinctly recall the bride’s father telling me at the Mehendi, on May 12th, that they would have never gone ahead with the event, if I had any apprehensions to shooting it. Yes, they wanted to hold a Mehendi event, but they put up nice decor, got dressed up, hired a makeup artist, all in the pursuit of good photographs and great memories. As wedding photographers, it is our duty to do justice to these events by capturing them in the best way possible. It would unwise to dismiss these as small events but rather, embrace the opportunity to capture emotions and moments that would have been otherwise lost in a large gathering. My team and I have got a few shoots lined up till the end of the month, but it is a vastly lesser number compared to what we originally were scheduled to shoot. It is a rather difficult and uncertain time to plan a wedding so I am frequently on the phone with my clients, offering them all the help and advice that I can.

For the people who think that all weddings should be cancelled, I would urge you to put yourself in the position of a couple who had planned their wedding months in advance with many events and lots of friends but now scaled down to just essential events and immediate family. There is a certain emotion and sentiment associated with sticking to a particular muhurtam date/time once the lagnapatrika is written. I can sympathize with that emotion so if you are getting married in this month, do proceed with your events keeping in mind adequate distance, masks, and outdoors if possible. And please do support all your vendors in this difficult time with patience, kindness, and on-time payments. Here’s to hoping that the situation improves soon. Stay safe, stay home!

Currently listening to – Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins
Currently reading – Old Issues of Wallpaper*
Currently watching – Reruns of The Office (US) on Amazon Prime

Once we finish college or University, most of our lives are lived within relatively small social circles, only regularly meeting and spending time with a few family and friends. Our opinions are discussed and debated within those circles, our likes and dislikes are only shared between them. While social media has given us a wider platform to express ourselves, it is often results in simply going with the flow and agreeing with the majority. Our deepest and most personal preferences remain an intimate subject.

But on one day of your life, you are presented with an opportunity to tell the world about it. Every single decision you make is a reflection of your perspective and world view.

And eventually, when people compliment your wedding decor, your saree, or your photographs, they are in reality, complimenting YOU. It is a direct appreciation of your research work and decision making process. When they say the food is great, that your jewelry is beautiful or the venue is stunning, they are in essence commending you for finding the right outfit, place or vendor. Whoever you choose to work with on your wedding day is a testament to your taste that has been honed over the course of your entire life. And when people compliment your taste, they are in effect appreciating your life till that point.

Because our tastes are a reflection of everything we’ve learned, seen, and absorbed in life. Everything we read, watch, every person we meet, every place we travel to, eventually add up to form a part of our personality and our preferences. A comment on our taste is a comment on our lives. So when you decide on the way your wedding is done, your outfit is designed, the colour of your decor, etc, don’t just gloss over the details. Spend some time, pay attention, do the right research and find someone who is equally passionate and dedicated about their profession and service, as much as you are about your life.

When we photograph weddings, we are constantly looking for evidence of personal touches and moments at every event. It could be an element in the outfit or a part of the decor. It could be a gesture by a loved one or a smile between the couple. Whatever it may be, however small or big, we aim to preserve it forever. We strive to make our wedding photographs personal to each and every couple we shoot. Each of us are unique in our own ways and your wedding day is perhaps the only time you will ever get your little individual character traits photographed by a professional. And etched in permanency by being printed, bound and preserved for future generations.

When Mandakini & I got married in 2015, we were both very clear that we did not want to get married in a generic hotel or convention centre. It simply would not be a reflection of us or our personalities. We wanted to get married in a venue that had character, charm and history. And both of us spent a lot of time personally going to various places, temples and eventually settled upon Chiran Fort. It turned out to be a beautiful day time outdoors wedding with a white and gold theme.

Us, back in 2015 on our wedding day.

Currently listening to – Donut Shop by Oddnesse
Currently reading – The Entrepreneurs Issue 2
Currently watching – Reruns of Friends on Netflix

We worked in collaboration with Daa’emi Films and it was vital for us to be in sync with each other, given the “new normal” and nature of the situation. We didn’t want to end up obstructing one another and having worked together on a few weddings previously, we were familiar with each other’s style of working. And thus kicked off the week of celebrations of Apoorva and Kanishk.

