The artistic eye behind Shayan Ather Photography shares her top tips for brides and grooms preparing for the camera. From natural posing to capturing raw emotion, she reveals what makes wedding photos timeless and truly unforgettable.
photography begin, and what inspired you to capture love stories through your lens?
Originally, I got in to wedding photography to support my family through a time of financial and emotional difficulty for us, after my father’s passing. I was still in school so there were no jobs, so I had to get creative. Shortly after I got in toLUMS which was more than what we could afford at the time, so I really started investing in my photography business simultaneously with my studies, so I could help pay for tuition. My father always wanted me to be a doctor like my him, and he had a traditional way of thinking, so arts was never really the plan. I was always interested in visuals and aesthetics, fascinated by simple things like how light would enter through a window, but never considered it as a viable career option before. So, what was more of a financial necessity at the time slowly grew into something I developed such a deep love for.
Today, I can’t imagine my life without this feeling. I love being able to freeze moments and emotions in time, to tell a story through my lens, and to capture love between partners and families. Its special when brides look at their pictures that we have shot and they feel beautiful and confident, and they see themselves in the same way that their loved ones see them. I recently had an old client tell me their mother passed recently and the family got together to see her old pictures from their wedding which we shot 5 years ago, and she said she felt comfort in those pictures, seeing her mother healthy and smiling. This is what inspires me today; because it feels like what we are doing as a company is something worthdoing and it holds meaning. It spreads some small form of joy to the people I work with, and that’s so meaningful to me.
How does the winter wedding season influence your photography style and approach?
Our style is not really influenced by the seasons to be honest. Logistics and operational factors change, yes, but not our style. I strongly believe that every wedding and client is unique, and what may work perfectly for one client may be terrible for another. My job as a wedding photographer is to truly take the time to understand the intricate nuances of that specific wedding and build around that. We like to have discussions and meetings with our clients, and then develop mood boards, storylines and color palettes for each event. We want to take the time to understand what each bride and groom are like; are they the happy, loud, vibrant couple in love who are the life of the party and joke around with each other, or are they the shy awkward couple who are feeling conscious about being in the limelight on their wedding, or a host of other options. We like to understand their personalities and priorities, and then we combine that along with our company’s signature candid storytelling style, and decide how we will stylistically approach the coverage of that wedding.
What are the key challenges of shooting in winter (like lighting or weather), and how do you overcome them to get flawless shots?
Every season has its complications. But winters in Pakistan get very intense for the wedding industry because everyone and their sister is getting married in winter. There are hardly any days of decent sun, the fog and smog in the evenings become very bad (especially due to the decreased visibility) and the cold weather means our couples are shivering and so are the hands of their photographers. Most vendors of choice are not available because everyone who is good at their work is fully booked. An unfortunate reality is that because wedding season is so packed, a lot of vendors behave extremely unprofessionally such as cancelling bookings (even venues), delaying appointments, and other factors which adversely then affect all the vendors involved for that wedding and most of all, really compromise the experience of the couple getting married.
What we do is to make sure to have everything planned ahead of time with our clients, and I have my incredible manager and team to thank for that. We have our plans and backup plans in place, which keep things running smoothly from our end always. We leave a margin for time between shoots, have backup shoot locations in mind, have backup lighting sources so that no matter whatever the lighting is, we are fully equipped to handle it. We do regular follow ups and keep checking in with our clients leading up to the event to keep everything on track. We have 12 years of experience which means we are hardly surprised by anything anymore, and we feel ready for everything thrown our way. The main priority for our company is always singular: keep the client happy, calm and comfortable. That’s all that matters. And I believe that’s our company’s superpower right there.
What kind of lighting or color tones work best for winter weddings to create that dreamy, romantic feel?
As a photographer, you need to be technically trained to face all kinds of shooting conditions, and then make the best aesthetic choice for that event. You could use available, ambient light or controlled, strobe lights with source, or you could end up with blinding sunlight or very dazed, foggy skies. If it’s a daytime open air wedding Nikah with pastel shades of décor and he bridal, then you would want to go for a softer, dreamier, airy look but the same client could have an evening baraat event with low light and deep maroon bridals, so they you’ll want to create a darker, moodier, almost editorial aesthetic. So again, there is no one singular format that applies to winter weddings. You need to be equipped for everything in terms of the technical skill you possess, your ability to design a mood board around the specifications of each wedding and its look, the equipment required to deliver that, and then finally your editor’s ability to polish and finish that look in the post processing. If I had to categorize an overall look that we prefer to go for, its warm tones that celebrate our deep, beautiful South Asian skin tones, with a natural and soft look. I’m not a big fan of overprocessed or over edited aesthetics (except in limited cases).
