Contemporary Photography For Discerning Cosmopolitan People
Looking for a photographer who understands multiple cultures? Well, step right in. My name is Seshu and I am a wedding and portrait photographer based in the heart of Connecticut, with easy access to clients across the nation and around the world.
I feel truly blessed and fortunate to experience the most important moments in my client's lives. Saffron will be as much about you as it will be about me. It's a diary, a repository and an open canvas all wrapped into one.
I greatly value your comments. If you would rather email me your thoughts, you are more than welcome to do so at saffron [at] seshu [dot] net. If you are checking to see if I am available for your event or want to commission me for a portrait session, please use the contact form on this site.
If you enjoy seeing the images or reading the posts, please subscribe and spread the word. You may also be interested in Tiffinbox, a blog I publish for photographers and artists worldwide.
I noticed Mary Hanson's website, "blogs of photographers" some two years back. She highlights and reviews blogs that photographers publish. And clearly there are a lot of them to go through.
"There is a long list, and it takes a tremendous amount of time to visit, read, and review so many great (or not-so-great) photography blogs."
So, it came as a pleasant surprise and a genuine honor when I heard from her today through Twitter that my wedding photography blog had been chosen to be featured.
Check out the screenshot below, but please visit her site to dig around and check out a slew of other awesome photographers.
For Indian Expatriates or Non-Indians, India Has Plenty To Offer
I am in India at the moment. I arrived here on January 23rd and will be here through February 10. Being back in Chennai has been a blast. Seeing my parents enjoy their grand children, a real blessing. The weather has been perfect (i.e. warm and sunny, mid-to-high 80's) and the food, phenomenal.
The trip hasn't been all vacation, though. I've been reaching out and trying to build bridges with those in the wedding industry in India. It's been more listening and learning than talking. With the wedding season in the US winding down by the end of October, it makes perfect sense to serve clients in India where the wedding season begins in November and runs through March.
Non-resident Indians, NRI's as they are called here, are coming back home in greater numbers. I don't have exact numbers in front of me, but I do know that many multinational companies are hiring and the country is booming. Everyone and I mean every one has a cell phone. Television commercials and magazine publications are slick and thick. While the US may have experienced a recession, my cousin in Mumbai looked at me quizzically and said, "What recession? Looks like the downturn bypassed India." And yes, she should know. She owns three apartments in Mumbai. Whoa!
If you are a photographer who is into fashion, advertising or architecture, you've got to check out the Indian marketplace. On the SpiceJet flight back from Mumbai to Chennai, I read about Atul Kasbekar who has made a name for himself in a big way after studying at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California. And there is a rising tide of glamorous, high-end weddings as well. While breaking into that circle may be somewhat difficult without the right social connections, I can sense a new found respect for wedding photographers and what they do.
Take for example the magazine Better Photography. It's editors recently announced a joint print competition with Kodak to find the very best Indian wedding photographers. (Sorry the deadline was January 20, 2010). This was unheard of even two years ago when I visited and photographed Nidhi & Chirag's wedding in Devi Garh, Udaipur.
At a recent gathering of a small number of photographers in Mumbai, I heard of wedding photographers commanding as much as Rs. 25 lakhs (that's about $55,000). While that may be somewhat rare and the discussion mildly speculative, the feeling I left with was that the general attitude towards documenting weddings is changing here in India. It's not a sea change by any stretch of the imagination. Wedding photographers can still expect a lot of grip-n-grin sessions with families and friends, but a select number of couples living in India are starting to look for something different and original. They are not particularly going for the glamorous, fantasy-like or, gasp, "Bollywood" movie look-alike contest. How refreshing!
Parthip Thyagarajan of WeddingSutra.com suggests that many more expatriate and non-Indian couples are also looking at India as a potential venue for their destination weddings. Having lived in India in the past, being totally comfortable traveling within its borders and to a degree being able to speak a few of the languages, I am looking to serve those wedding clients from the United States, Canada, Europe or the Middle East, who plan to travel to India to get married.
So if you are an Indian planning your wedding or you live outside of India but are planning your destination wedding in India, please check out my work, see if it matches your expectations and then contact me as soon as you have set your date and venue, as I would love to help.
