Wedding Photography In The COVID Times – A Perspective by Lightbucket Productions

Indian weddings are always known to be majestic and full of life. Be it the grand destinations or the peculiar details; there’s something about Indian weddings that make them so distinct, festive and tasteful. However, keeping the current scenario in mind, India and several countries across the world are fighting a battle against Covid-19. While this pandemic has affected diverse businesses as a whole, it has also affected the wedding industry at large. Speaking about the current situation, here’s what the Marketing and Operations team of an award-winning photography company- Lightbucket Productions has to say. 

HOW IS THE COMPANY DEALING WITH CLIENTS?
Speaking about dealing with the clients, Greeshma Shetty, Sales & Marketing Head of Lightbucket Productions says, “Well, whatever is happening at present is uncalled for. We are trying to accommodate our clients accordingly. Many of our clients are not cancelling the weddings,but are postponing it for a while. In these difficult times, we are providing them with free rescheduling and helping them by offering some extra services. We are also coming up with different packages and plans for our future clients.

Speaking more about this, Akarsh Shetty, Operations Head of Lightbucket Production says, “Our clients’ wellbeing is our top priority since it’s not only a difficult time for us, but it’s quite stressful for them as well. Clients who have given us 20 per cent advance and are planning to have an intimate wedding, we are accommodate them in the token amount itself. We are also offering services like pre-wedding shoots at home so that couples can have a fun time and spend more quality time together.

WHAT ARE THE PRECAUTIONS THAT THE COMPANY IS TAKING FOR THE TEAM?
Sanitary conditions are of utmost importance, especially in this time of distress. Highlighting the importance of hygiene for the team, Greeshma and Akarsh say, “Our team’s well-being and safety is our top priority. Temperature check is a must for our team. We make sure that our crew wears N95 masks and gloves while covering the event. Furthermore, we also make sure that they sanitise themselves and equipment frequently. Apart from this we also make sure that our team avoids unnecessary travelling.” 

HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED THE EMPLOYEES?
Honestly, the pandemic has affected our business drastically; however, we are making sure to keep things comfortable for our employees. For a few months, we paid full salaries, but now we are offering salaries with pay cuts. We are not stopping the salaries, but keeping the situation in mind, we are paying a little less than usual,” says Greeshma. 

EXPERIENCE OF SHOOTING INTIMATE WEDDINGS?
Intimate weddings are more personal, fun and real. We are enjoying the process and are trying to do our best with limited resources. As per us, Intimate weddings add more emotional touch to the wedding, and since the guest count is limited, we are capturing everyone present at the wedding. We are experimenting with the shots, and are trying to capture the true essence of the wedding,” says Akarsh. 

Adding more to this, Greeshma says, “We are now providing live streaming services for the guests who are unable to attend the wedding due to the pandemic. We are going all out with minimal decor and are clicking some great shots using the natural lighting. We are customising the packages as per the client’s needs and trying to deliver the best like always.

CHALLENGES FACED WHILE SHOOTING INTIMATE WEDDINGS?
Intimate weddings are fun since you don’t have to worry about missing out on people, but there are some constraints that one faces while shooting in the limited space. Adding more to this, Akarsh says, “We have shot weddings with 10,000 guests and now shooting it with 50 guests is an experience in itself. We have space limitations, and some shots require us to move around, but we aren’t unable to do that as well. Maintaining distance from the bride and the groom and their family members is also a task.”

HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THE POST-PRODUCTIONS AND EDITS?
Post-production is equally important, and speaking more about this Mohammad Asif says, “The pictures that we used to shoot and edit before the pandemic are different from the photos that we shoot and edit at present. We make sure to give the clients a brief idea about the images and also explain the limitations. The number of image and video shots has decreased, considering the scale of the event, but we are still trying to provide top-notch quality to the clients.

To know more about Lightbucket Productions visit: www.lightbucketproductions.com