WeddingsByKishor Photography Crew – Kishor, Suri and Suresh
Daa’emi Films Crew – Darshani, Namrata, Gaurav, and Venky.
Bride Make Up – Tamanna Makeup Studio
Bride Wedding Outfit – Tarun Tahiliani
Wedding Venue – ITC Kohenur
Wedding Planners – Ishte Weddings

HOW WE ADAPTED

Our primary change in our process of shooting was of course, the masks. All of us wore triple layered cotton masks for the entire duration of the shoot, only taking it off during meal times. I think the mask is the single easiest way to combat the spread of covid-19 and we wore them with discipline. For the events at home, we even carried our own water bottles, to minimize contact. Bottles of sanitizer were carried by every team member and we used them every time we finished a session of shooting. We consciously avoided touching surfaces like the backs of chairs, decor elements, etc – an activity that would have been done without a thought in the old world.

The venue for the Sangeet and Wedding was ITC Kohenur. The hotel itself ensured as many precautions as possible. They sanitized all bags upon entry and ensured that there were plenty of hand sanitizer bottles. Buffet food is normally a high contact situation but they minimized this by having every plate wrapped in paper, and each serving station was separated from the guest by a large sheet of plexiglass. Food was served through a small opening, through which we had to put our plate. Its safe to say that every measure was taken to minimize any chance of transmission. Additionally, given that the main hall was capable of accommodating 400+ guests, there was ample room for 50 guests to move around.

OUR APPROACH

I have been a firm believer in our approach and philosophy of capturing moments, reactions and expressions of not just the couple, but also the loved ones. Even at larger events, we always make ourselves familiar with all the main family and friends so as to be ready to predict and photograph interactions and emotions. That remained unchanged in this scenario of fewer guests. I have grown to become a sort of mind reader over the years, being able to know when a bride might shed a tear or when the grandmother may grin in joy. It is customary for us to know all the main family members by name and they know us the same way too. This becomes doubly important in these small guest weddings where you would feel like a stranger if you don’t familiarize yourself with everyone.

THE EXPERIENCE

We scaled down our team size but our coordination needed to be on point, especially on the wedding day where there were multiple events happening simultaneously. We regularly communicated with the brother of the bride to know about any delays, so that we could adapt and plan accordingly. We consciously kept down the team size smaller to minimize contact but there was still the same amount of work and running around to do. While one may think a small wedding requires lesser effort, the number of events and rituals to be photographed remain unchanged – the only part that is reduced is the group photos with all the guests. We had to cover the bride’s make up at one place, the groom’s pooja at another place and the family members at another place. As we had discussed the schedule in detail with the couple earlier, we were able to pull it all off seamlessly.

OUR LEARNINGS & ADVICE

All the main family members got themselves tested for Covid prior to the wedding to ensure that none of them were positive. This is a wise move and we would fully recommend all potential couples to plan this way. It is inevitable that people will hug, hold hands, and get emotional during a wedding. We need to accept that the main family will get close to each other.

You can minimize the number of people on the mandap/stage by doing a prior checklist of who needs to be on stage at which point in time. Weddings usually have a lot of people milling around near the mandap, just watching and chatting. This can be avoided with a little bit of planning.

Avoid mobile phone photos on the mandap. This creates unnecessary crowding and makes an unsafe environment for the couple as well as the photographers, who would be jostled aside in such situations.

To combat this as a photography team, we have decided that we will deliver a fully edited set of preview images within 6-12 hours of each event, for sharing on social media and WhatsApp groups.

Finally, if possible, please consider getting married in 2021 only. This pandemic is not going away any time soon and there is no guaranteed way of mitigating the risk by 100%. While all of us can take several precautions personally, one small slip up by a careless third party person can result in unfavourable outcomes.

But if you do want to get married in 2020 – plan in detail, put up signs, wear masks, and don’t forget to enjoy your special day. Small weddings are SO much more fun than massive gatherings. You get to spend time with the people who matter the most to you, and don’t have to worry about putting up a false facade for the public.

Currently listening to – Paradise by Wild Nothing
Currently reading – July’s upcoming book list on New York Times
Currently watching – The Umbrella Academy on Netflix

I don’t think any of us have ever heard that word being used so often until last month. And there is good enough reason for it. Most situations that we face in life are repetitive and even problems that may appear new to us would have been experienced by the older generation. All in all, rarely do we face circumstances where mankind as a whole is totally out of depth. It is rather surreal to be in the midst of this revolutionary period about which there will be hundreds of books written, yet our only reaction can be to sit at home (apart from essential workers). And the question on everyone’s minds is what next.