And if you have been hired to work in India and are seeking the assistance of experts to make your transition a smooth one, please consider the friendly and highly resourceful folks at Global Adjustments. On February 5, I am giving a short presentation of my work to a group of very enthusiastic photography hobbyists at their India Immersion Center. Check out the poster below. If you are in Chennai, please let me know so that I can arrange for you to join us.
I look forward to meeting you someday soon and hearing from you if you have any questions about what I have to offer you.
A Hindu Ceremony In One Of India's Historic Luxury Hotels
As I start packing for another trip to India, I am reminded of my last visit there when I photographed Nidhi and Chriag's wedding in Devi Garh.
Devi Garh, an 18th century fort palace, is just outside of Udaipur, a city in Rajasthan and part of a chain called Preferred Hotels & Resorts. As a luxury hotel with all the amenities your imagination can conjure up, Devi Garh is a popular destination resort for weddings.
When Nidhi read about my wish to photograph at a heritage hotel in Rajasthan, she contacted me about her Hindu wedding. We must have spoken on the phone at least a half-a-dozen times before we finally met in New York City for a quick cup of coffee. Chirag was out of the country on business and I didn't get to meet him really until I got to Udaipur!
I flew into Chennai, spent some time with my family (my parents have lived there since 1970) and then flew to Udaipur, through Mumbai. I used Jet Airways and loved their courteous, professional service. My equipment – two Nikon D300 bodies, a slew of lenses and two SB-800 flash units – all fit neatly into my ThinkTank International equipment bag. It was full and heavy but the gate agents passed me through without any trouble at all. When I landed in Udaipur, I took a taxi out to my hotel (no, I didn't get to stay at Devi Garh). The hour-long ride was quiet, save for the ringing cell phone in the taxi driver's pocket. I was quite amazed that he had such amazing reception where I could see no cell phone towers for miles.
The evening before their big day, Nidhi and Chirag spent some quality time with their family and friends at a Sangeet. "Sangeet," in Hindi means music. The event was filled with laughter, dancing, splashes of color, simply the very best food I have ever tasted and of course lots of music. The folks at Devi Garh coordinated quite a show and I had a great time making images thanks to their efforts to make me feel very comfortable.
The following day, Nidhi and Chirag got ready in their respective rooms. The "bharaath," or procession for the bridegroom was something I had never seen before. Chirag rode on top of an elephant! While camels and horses led the way, the wedding band trumpeted Chirag's arrival into the fort palace. The wedding ceremony was conducted after the sun slipped below the horizon. From this South Indian's perspective, it was a short ceremony. Nidhi and Chirag took charge of the dance floor and slowly their family and guests joined them. The food, as I mentioned earlier, was phenomenal! The festivities in the desert continued on through the wee-hours of the night.
Here are a few of my favorites from the two-day event. To see them all as a slideshow, click on the link below that says "Big Show." As always, I welcome your comments.
By the way, if you know of couples planning their destination weddings in South Asia, please let me know. Whether it is now – from January 23 through February 10 when I will be in India – or sometime in the future, my goal is to photograph at every heritage luxury hotel in Rajasthan. Having lived in India, Japan and now the US, I am extremely fond of traveling!
Nidhi and Chirag, it was an honor to photograph your spectacular wedding. Thank you both for the opportunity to be a part of this very important family event.
Beantown Bride launched today and I asked Brittany Blando, the site's creative director and fellow wedding photographer a few questions about the new website for Boston brides planning their wedding.
What can you tell me about it. Why did you start Beantown Bride?
About a year ago, I woke up in the middle of night, thinking “How cool would it be to start another wedding related business (in addition to my photography business) that brings the Boston wedding community together? I’ve worked as a local wedding photographer for almost eight years and have seen the Massachusetts market change rapidly. It presently feels saturated with many levels of talent and lots of information and resources that can be confusing for brides and grooms. I wanted to create a sort of guide to the market that recognized exceptional local talent by highlighting high-end wedding vendors and the real weddings they were helping to create in and around Boston.
I got to thinking that what Boston really needed was a wedding resource tailored specifically to the needs of Boston brides. With the recent closing of Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, and InStyle Weddings, brides are turning more and more to the Internet for information and ideas. An online magazine seemed ideal, but one that is specifically local in focus, rather than national site, like most of the wedding blogs already out there.
