I am coming to Andaman for my honeymoon. I am looking for photographer for couple of days in which he/she can take our pics on beach or any other good locations.
This Good Sir also provided their mobile phone number in their otherwise very-little-info email. That, above, was all there was on the email. If they truly expected a response, they must be insane, in which case, I feel sorry for whoever they married. Ooops.
On what basis are you inviting a photographer – essentially a stranger – to photograph you on your honeymoon? Are you mad?
Have you considered building a relationship with a bunch of photographers? And then tentatively asking them about how best to handle a “honeymoon photography session”? Ask. You will find out details of how this works.
Just because I have a couple of travel stories from my personal vacations in the Andaman Islands does not mean I’m a photographer based out of Andamans! Neither does it mean that I am aware of or willing to share details of photographers that live / work out of there.
The preposterous nature of this gent’s presumptions is mind-boggling.
And you’re sharing your phone number because what? I’m going to actually call you? Fuck off mate.
Photographing a couple in intimate conditions requires a kind of sensibility most Indian photographers lack. One could blame our conditioning or the culture of shame that surrounds sex. Or one could blame how easy it is to turn professional in the photography industry. To top that, in all probability, this prospective client also has issues when it comes to being in an intimate setting with their partner.
I’m not saying that there aren’t any photographers in India who have this sensibility – what I’m saying is that you’re not going to find them by mass emailing hundreds of strangers who now have your mobile phone number.
I wouldn’t touch anything like this with a thousand mile pole.
And I’ll die laughing the day I learn they actually factored in the cost of flying down the photographer – with a second shooter – and taking care of their accommodation and F&B and paying them on top for photography and editing and possibly printing a physical book. With a contract agreement. And complete privacy. Will only work if the photographer comes recommended via word-of-mouth from another couple that used this photographer’s services for something similar.
If you end up hiring a stranger, you might want boudoir photography but all you’ll get is a Bhojpuri Film Poster.
More anecdotes and stories in the #WTFNaina series. ( These are all inspired by true stories. Some written emails, some from face-to-face meetings. They have all been piling up for years now and I’ve decided to put them to use! )
2 comments
The idea to hire a local photographer for honeymoon is being promoted as a money saving tip in many blogs so this person may have been just doing that. I only know this as a 40 yr married woman with kid because this info is all over the web now as a new idea when going to exotic /foreign places and you save on travel/hotel payments for one more.
I have seen both good and bad photos of wedding/ engagement /mehendi and even this now new honeymoon photo trend. There is a sameness to it that is making it as common as the old style posed group photos too. Bride wearing earring? check . group jump? check. Couple kiss while group behind looks shocked? check. Even the photos for honeymoon are already starting to look same. This means any photog can come and click your chaddi picts in hotel bedroom. lol
Hi Chandrika! Firstly, thank you for sharing your thoughts – I love getting comments – especially these days when blog comments are at an all-time low. Secondly, here’s what I think further : Hiring a local photographer IS a money-saving endeavor for sure. Why fly down someone from another city AND pay for their accommodation, food, photography charges? ( I’m not based out of Andamans – I’ve been there a couple of times and have blogged travel photos, which is one of the reasons I think I get emails like this. Which is another story altogether. ) I agree with you that even documentary photographs of weddings and engagement have started to look similar. On their own, there’s nothing wrong with the “bride’s ear ring” photo because it IS a photo of that specific bride with a specific ear rings on her particular wedding day. The bride is going to cherish that photo regardless of how many times the photographer has shot that frame previously. That most photographers also share their wedding work online now is another reason we have visual fatigue. Not everyone understand selective sharing / curation. But the honeymoon thing has so many additional issues. I don’t recommend hiring a stranger photographer even for your wedding – it’s an intimate event and it helps immensely to hire someone you know or at the very least have hung out with at least a couple of times. The comfort level produces visibly better results. It’s the same, only more amplified, need for boudoir photography. Most people aren’t comfortable in front of the camera when they are full-clothed. Getting them to relax in an intimate setting would be next to impossible, unless the goal is not to get lovely photos. If the goal is to get awkward sex photos to fap to later… then that may work. Best to just set up their own video camera and then take still out of that and be done with it.
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