There are 3 ways that this period will get over –

1. Lock down until a vaccine is developed (12-18 months away)
2. Resume life with severe restrictions of normal activities
   
3. Continue life as normal and develop herd immunity (0.5% of population dies)
   

Highly unlikely that the third option will be favoured as it would result in the demise of around 0.5% of the population which, in India, translates to a whopping 6.5 million (65 lakhs). We are most likely looking at a combination of option one and two. Assuming a reduction in number of Covid-19 cases, India shutdown will ease up on May 3rd with a phase by phase opening up of activities. If the numbers continue to rise, we may see a further extension of the lockdown to avoid a second spike in cases. There may also be a situation where we may never know the real numbers without significant testing. The impact of migrant movement and overcrowding at borders may affect us soon. It is hard to know how the lock down will be phased out but we can know for sure that our old pace of life will not resume until everyone is vaccinated. We are in this for the long haul.

Potential impacts on life

Large scale gatherings will be restricted
Indian weddings will become smaller, until the vaccine is developed AND distributed. Development of the vaccine is alone not enough, you need to manufacture dosage for the global population, and distribute it effectively. Until then, couples will invite lesser people, and guests will be wary of attending a wedding unless absolutely necessary. This is probably a good thing, since you can choose to only invite the people that genuinely matter. As photographers, a smaller event would largely involve a similar shoot workflow but you need to plan cashflow since you may not have any shoots for a few months.

Work from home becomes commonplace
Offices will become smaller and work culture will change. Say an office had 500 desks in the past. It may evolve to need only 100 desks with staff coming in 1 day a week for meetings. The domino effect of this will be on the commercial real estate sector which is a big part of the economy. Of course, there is another side to the story in that offices provide a space for face to face social interaction. Small things like a quick chat at someone’s desk, impromptu group lunches and tea breaks are an undervalued part of life. Removing that would have adverse affects on the mental health of people.

Labour movement
People who work away from home may think twice before moving for work. This includes both migrant labour and skilled workers.  People would want to be closer to their families, in case they are trapped away from them like the current situation of being stuck away from loved ones. For daily wage labourers, the impact is even more severe being without work and relying on handouts for food. Their nomadic lives may be replaced by running small businesses in their own towns, or refocusing on agriculture. However, there exists a possibility that financial requirements may force them to migrate again. For skilled workers, they may sacrifice additional wages in favour of having a job at their home town, and work-from-home setups will help them.

Globalization to localization
Supply chains have been disrupted and they are impacting businesses that have manufacturing centres spread across many countries. They may start planning to shift their core facilities back to their home countries, in the long run. This was already happening, albeit at a slow pace, and this will make them accelerate the process. And that is the bigger outcome of this crisis. All future company plans have all been squeezed into a smaller timeline. What would normally be a 10 year transition will become a 2 year process now. Large companies will also buy up smaller companies that are not able to sustain themselves in this period.

Citizen surveillance
Times of crisis like this give governments an excuse to invade citizen privacy in the name of security. Fear is a powerful emotion and people will sign away privacy for a sense of safety. 9/11 is an example of how that one incident led to a significant ramp up in airport screenings and permanently impacted global air travel. Whether it was effective or not is another story, but it tends to give people a feeling that things are better.

Value for life
For those of us who are fortunate to have guaranteed food, shelter and clothing, this is a period of forced vacation. And much needed for all of us who were running in the rat race without an end in sight. There is a renewed appreciation for quality of life, time with family, and the artistic little things around us. Going back to the old life will not feel normal anymore. Priorities will change and so will the direction of life.

Startups and entrepreneurs
The culture of startup funding will slow down. WeWork’s drastic turn of events had already made investors scrutinize the startup industry, and this economic downturn will bring more eyes on it. There will be a shift of focus to generate profits rather than to blindly increase user base by discounting services. As for small businesses and entrepreneurs, there has been a distinct lack of support from the Indian government. This will lead people to go back to steady jobs instead of facing the hassle of running their own businesses. For people who may have been considering taking the leap of faith to become an entrepreneur, they may think twice about the decision.

What does this mean for all of us? To know that future will not be the same as the past. There is no going back to “normal”. Be prepared to change the way you work, the way you travel, and the way you live. Darwin’s famous phrase is often misquoted as ‘survival of the fittest’. In fact, Darwin’s actual words, roughly paraphrased, are “it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.”

Currently listening to – Mandalorian OST
Currently reading – This week’s issue of The Economist
Currently watching – Ozark on Netflix