South Asian Wedding PhotographersBraja Mandala

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South Asian Wedding PhotographersBraja Mandala

WELCOME TO OUR ENCHANTING INDIAN WEDDING BLOG, WHERE WE DELVE INTO THE RICH TAPESTRY OF CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS THAT MAKE INDIAN WEDDINGS TRULY EXTRAORDINARY. This blog is dedicated to sharing over 20+ years of photography experience. JOIN US AS WE UNRAVEL THE BEAUTY AND MAGIC BEHIND THESE TIMELESS UNIONS, BLENDING ANCIENT TRADITIONS WITH MODERN TRENDS.

Riz Ahmed-Braja-Mandala1008

Riz Ahmed at the South Asian Excellence

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About

The Photographers

Braja Mandala

A DEVOTED HARE KRISHNA SINCE 1995 AND INITIATED DISCIPLE OF HIS HOLINESS RADHANATH SWAMI, COMBINING HER PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE HINDU FAITH SHE HAS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RITUALS AND CELEBRATIONS OF AN INDIAN WEDDING. OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS SHE HAS TRAVELED THE WORLD AND PHOTOGRAPHED SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LOCATIONS. HER WORK CAN BE SEEN IN HARPER'S BAZAAR, VOGUE, AND MANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS. BRAJA ALSO HEADS HER OWN PUBLICATION AND IS THE EDITOR OF MANDALA WEDDINGS.

J. Kishore

A DEVOTED DISCIPLE OF HIS HOLINESS BADRINARYAN SWAMI, HIS EXTROVERTED PERSONALITY IS CONTAGIOUS AND PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN HIS PHOTOGRAPHY. BORN AND RAISED IN LOS ANGELES, EDUCATED IN SAN FRANCISCO, A 23 YEAR PHOTOGRAPHY CAREER HAS TAKEN Kishore TO THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH. FROM PENGUINS ON THE BEACH IN SOUTH AFRICA TO THE WHITEWASHED LANDSCAPE OF SANTORINI MAKING HIM AN EXPERT ON DESTINATION WEDDINGS. BEING NAMED AS ONE OF THE TOP TEN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE WORLD BY AMERICAN PHOTO MAGAZINE.

Deepa Alli

01:08 15 Dec 22

Oh man, I will probably never be able to work with any photographers ever again because Braja and Gene were just THAT GOOD! They traveled to Chicago from CA for our wedding and from the minute we spoke to them on the phone, we knew we had made the right choice for our wedding photography.Braja worked with me beforehand to scout locations virtually, asked me about what outfits I was planning to wear, so she could find the right environments for each look. They shot photos over two days and at least 5 different events, some spanning hours. Gene and Braja are an awesome pair and they work really well together - they listened to our ideas for the types of photos we wanted, and really made sure that they got as many shots as possible of our beautiful decor, and us as a couple. We now have thousands of gorgeous, high-quality photos that we will be able to hang in our home and share with family and friends. I look at the pictures and am so thankful that they were able to capture so many of the details that go into an Indian wedding.Their pricing is extremely fair and reasonable, and they were the most low-maintenance vendors we had! Braja will make you look beautiful and Gene will make sure your groom comes out of his shell and takes the best pictures of his life. They are also super funny and nice and will make you feel comfortable and like you've known them forever.The photos are works of art and I will treasure these photos for the rest of my life. I hope to work with them again soon! Hire them!

Avani Kathuria

01:06 01 Sep 22

Gene and Braja are some of the most talented, easy to get along with, fun, professional, and kind individuals I’ve ever met. They photographed our engagement as well as all 6 days of our wedding. We were blown away by all of our pictures. They made sure we got every shot we wanted and more!I generally feel shy in front of cameras but Braja and Gene made me feel so comfortable, told me exactly how to pose and made me look and feel so beautiful! Our families and friends loved them and praised them during the entire week. We will definitely be hiring them for all of our photography needs.

Ruhani S

06:52 03 Aug 22

Braja made me feel very comfortable from the moment I had my initial call with her. She got to know me as a person and I appreciated that. Not only is she an amazing photographer who creates amazing photos, but taking time to know your clients is something that helps your photos turn out well. When you feel comfortable with your photographer, it helps you feel connected to them when they take the time to get to know you as a person. I loved working with her for my engagement shoot and absolutely loved my photos. After seeing my engagement shoot photos I was confident I was going to love my wedding photos. Braja and Gene are an awesome team and make you feel great on the big day! Definitely recommend working with them because they are an amazing and experienced team who truly make you feel comfortable and produce excellent work. She is very fast in editing photos as well, I couldn’t believe how fast she edited my wedding photos, in less than 2 weeks! They are very professional and definitely recommend working with this amazing team!

