I waited with bated breath to see what the final layout and copy was going to look like. Neha Mutreja, the writer who interviewed me did a fabulous job as did the design folks at that fine magazine.
As I quipped to Madhavan Pillai, Better Photography's editor-in-chief, the magazine he produces clearly rivals those I have found in the newsstands right here in America. No joke. Everything from the copy, to the design and even the printing and paper quality – all top class. I am truly honored to be included in this first Weddings Issue of Better Photography magazine.
Below is the opening sequence to a 6-page profile of my work and approach to wedding photography.
I have some good news – couple of weeks back, Nikon USA (via their PR agency MWW) tapped me to go to WPPI, the world's best known and perhaps largest wedding and portrait photographer convention, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Now for some great news - Nikon has generously offered up some of their gear for me to check out and use and report back to you here. I am so honored!
I was honored to look at a collection of "behind the scene" images and pick 12 of the best among them. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony sponsored by Kodak, on March 19, 2010.
The invitation you see below was sent to me and I am incredibly tempted to hop on a plane and head out to Mumbai for the event.
The winning images will be published in the April 2010 issue. A special thanks to Suchit Nanda, a Mumbai-based photographer, who introduced me to Madhavan Pillai, the magazine's editor-in-chief. After a brief meeting, which included a show-n-tell of my documentary wedding photography, Madhavan had Neha Mutreja, a writer for the magazine, contact me to be interviewed!
So, in the April issue you should see a profile of my multicultural wedding photography. As soon as I receive the high-resolution layout, I'll post it here.
From the looks of it, there is a renewed interest in elevating the quality of images amongst wedding photographers. That Better Photography recognizes this trend is a real boon. I expect the role or stats of a wedding photographer to improve greatly because this fine magazine has set its sights on the genre and will publish the work of other inspirational photographers both in India and outside of it.
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.
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.
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.
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!
From a casual Twitter introduction, I "met" Simply Canvas CEO, Adam Fried who in turn put me in touch with marketing manager, Christine Merch at their Ohio-based company.
Simply Canvas, thank you very much for believing in this Connecticut portrait project. I look forward to working with you!
Coincidentally, two of my favorite detail images grace the cover of this next issue. See below. If memory serves me right, this is either the second or third cover I have contributed to India New England's WEDDINGS issue.
Jules Bianchi and Joy Bianchi Brown are sisters. Identical twins, in fact. But the awesomeness doesn't stop there. They are a dynamo duo based in California who manage a wildly popular wedding and portrait studio.
Like so many talented photographers in my network, I came to know of Jules and Joy through the Digital Wedding Forum. I recall seeing a blog post, regarding a piece of lighting equipment that Jules had used at one of her weddings. Intrigued, I wrote to Jules directly and a few hours later, I had her response in my inbox! In an industry that can be somewhat guarded about techniques or tools, Jules was so generous with her time and information. In some respect, she sets the bar high for other photographers to do the same.
I finally got to meet Jules and her sister through Kevin Kubota at Imaging 2009, in Phoenix. Kevin was just starting to use Twitter and I might have stumbled across Joy's account through him. In any case, I followed Joy and she in turn followed me clearly because each of our Tweets engage and inform our audience.
I subsequently followed Jules on Twitter and found a motherlode of great information for photographers at Jules Café. Whenever a new post appeared or a cafe interview was posted, I read and then spread that link around through Twitter. Joy took a shining to the way I was spreading the word and one day offered me a spot on Jules Café. I was truly honored when she asked and of course I accepted. So, check out the Coffee Break with Seshu and be sure to leave a comment on the site.
I urge you all to definitely follow Joy and Jules on Twitter. They are really incredible at what they do and are truly there to help you learn to become better photographers.
Thank you Jules and Joy. I am so very pleased with the way this profile turned out. I really can't wait to meet up with you folks again!
I am thrilled to announce that Simply Canvas has joined ProDPI and FundySOS as an official sponsor of Phases + Faces: The Kids of Connecticut.
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