Gearing Up For A Portrait Shot!

“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” – Edward Steichen. Here are some easy tips on how you can look good in portrait photos

1)  Breathe:

The key to a good shot is to breathe. Exhale and inhale a few times. It will help you to stay calm if you are nervous.

2)   Posture:

Posture is essential. Sit up straight. Imagine a string pulling you up gently. Choose a stool instead of a chair. If you are standing take a moment and relax your knees.

Find your best angle:

It is best to avoid taking a photo of the face straight-on. A straight face allows for no shadows, which makes the face look wider and adds the extra “ten pounds” cameras are known for.

Get a few test shots done

• Move your head, keep tilting first to your right and then to your left
• Lower your eyes then look at the camera for the shot.
•  Angle your face slightly away from the camera, so that shadows are created along the cheekbones and the nose.
• Tilt your chin down. Having a high chin looks unnatural, but also positions the camera to look up the model’s nose

As with the face, taking a photo straight-on will add weight and make you appear out of proportion. Instead, turn at a ⅔ angle to give a slimming appearance to your body. To get the right footing try angling one foot away from the other at about 90 degrees. Shift your weight onto one foot and angle the toes down on the other. Doing this will accentuate the muscles in your leg and make you look thinner. As far as the hands go, always bend your fingers and wrists. If you keep your hands next to your face, close them slightly or tuck them partially in your hair. Have your hands near your pockets or slightly inserted.

3)   Don’t tense up your forehead and lips, relax it!

• Motorboat your lips to relax your lips
• Move the eyebrow up and down to relax your forehead

4)   If you are sporting glasses, use a non-reflective one

5)    Don’t force a smile, even worse don’t fake one

• Always smile with your teeth. People with crooked, yellowed, or somehow imperfect teeth can have the tendency to want to try and smile with their mouths closed to cover them up. Don’t do this – natural smiles always show teeth. For your portrait to look real, bare your teeth a bit, even if only through parted lips.
• When possible, have someone make you laugh. Real laughter produces some of the most beautiful photos and keeps you from having to think about your smile.
• Wet your lips before smiling, either by licking them or applying lip balm. This will prevent any unsightly cracks and will add a little more light to your face

Always remember “Be confident &  Have Fun!”

Portraits of our Photographers:

Priyal Thakkar

Sandeep Rasal                                          Aakash Dangare

    

Content Courtesy: www.wikihow.com , MichellePhan

Shivangi & Kunal – The Sangeet Tale!

Mark Twain once said

“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.”

The Sangeet + Haldi + Ring exchange ceremony of Kunal & Shivangi was a joyful occasion cherished by both the families and their loved ones. There was fun & fervor in the air.

The event had guests less in number, but with the enthusiasm they brought with them made the event amazing  to watch and to be a part of.

The event started off with the DJ spinning in some desi tracks in an effort to stir the mood and to get everyone into a celebratory mood. Once the invitees started to shake their tailfeathers, the stage was set for a beautiful day to follow.

The couple’s aunts and cousins had an extempore skit prepared for the event that took form in a very short time. The skit had an effective blend of songs, dance and story. The act in a gist was about the story of Kunal’s childhood and his journey over the years and how the groom and bride met and they decided to tie the knot.

There were dance performance by the couple’s cousins and relatives. The one that was fun to watch was Kunal’s uncle’s “Unde Ka Funda” performance that earned laughs & accolades alike.

Kunal (Groom) also let his footloose on songs of his favourite star while growing up, the legendary disco dancer “ Mithun Da” , sporting Mithun’s classic moves.

Shivangi (Bride) also let her hair down and danced to the Bollywood numbers that were played and was also multitasking with the wet mehndi on her hand. The expression at offer was of pure joy and happiness. She was accompanied by Kunal’s mother (Groom’s Mother) and the joy multiplied.

The groom’s and the bride’s fathers also sang a couple of songs and were relished by the people present and added their special touch to the wedding. Shivangi’s father also moved to some popular tracks and sported a Jodi performance with Shivangi. Kunal’s parents also performed a jugalbandi, wherein the groom’s mother complimented his father’s voice with beautiful moves, a spectacle, nonetheless.

To sum up this beautiful celebration, the one thing in abundance was joy and happiness which was a result of the communion of the two beautiful souls. It was a great experience covering the event and our heartfelt wishes for a brighter future to the wonderful couple.

Let there be love – Let there be light!

Getting the Mandap Right!

