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Thousands of devotees waving goodbye to Lord Ganesh for Visarjan with devotional songs and prayers, requesting him to grace them with yet another visit the year after at Vadodara, Gujarat, India this year (2015). All rights reserved under Indian and international copyrights law. Copyright © 2015 by Prakhar Photography - Dilip Vaghamshi 
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 "A picture is worth a thousand words" and when it comes to preserving wedding memories, it is important to make a right decision by selecting best wedding photographer who meets your requirements and most importantly fits within your budget. Below are some tips for finding a best wedding photographer who will capture your event exactly how you want to remember it.
1. Decide your preferred style of photography It is necessary to decide which style of photography you prefer for your wedding event. Would you like to have a traditional poses in your wedding album / photo - book or you need candid shots? Do you like the glamour approach of fashion photography? Would you prefer a photographer who combines all of these styles? Selection of photography style matters when it comes at pricing as hiring candid photographer costs more than traditional photographer. 2. Determine your budget When the rituals are completed and all relatives have left, one thing remains forever after the wedding (besides love, of course): the pictures. It wont be a bad idea if you put aside 8% to 10% of your total wedding budget. It may sound a lot but trust me, top talent doesn't come cheap. 3. Research market Ask friends, relatives, neighbours whoever you can think of to provide some recommendation on photographers. Another best way to search for photographer is of course Google. Before you ask for a quote from a photographer, make sure you have done your homework regarding their work, their presence on social media, their interaction with existing and past clients and most importantly reviews on Google or on their website. You will get a rough estimation of their pricing ones you see their work on social media or on their website. 4. Contact your preferred photographer Ones you settled upon few photographers, send them your inquiry, don't forget to share your story and mention event dates. Ask specific questions - for example, we would like to have a quote for X date for a wedding event at Vadodara and we would like to hire candid wedding photographer for our whole event which runs from X date to Z date. If you are not comfortable sharing your story over internet, face to face meeting is always a good idea and that way you will be able to feel connection between yourself and photographer. 5. Get a couple shoot / pre wedding shoot done Last but not least - get a couple shoot done before hand. We cannot stress enough on this. It is not only about getting shiny pictures for your wedding event but it is also allows yourself and photographer to interact with each other in a less stressed environment before your big day. You will set an expectation for your end results. It is not necessary to travel thousand miles to get a pre wedding done. If you are in Gujarat, there are lots of beautiful places out there, such as, Laxmi Vilas Palace (LVP) in Vadodara, Champaner Heritage Site etc etc. Ones you feel comfortable with your photographer - go ahead an lock it in for your big day! Before I start writing anything else in Prakhar Photography blog, I would love to tell readers why I decided to become a photographer in the first place? I personally think that being a professional photographer is just an awesome thing and there are thousands of reasons why I decided to jump in this field. I came across many people who said that Dilip, career in photography is an overrun path and you might want to try something else but I was very much interested in capturing memory that I can have forever.
It all started when I was a child and used to travel a lot with my parents across the country. We used to spend lot of time interstate where I had a chance to document our adventure. My passion for photography really changed the way I see things around me. Most of the times I completely lose myself in shooting and stress or worries would just disappear! I personally prefer telling stories and I think that photography is a great story telling medium. Initially I started working on assignments for some big names around Gujarat but I felt that what if I combine professional wedding photography with excellent customer service? Well, thats when Prakhar Photography formed! I am motivated by own creativity and love people, a lot (even the un-lovely ones :) ) I don’t mind working all-night long events and thankless hours. Only thing I need most when I shoot event is my own camera and pair of comfy shoes! I have invested a lot not only in photography equipments but also educating myself and that includes photography workshops with some big names across the world as well as how to run effective business, develop marketing plans, maintain accounts etc. etc. People around me think that photography career has various travelling opportunities to take nice pictures and lets you make ton loads of money - wrong :) . My usual day involves running a business where I post process images, videos, maintain accounts, taxes, manage procurement, communicate with clients, manage sales, social media accounts etc. and I love it all but definitely there is lot more than pressing click button on a camera. Moreover, I also love tech stuff. Career in photography allows me to use very sophisticated gadgets. In addition to investing in people, I don’t mind investing in latest equipments and software suits available in market. I never get bored learning how to use new equipments or techniques to best use lights around me. There is always something to learn in this field - from your own work and from people around you. It has been so great working as a pro photographer and specially wedding photographer. In last 12 years, I had an opportunity to capture events all over india and would welcome if you guys have any suggestion about my pictures or the way I work! Keep in touch :) Dilip |