What posing or candid tips would you give to brides and grooms for looking their most natural and radiant on camera?
You are not meant to be models, and that’s completely okay. People feel intimidated by seeing Instagram images of the “perfect wedding”. We need to stop comparing ourselves. A lot of my brides initially approach me saying “Im camera shy and I cant look like the other brides”. People don’t realize that majority people feel like this. Behind those picture-perfect Instagram shots are 20 other shots we took before that, which didn’t look as great.
So don’t worry about the perfection and just let the shoot flow as it would naturally. Be yourselves and let the bad pictures with 4 chins and the laughing too much and the imperfect lehnga settings happen in between, as it’s all part of the process. Some shots should be curated to perfection because you know your mom wants to hang up one perfect portrait in her home (she’s cute that way) and your photographer should direct that for you, but for the rest, lean into the imperfection. Allow that to happen and you will always find the perfect emotions and moments in that, and that is what will truly create those priceless candid shots.
How can couples prepare in advance for their wedding shoot — from timelines to outfit choices — especially during colder months?
Here is one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learnt from the destination weddings we cover: hire a wedding planner, please! I cannot stress this enough. If your budget allows, please hire a wedding planner who can guide you in the process with their experience and keep things running smoothly on track. Clients assume they can do it just as well as a wedding planner. No, you really cannot. And even if you can, it’ll take a lot of time and mental effort to be able to do that, which is not the additional stress you need leading up to your wedding. It’s really good to see the wedding planner culture finally coming into Pakistan more.
Secondly, please have meetings and conversations with your wedding photographer. If they haven’t taken the initiative with you, then you can always reach out to them yourselves. We send lists of tips and notes to all our couples leading up to the shoot for how they can make the shoot process easier for themselves, what they need to do or bring with them. Our clients often express their gratitude afterwards that xyz tip really helped them. So take advance of your wedding photographers vast experience, and ask for their advice and put faith in them.
What’s your advice for couples on selecting locations or décor themes that photograph beautifully in winter?
If it’s an outdoor location, please avoid evening events. The fog and visibility issues are too much, and even during the events, pictures and videos end up not looking as sharp. Guests will be scrambling to leave early to avoid the nighttime fog, and the general mood becomes more panicked. If it’s a sundowner, then it should start a little early and not around 4 because then you lose the sun anyway. If its indoor, then it may as well be afternoon or evening, that’s fine. Also, if you feel you event would require time, then go for a farmhouse instead of a wedding hall. Families start rushing to cram everything into a Shendi or Mashalima in a hall and the event becomes extremely rushed to fit into 3 hours. So, if you foresee your event being longer and having a lot of activity, don’t limit yourself to the 3-hour hall slots, so you can actually enjoy the wedding without panic for time. Lastly, try to select something central to the city for practicality purposes, since your guests will be coming from all over. In previous years, Bedian would be the place to go, and the rush hour traffic with the broken roads became an absolute nightmare, with most people running late. Now that’s changed and there’s many popular venues towards Canal Bank, Adda Plot, Gulberg and Raiwind so consider those options more.
In terms of the aesthetic value of the décor and the venue itself, really evaluate what the mood of the event is. If its an elegant, regal event such as a Baraat or a Qawali, then consider venues like Asif Jah Haveli which offer so much historic value and are a visual treat. If it’s a Nikkah, then open air green spaces look beautiful in the afternoon with pastel shades and an airy mood or if its in the evening, then you can go classic and timeless with venues like Haveli Barood. Point is, you should first clearly determine what the overall mood and visual for the wedding is, and then plan your outfits, locations, décor etc in tandem so it’s all coming together on the final day. It shouldn’t look like multiple components looking good individually, but it should come together as a cohesive and complementary concept and visual.
Are there any trends in bridal or couple photography you’re excited to see this season?