Beantown Bride will publish fresh, new stories five days a week. Each one will feature a new topic, such as Real Weddings, Tips and Trends, Inspiration Boards, DIY ideas, and more. This will give brides a direct link to some of the most exceptional talent in and around the city. Additionally, all of the vendor advertisers we work with have stellar reputations and portfolios. They must be in business for at least 3 years, and are selected on a first come, first served basis, with limited space available for each category.
Where do you want to take it?
Our goal is to create a website filled with fresh, fun content that readers will come back to read on a daily basis. We want brides to feel the utmost confidence in the vendors we feature and the stories we provide. I'm excited to see where Beantown Bride goes – I’ve got a very open mind and am up for anything, especially when it relates to weddings. I always have weddings on my mind and love nothing more than thinking about them creatively.
Who is your target audience?
Our target audience are brides and grooms looking to create a high-end wedding with top-notch vendors. Every bride and groom wants to create an event that is unique and representative of their style as a couple – we will be their ultimate resource.
Great wedding photography tells a story. It captures precious moments and creates memories for a lifetime. The emotional level is increased when personal stories are told and witnessed by your guests. The right DJ can help create these amazing moments. Jim Aldridge from Romantic Entertainment specializes in unique wedding moments. I asked him to share Matt and Rachel's fun personal wedding story.
Jim writes: I had the opportunity to help Matt and Rachel celebrate their October 2009 wedding. During the final consultation, Matt was called away (he is an EMT). The bride stayed with me and her mom to plan their reception. When I asked about her choice of music for the cake cutting, Rachel became visibly distraught. "What's wrong?" I asked. Rachel replied, "I want it, but Matt won't eat cake. He hates it." She then explained that on his birthday, his mom usually bakes him banana bread. "Make him banana bread," I said. After some convincing, Rachel's mom offered to make it.
The wedding day came and everything was perfect. After dinner, I set the bride and groom up to cut the cake. Matt had no clue that a heart shaped banana bread was hiding next to the huge multi tiered wedding cake. It was covered with a white cloth (matching the table) and red rose petals were sprinkled around for color. Matt said, "We're not cutting cake." I responded, "Matt, do you trust me? Go pose for some nice pictures with Rachel and the cake."
As Rachel and Matt smiled and pretended to cut the wedding cake, I set the stage for the surprise - "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a problem, the groom won't eat cake!" There was laughter, confused looks and some friends even heckled Matt. Who doesn't eat cake, right? Then I told the story, "Every year on his birthday, his mom makes him banana bread, tonight we pass the tradition on. The bride will cut the banana bread." There was applause. Matt's mom cried. Rachel's mom was grinning ear to ear (she pulled one over on Matt). Matt held up the banana bread for all to see. He was of course thrilled!
So here is the moral of that short story: While planning your wedding, surround yourself with vendors who "get it." Weddings are about you. They should be personal. Great weddings moments make fond memories. Your personality, taste and style are the catalyst. Banana bread won't work for you, you probably LOVE cake. It's your story that will make unique, fun wedding entertainment and amazing photo memories.
So what's your story? Use the section below to comment. Your entry may just win an engagement photo session (valued at $500) in Connecticut. Winner announced on January 15. Spread the word!
If you are looking for great looking wedding invitations cards, you've got to check out Boston's Aayan Creations. I had a chance to visit with Shruti Sharma, its founder and lead invitation specialist. I was amazed at the quality and breadth of choices available for today's Indian families. I asked Shruti to respond to a few questions about her business and how she may be able to help you – an Indian or South Asian bride, looking to set the right tone for her wedding.
1. How did you get your start in the boutique invitation card business?
South Asian elements are growing in popularity across a range of products and activities. Many people are interested in the overall South-Asian culture and are beginning to incorporate the style into their day to day lives, such as furniture, décor, clothing, entertainment and special occasions. I believe many brides are looking for something unique at their weddings and feel that invitations can really set the tone and mood for the event.
Because of the increasing trend and busy working professionals, I felt there was an opportunity to offer not only a unique product but a customized service to make their overall experience a stress free one. Therefore, if brides are looking for modern styles where east meets west and guidance along the way, Aayan Creations can offer those options.