Sonam Kumar

16:16 04 Dec 21

We had the pleasure of working with Braja for our destination photo shoot in San Diego. To say Braja is detail oriented is an understatement! She is an absolute perfectionist in her craft. We shot at multiple locations in the city and on the beach. Regardless of the venue, she had a knack for finding unique backdrops and perfect lighting for our photos. She provided guidance during the shoot without taking away from the organic interactions and actually captured moments we thought we were "off camera" which are some of our favorites.Her communication and timeliness in answering emails, calls, texts, etc. are superb. We feel like we are heard, understood, and in great hands! We couldn't be more excited to have her capture our wedding!Sonam————Addendum 12/2021——————I can’t even find the words to express how much gratitude and appreciation my family and I have for Braja and her team.My husband and I had originally booked Braja in 2019 for a summer 2020 wedding. Needless to say our plans didn’t go as expected. With all of the stress and chaos of replanning, Braja made it very easy and was very accommodating while we sorted out our plans. She was proactive in reaching out to see if we needed anything, and she even offered additional services complimentary at a time when no one was really in a position to know what the future was going to hold.During our events, she and her team were very patient in working with our family who is not always on time and who also pulled them away for personal pictures. They were always on time and made sure that my husband and I were comfortable and taken care of.My family still reminisces of the wedding events and how our photographer was absolutely amazing!!!To top it all off, we got all of our photo galleries very quickly and she mailed us our wedding photos on a flash drive with a few prints. Those prints happen to be some of our favorite pictures as well.We highly recommend Braja and her team. We are very excited to see our pending wedding album as well!Sonam & Sagar

Jay B

18:26 23 Mar 19

We hired Braja Mandala for our wedding and we are so incredibly happy that we did! Braja took some incredible pictures of us for our engagement and then followed up with even more amazing pictures for the wedding. Braja and Gene were so friendly and supportive that during the stress of the wedding it was like having two good friends by your side who also happen to be amazing at capturing the emotion, the fun, the subtle details and the love in the photography.

MANDALA WEDDINGS MAGAZINE AND INSPIRATIONAL BLOG

BRAJA AND KISHORE ARE ALSO THE FOUNDERS OF MANDALA WEDDINGS, THE MAGAZINE. AN ANNUAL PRINT MAGAZINE AND DAILY INSPIRATIONAL BLOG DEDICATED TO BEAUTIFUL INDIAN WEDDINGS. THE MAGAZINE IS A COLLECTIVE OF INSPIRATIONAL WEDDINGS, PHOTOSHOOTS, ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS AND VIDEOS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.THEY ARE CURRENTLY BUILDING A ONLINE COMMUNITY DIRECTORY TO HELP BRIDES FIND VENDORS WHO SPECIALIZE IN SOUTH ASIAN AND MULTICULTURAL WEDDINGS.

Learn More

FAQ

1. ARE BRAJA AND Kishore PHOTOGRAPHers THE ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHERS?

BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH BRAJA AND Kishore THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS Will BE ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO GETTING GREAT WEDDING PHOTOS. THINK OF THEM AS FAMILY WITH BIG FANCY CAMERAS READY TO CAPTURE THE DAY. THEY WORK HARD TO UNDERSTANDing YOUR FAMILY dynamics, BUILDing TRUST AND PLAY OFF EACH OTHERS STRENGTHS.

2. HOW DO THEY WORK AS A TEAM ON OUR WEDDING DAY?

Kishore AND BRAJA STAY IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS COVERED. IF YOU SEE BRAJA IN THE AISLE OF THE CEREMONY, Kishore MIGHT BE RUNNING UP A SET OF STAIRS TO GET THE WIDE ANGLE SHOT. WHEN Kishore IS GRABBING CANDIDS OF THE COCKTAIL HOUR, BRAJA IS PHOTOGRAPHING ALL THE RECEPTION DETAILS. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WHATEVER PHOTOGRAPH EACH ONE IS TAKING THAT THEIR CAMERAS COMPLIMENT ONE ANOTHER TO TELL YOUR STORY. YOU WILL NEVER SEE THEIR CAMERAS POINTED IN THE SAME DIRECTION AT THE SAME TIME.

3. WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER?

Kishore IS THERE TO ENGAGE PEOPLE TO MAKE IT ALL COME TOGETHER. WHETHER IT'S GATHERING OF LARGE GROUPS IN A BARAAT OR simply BRINGing OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE. BRAJA IS MORE STYLIZED AND SEES THE BIG PICTURE. SHE SEES BEYOND THE PHOTOGRAPH AND LIGHT. THEY ARE COMPLETE OPPOSITES, BUT, LIKE ANY WORKING RELATIONSHIP IT WORKS IN THE CLIENT'S FAVOR. You receive the best of both worlds, Candid and Style!

