Manifest Spotlight: Wedding Photographer Nikhil Shastri

Being photographed by a person who understands your vision for your own wedding, is a dream come true. This is why, Barcelona-based photographer, Nikhil Shastri’s approach to capturing the vibrance and love behind weddings might just win you over. A people person, who comes through with clarity, and incredible calm while photographing weddings, Nikhil’s pictures convey his state of mind with ease as they reflect serenity, joy and total minimalism.

And like most Indian kids, he grew up being nudged to pursue engineering.”Like any other good Indian kid, I decided to choose engineering without knowing what I was really getting into but, I was living in a hostel and always had my camera with me, and that was a hobby at that time, so I would randomly take pictures.” It seems, ever since then, he hasn’t been able to put the camera down. With over 8 years of experience, and having covered 150 weddings, Nikhil has been instilling happiness in people’s most memorable moments.

So, as we speak to him about everything that inspired him to choose photography and his all things weddings, read along to know more…

Nikhil Shastri Tells Us About Covering Weddings Across The World…

Manifest India: What inspired you to build a career in photography?

Nikhil Shastri: I got into photography when I was in my 10th grade or 11th grade, which is when you switch from wanting to get good grades to figuring out what you want to do with the time ahead of you. I happened to chance upon an old film camera that my dad used to own and my dad used to take a lot of pictures and good ones at that. One time where we went to the Taj Mahal and throughout the day I was following this one lady wearing an orange salwar kameez so I took about 20-25 images that day with the Taj Mahal somewhere in the background but the focus was always on the lady. Then in the 11th grade, I chanced upon this camera which was just lying around, gathering dust and I had a lot of time on my hands so I started playing around with it. I also came across a German gentleman who used to teach photography, I went and approached him and said 'hey can you can you sort of impart some knowledge and help me out so'. That's basically how I got into photography, but then you know like any other sort of good Indian kid I got into engineering.

M: And what is it about wedding photography that you were drawn to?

NS: My, now, wife and I decided to get married and when we were looking for wedding photographers, I realised that wedding photography has changed quite a bit and this was early on in 2012. And I found it really interesting, I've tried my hands at all kinds of photography but, very early on I realised that the only kind of photography that I was interested in was shooting people. I personally really like being around people, it came more naturally to me, not the technicalities of photography itself but just the comfort of being around people. Wedding photography completely worked in my favour in that regard. So I went through this process of looking for wedding photographers, really liked what I was seeing and that's how that seed was planted.

M: Many artists believe moving to different locations fuels their creative fire, you recently moved to Barcelona, as well, what sort of a creative impact do you think it has had on your work?

NS: Of course, again I'll go back to my childhood, So I come from a defence background. My dad was in the Air Force. So every three years we would move cities. And that was a trend growing up, which is why it is super easy for me to open up and make friends quickly. So I think that has helped me in two ways; One is in weddings itself, it's easy for me to develop relationships with the wedding party, I make sure they feel comfortable so as to be themselves. I think the most important part of photography is to make the person whom you are taking pictures of feel comfortable and be themselves.

M: You’ve covered so many weddings, through it all, what do you think makes a great set of wedding photos?

NS: If I look back at weddings which I truly felt were special, what made the images special is capturing the emotions of it. It’s got to be real, the best images in the world are always real, raw, and authentic. You know, we shot this very interesting wedding a couple of years ago where everyone was from Australia, Indian originally, but the bride was born and grew up in Australia. So they all went shopping and I ended up going with them, we spent the whole day together. By the end of that day,  we were on first-name terms they knew my history, why I got into photography, they knew every single thing about me, I knew everyone by name, I knew everything that they do. So a barrier didn't exist with them… So, I think the ability of an image or of an entire set to evoke emotions is what makes the set truly, truly great...

M: Is there any specific advice you’d like to give to couples looking to get good photographs of their wedding?

NS: Just make sure you have somebody (a photographer) you get along with. You do end up spending more time with your photographer than with your friends, and your family members, whom you've invited from all parts of the world. Wouldn’t you rather have a happy face around you and somebody you can get along with and you can chill with?

M: Do you look for a particular quality or element when choosing a client or wedding to photograph?

NS: As long as they’re genuinely nice people and we get along, then everything else can be worked on. I don't overthink things. For me, gut feelings matter quite a bit. Because in all honestly there's no formula to this.

M: What do you love most about covering and photographing Indian weddings?

NS: What I miss about Indian weddings is the amount of action there is. There is no other wedding in the world that can come close to Indian weddings,  for a photographer, an Indian wedding is just like being a kid in a candy store. There's so much happening, there's so much colour, there are so many different things that you can do at an Indian wedding that you cannot do anywhere else.

M: You’ve photographed weddings all over the world, is there a specific location that left a lasting impression on you?

NS: I can give you answers to which locations left a lasting impression on me from a touristy standpoint. But, from a wedding standpoint, it does not matter at all. I mean I've been lucky enough to visit quite a few countries… I think Italy it's quite magical, the light interacts so interestingly there, in India, If I have to say, the obvious is anywhere in Rajasthan!

M: Could you share a memorable moment while photographing a wedding when you truly witnessed the essence of love?

NS: There have been multiple times where I see father-daughter relationships. I'm always on the lookout for such moments, because it's such a unique relationship. because in Indian culture a lot of things are said without actually saying them. I always capture these moments between a father and daughter, they just stick with me.

M: Your portfolio clearly reflects a love for minimalist photography. How do you manage to capture the vibrant chaos of Indian weddings in such a beautifully simplified way?

NS: I think it's it's just the type of person I am. I think my go-to method is showcasing a single moment and then going all in. So even when I shoot, I might be getting a little technical here, but for me, the whole point of capturing a moment lasts a period of time, so it starts with me pre-empting what's going to happen. My main focus is to get into a position where I foresee what's going to happen yeah, it's like a cyclical wave. I get into position, I start witnessing that moment happening, and then I take pictures, and at some point, it reaches its crescendo. So there's this entire process of capturing a single moment. I am super calm in doing this. It's a very measured approach towards taking the picture. There is no pressure, there is no tension.