The Main Shoot

It was finally the day of the main shoot and the day started off at 11am for me. All the models were to meet me  straight at the makeup studio at 11.30am sharp. This time all of them were there sharp at the said time. 

At the makeup studio:

   

[Some behind the scenes from the salon.]

I personally felt that everyone’s makeup turned out as expected except for Dhamsarani’s look. However we did minor changes with the lipstick shade and got it to a somewhat acceptable state. We had to mix and match the lehenga with a shirt and the original blouse to see what fit the best; ultimately the blouse won.

The makeup finished quicker than I thought, so we were able to leave for the Arcade earlier than expected. 

On the way to Arcade:

[Some behind the scenes from the drive to Arcade.]

At the Arcade:

When we reached the Arcade, we went to the office to negotiate the prices as Rs.12,000 which was quoted for using the premises for the shooting was too steep a price to pay. Fortunately, as it was a school project, the officials agreed to give us 30 minutes of shooting time free of charge. With that, we were able to start the shooting process.

First we started working on the individual photographs and then proceeded to the group and duo shots. 

 

 

 

[Some behind the scenes during the main shoot.]

However during the photoshoot I realised that maybe I should have recruited more members for the crew so we would have been able to direct the models to their poses effectively without running out of the limited time given. 

But my friend Prashali was really helpful in directing, composing the shot and even figuring out the best spot for each shot. She would quickly set the models in their positions while I took the pictures, doing her best to manage the time. My sister was able to assist me with the BTS pictures as well.

 

 

We took most of the pictures in the staircase, courtyard, corridors and on the wooden floor. We even used some traditional artefacts like the antique mirror which was in one of the corridors.

This time the models were more comfortable as they effortlessly posed as per the references given to them. I felt a sense of achievement as well seeing how perfectly the shoot was done.

The whole shoot went on for 3 long hours and by the end of the shoot, the models’ makeup were dripping and they were exhausted. We capped-off our shoot with a succulent burger at the Burger King restaurant in the Arcade while reminiscing the hard work we all put in during the shoot.  It was a welcome respite from the rigours of the shoot as we enjoyed our meal in the comfort of an air conditioned dining place.

We left the Arcade around 5.30pm and while everyone was exhausted, we also felt a sense of accomplishment as we had a successful photo shoot.