Absolutely! Every season the team and I are constantly reinventing ourselves and trying new things for how we can improve ourselves. I would consider my team to be artists in the truest sense, since they are always trying to experiment and attempt new things., in terms of concepts, visuals and techniques. We all already know the low shutter shots and blurred shots have been in trend, and now flash photography has finally paved its way back into the industry as it should have a long time ago, so that’s always fun to fully get back to.
One of my main priorities as a destination wedding photographer is to learn new concepts and techniques from our projects in different parts of the world, and bring what I learn into the Pakistani wedding landscape. This year we have gathered a lot of information and learnt a lot that we are extremely excited to implement here, but with that infusion of Pakistan flavour and magic of course!
What should brides and grooms avoid doing during their photoshoot to keep the images authentic and effortless?
Don’t overthink everything and don’t be fussed on the perfection of it all. The more you over orchestrate things, the more rigid the process becomes. If it feels uncomfortable, then trust me, in looks uncomfortable in the lens as well. Allow the shoot to flow more organically which means yes, you’ll definitely get some shots in the there which are bad, but that’ll allow room for those amazing moments and shots to happen in between. Also, do not be afraid to experiment. If your photographer has a crazy idea, be open to trying it sometimes. Because while sometimes it’ll still look crazy in the end, in which case you can just discard those images, but other times, it’ll often generate magic. So don’t be afraid to try new things. If you have hired a photographer, then you should put your trust in them as well. When your photographer feels your trust, it’ll creatively fuel them too to deliver your shoot in a way that feels authentic to you. Lastly, while it is always great to have shoot references and a vision board (which I highly encourage), I think it’s important to know what suits you and what doesn’t. No wedding shoot should be everything all wrapped up in one. For instance, some brides want those very serious, moody Sabyasachi style shoots with flat expressions, but when they attempt to do that, they will either keep laughing, or their serious face may end up looking almost angry. Another bride may be more comfortable with moody shoots, and her look would be very grand and regal and suit that kind of moody vibe, but she may not feel as comfortable smiling widely in front of the camera. So, identify what works well for you. Just because something looks good on instagram, doesn’t mean it’s the look for you.
What are your go-to shots that never fail to capture the magic of a wedding day?
Candids, candids, and also, some candids. Our team specializes in candid storytelling through our lens. I feel we have really mastered that component of our craft over the years of experience we have, shooting hundreds of weddings. I feel no matter what each wedding or couple brings, the smaller organic moments of storytelling will always capture the magic, whether it’s a father keeping his hand on his daughters back as she makes her wedding entrance, or whether it’s a bride lovingly looking towards her husband as he’s dancing with his friends, or if it’s your grandfather slowly taking a picture of the couple on his vintage camera. We will see the smaller moments that others wont, and we will capture it for you with authenticity, and that’s always where the magic lies!
Finally, what advice would you give to couples planning their wedding photography — from choosing the right photographer to creating timeless memories?
Identify what components of the wedding are your priority and set aside a greater cut of the budget to splurge on that. For instance, catering may not be my biggest priority, for me but I might be very concerned about my wedding dress. The answer would be different for everyone, so identify that and plan around it. I feel your photographer should be one of the most important components. I don’t just say that because I’m a wedding photographer. I say it because you could have the perfect dress, makeup, jewelry, décor, timeline, everything pretty much but after the few hours of the wedding, the only thing that’ll remain of any of those things is your wedding photos and videos. So, if those aren’t captured well, then none of that planning and investment in your wedding event stays timeless, and it’s just the memories. A lot of people have come to us and said their respective wedding photographers messed up a lot in the past, and now they regret it because its not like they get a do-over on the wedding.
To select the right photographer for you, do not just look at their Instagram profiles. That means close to nothing. Everyone can get a few good shots. Really try to assess what the whole experience would be like, end to end, from your query as a potential client to the final deliverables being submitted. If the energy of the photographer doesn’t match yours, and the vibe doesn’t match, then there’s a problem. If they aren’t timely in their responses, or not responding at all (even in these initial steps), how can you expect them to be reliable and responsive later on? If they aren’t taking the time to get to understand you and your events, then they may not be as invested later on either. Take the time to talk to people who have worked with them before and ask them their experience. They can comment best on what it is like to work with them, their strengths and weakness, and see if those align with your priority points. You’ll know when someone is the right photographer for you.