2. What else do you have to offer the Indian bride?
Aayan Creations is able to offer Indian brides a breadth of knowledge of the culture and traditions. With this I am able to provide clients guidance and suggestions based on the traditional and modern elements of the Indian heritage they make be looking for. In addition, I am ble to assist them with other wedding resources they may be looking for their big day.
3. What excites you the most about Indian weddings?
South-Asian weddings are full of vibrant colors and packed with a culture & unique traditions. I feel the most exciting part of South-Asian weddings is being able to combine the culture and bold colors into every entity of the wedding from the stationary to the décor. Each bride finds a way to do that in their own individual style and that’s what I love!
4. What can a couple or family looking to work with you expect in terms of a service?
We normally follow a five step process when working with our clients. The overall process from invitation selection to delivery typically takes anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the order. I'd recommend brides begin thinking about their invitations and stationary as soon as they have reserved their venue. Aayan Creations is focused on working closely with clients to help guide them through the process and ensure they receive individualized service from selection thru delivery.
5. Can your cards and other products be customized?
We offer a large collection for brides to choose from and then customize their selection according to their individual styles. There are numerous amounts of customization opportunities, anything from colors, shapes, & sizes etc. Brides are encouraged to make an appointment for a personalized consultation so we can discuss what they are looking for in terms of colors, styles, themes, etc.
6. While you are located in Boston, how would a client outside of Boston work with you?
I do offer clients the ability to see the collection through my electronic catalogs. The rest of the communication happens via phone and email. Many of our clients are nationwide and for those we are able to mail samples to help them make their final decision. Working remotely with clients is definitely possible, ensuring quality service as well.
In the September 2009 issue of PPA's monthly magazine, my work was again published. I submitted a few images and answered a brief set of questions about the kind of professional photographic equipment I use to captures weddings or portraits. It was a fun experience.
As I joked to a friend, I started out in the back of the magazine and I'm making my way on to the cover. Someday!
Check that interview out below and please do comment. I really enjoy hearing from you.
Veena and James found my documentary wedding photography services through a website called NJWeddings.com. It was really the first year I had tried the web site and wasn't sure what to expect. What kind of clients would come knocking on my door? What would their expectations be? Why was wedding photography important to them?
Well, when Veena called and described to me exactly who she was looking for and what kind of work excited both of them, I knew we were on the same page. It was a matter of putting our thoughts to paper and finalizing it with an official agreement. Veena was completing her degree in Law and James was deep into his Phd. program at Duke studying political science. Neither one of them could make it up to where I live; Connecticut. No worries. Sometimes my clients and I do get to meet and sometimes decisions are made using the phone and corresponding by email.
The wedding was no ordinary Hindu ceremony. Veena's family trace their roots back to Shenkottai, a town bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, in India. As Sankethi, they are Brahmins (the priestly caste) and so one of the most interesting parts of the wedding was the chanting of the "Purusha-suktha" by family and friends. One of the images you will see below is of all the uncles practicing outside the ballroom. Find out more about the Sankethi community at the North American Sankethi Association.
My thanks go out to Veena and James, Veena's twin (and yes, identical) sister, Aruna, their parents and family for making the day go so smoothly for me. I also want to thank Preeti Desai, who assisted me when I created formal portraits of the couple and their families.
The Hyatt in Morristown, New Jersey is a terrific venue for intimate weddings. If you have a guest list of 250 or less, this is a great option for you. I found the staff extremely cordial and the wedding was deftly coordinated by Monica Boswell. I only wish the hotel was landscaped. Being that it is a "downtown" hotel, there aren't too many places to go to photograph large groups or even the couple. All Event Decorators, led by Jyothi did a wonderful job transforming a ballroom. Dan and his partner of DJNYC spun tunes from the corner of the dance floor which was hopping. Moghul Catering's delicious dinner was a hit. Varsha Patel was in charge of hair and makeup and Veena looked stunning in her multiple outfits. The cake, which you will see below, was designed by Christine Pereira of Design Cakes.
I would like to thank Suzi Craig of Fathom for introducing me to Chris at a Connecticut TweetCrawl, or a get-together, in New Haven.
If you didn't catch the interview, check out the embedded video below. You will likely see a short commercial before the interview commences.
As always, I welcome your comments. More importantly, I would be thrilled if you could help me spread the word about Phases + Faces: The Kids of Connecticut. Thank you!
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