The mandap is the focal point of all Indian weddings. Hence it is very crucial that you get your mandap design right. Here are some tips and points you need to keep in mind before finalizing on your wedding mandap.

Size & Strength:

The size of the mandap is important since most rituals would take place in the mandap; hence it is necessary to ensure that you have enough space to carry out all rituals smoothly. While freezing on the size, consider the number of people that would be in the mandap at any given point. Usually for the ceremony there are not too many people on the stage other than a few close relative, the parents, the couple and the priests, but during the garland exchange ceremony you may have lots of friends suddenly coming up to the stage and you won’t want any hazardous situation. So make sure the stage is strong enough to have at least fifty people on it.

Style & Décor:

Visit multiple blogs on wedding planning and get as many reference pictures as possible for ideas on the style. There is an array of options when it comes to choosing the style, right from open top to canopy style to dome shaped or even a back drop styled mandap. In case of an outdoor day wedding we would always suggest going for a closed top mandap to get protection from sunlight & unexpected showers. There are plenty of ways to decorate the wedding mandap. You can use flowers, rich fabric drapes or other elements such as crystal, lamps, candles etc. The décor changes from region to region. Just make sure you take the middle path, too much or too sparse is not a good idea!

Costing:

Wedding mandaps are usually expensive and we think this is one area where you must go all out! Your wedding mandap is where all the rituals will take place and therefore it has to look very pretty. If you have a tight budget, you can always cut down or replace the expensive stuff. Floral mandaps are most expensive hence you can find a way of interspersing flowers with interesting fabrics and other props.

Position & View:

According to Hindu scripts the ideal position of the mandap is towards the North-east of the venue. Make sure you keep this in mind while deciding on the placement and layout of your function or check with your Pandit. Very often, guests are socializing among themselves at weddings as they cannot see what is happening in the mandap. The mandap should always be raised by a few feet so that guests can see what is going on inside the mandap, and are involved

 

Seating:

It is very important to consider seating at weddings as you will have to sit for a long time and if the seating is not comfortable it may get difficult. The bride and groom should be seated facing east. As a ritual at Indian weddings the bride and the groom have to carry out all the rituals sitting on the floor. But this has changed over the years, now there are multiple options for low seating with chairs and sofas which are quite comfortable.

Lighting:

This is another very important area. Lighting is very crucial and it can either enhance or ruin your décor. Hence choosing appropriate and proper lighting is very important. Halogens are a complete no-no! If you have a sunset wedding ensure you have incorporated lights in your décor; even if the ceremony starts around sunset, it might get dark eventually. Lighting also adds value to photographs and makes it better for photographers/videographers to get better/ more interesting and detailed pictures and also helps them to avoid issues  of low light causing hindrances in photography. Also, too much light makes photos look very flat and gives room for pictures to loose its appeal. It would be nice to talk to your photographer before selecting your lighting style

Ventilation:

Indian weddings outfits are heavy and crafted in rich fabrics such as silk; hence it tends to get very hot during the ceremony. Thus ventilation is a must! Arrange for coolers at strategic locations around the mandap so that the place is well-ventilated during the ceremony.

We hope these tips have helped you in taking a wise decision for choosing the Mandap.

Sna-Pin It To Win It – Pinterest Contest

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to our Pinterest contest “Sna-Pin It To Win It” that will give you a chance to win your family a “professional photoshoot” by highly skilled photographers from Snapix. So are you ready to put a smile on your family’s face by sharing  your favourite moments with your family.

To Enter:

1.  Follow Snapix on Pinterest    

If you are not already on Pinterest, visit the main page to get started.

2.  Create a board titled “Sna-pin It to Win It”

3.  Repin the “Sna-Pin It To Win It” Pin (below) to a board you create named “Sna-Pin It To Win It”

How to Repin• Simply click on the photo to the left. It’ll link you to the pin on Pinterest.• There, you can simply click “Repin.”• In the pop-up box, you will choose which Board you’ll add the pin to. Type “Sna-Pin It To Win It” into the “Create New Board” field.

4. Pin your favourite moments with your family on the  “Sna-pin It to Win It” board

5. Each pin having #snapix tag in description

6. Mail the board link to snapix@gmail.com

*The Contest will begin from 25th October 2012 and end on 11th January 2013 . The winner would be chosen by Snapix and declared on 15th March 2013 . The contest is for Indian residents only! The rules and guidelines may change and is under the discretion of Snapix.