Documenting raw emotions at weddings

“My parents got married in a village in Thoothukudi and the entire village’s story was narrated through their wedding photos. It captured the village culture and lifestyle. While looking at those pictures, I could imagine how people lived during that period. That’s how one should document weddings. Photos should be a treasure for our future generation and wedding photos should remind a person about his/her culture and traditions,” Prabakaran shares. 

His career began as a part-timer in a studio during his college days. “I was drawn into photography while editing photos taken in the studio. As days went by, my interest in photography grew and I became passionate about it. I continued learning more and made many friends in the process. Initially, I took pictures in a normal way. But later, I realised that wedding photography has more to it than just capturing rituals and couples’ photos. That’s how I started documenting weddings through photographs. I wanted to break free from mainstream wedding photography — I realised that capturing special moments at weddings from a different perspective is a lot more satisfying. The best way to shoot wedding photographs is when people are not posing for the camera, it will result in photos filled with soul and honest emotions,” he smiles.

Prabakaran says that unlike in cities, weddings that take place in villages have more involvement of families. “In villages, the family members only take care of the entire wedding. Right from planning, setting up the wedding venue, preparing food, etc, the entire family gets involved in all activities. It is more fun and has a festival mood. But in cities, people depend on party planners or event managers; the mood of the wedding changes. I love to capture weddings where an entire community is involved,” Prabakaran sums up.