4. WE HAVE A BIG FAMILY. HOW DO YOU PHOTOGRAPH FAMILY PHOTOS?

THEY UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT THAT EVERYONE WANTS A PICTURE WITH THE BRIDE AND GROOM. OVER THE YEARS OF WORKING SIDE BY SIDE, THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A SYNERGY TO WORK QUICKLY THROUGH FAMILY PORTRAITS. BRAJA TAKES THE PHOTOGRAPH MAKING SURE THE FINAL SHOT IS PERFECT. Kishore IS HELPING FAMILIES POSE, FIXING AUNTIES SAREE OR UNCLES TIE, WHILE ENGAGING THE LITTLES ONES TO SMILE. IT'S A TRICK THAT WORKS EVERY TIME AND REAL PEOPLE PLEASER.

5. WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS?

IT'S RARE TO FIND 2 FULL TIME PROFESSIONALS WORKING SIDE BY SIDE. WHILE OTHER TEAMS HAVE ASSISTANTS OR ASSOCIATES AS A SECOND SHOOTER OR LEAD. THEY BOTH CAN TAKE THE LEAD AT ANY TIME TO MAKE A SITUATION FLOW WITH EASE. BRAJA AND Kishore COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER IN SO MANY WAYS AND ARE COMPLETELY COMMITTED TO ONE ANOTHER GOALS TO GET THE SHOT. Always keeping what the clients wants in mind.

6. WHAT ARE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STYLES?

Kishore IS A MASTER OF GETTING PEOPLE TO LOVE being in front of THE CAMERA. HIS CAMERA IS AN EXTENSION OF HIS MIND'S EYE AND IS QUICK TO MAKE SITUATIONS COME TOGETHER. He has the gift of engaging people to make situations more exciting and enjoyable, but is respectful to know when to take a step back and let the moment happen. BRAJA IS A VISIONARY. SHE HAS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAKES A PERFECT Portrait. Encompassing the background, light and posing gives a client the perfect comfortable situation to make You look your best. THERE'S A LIGHT AND AIRY FEELING TO HER PHOTOGRAPHY, WHILE Kishore IS MORE CANDID. THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THEIR PHOTOS GIVES THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS IN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY.

7.WE ARE HAVING A MULTI-CULTURAL WEDDING. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH OTHER FAITHS?

IN RECENT YEARS, THE CALLS TO COVER MULTIPLE CEREMONIES HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT. THE SHORT ANSWER IS, YES. NIGERIAN, JEWISH, CHINESE TO NAME A JUST A FEW OF THE CULTURES THAT HAVE BEEN COVERED BY THIS DUO. THE RESPECT FOR FAMILY TRADITIONS REMAIN THE SAME.

8. CAN YOU COVER MULTIPLE EVENTS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME?

HIRING BRAJA OR Kishore TO COVER AN PRE-WEDDING EVENT IS GREAT ICE BREAKER FOR THE FAMILY. WE CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES THEY RECEIVED A TEXT OR EMAIL WITH FAMILY PRAISE. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IS ESSENTIAL FOR GREAT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY.SMALL PUJAS ALSO OCCUR ON THE DAY OF, Kishore USUALLY COVERS THE MEN AND BRAJA THE WOMEN. MAKES FOR A COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT.

9. WHAT'S YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR A BRIDE AND GROOM ON THE WEDDING DAY?

BRAJA SUGGESTS A STRONG LINE OF COMMUNICATION LEADING UP TO THE BIG DAY. GIVING HER A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S NEEDED AND WANTED WHILE BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP. Kishore'S ADVICE IS TO STAY IN THE MOMENT AND DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. LET OTHERS TAKE CARE OF YOU. EMOTION IN A PHOTOGRAPH IS WHAT MOVES YOU.

10. WE ARE PLANNING A DESTINATION WEDDING. Do you have experience with weddings abroad?

Kishore IS THE VERY FIRST PHOTOGRAPHER WHOM TAUGHT PHOTOGRAPHERS ABOUT DESTINATION WEDDINGS. HIS VERY 1ST INDIAN WEDDING COVERAGE TOOK PLACE IN LUDHIANA -PUJAB, INDIA in 2003. ONCE COVERING OVER 18 COUNTRIES IN YEAR AND PUBLISHED IN BACK TO BACK 20 ISSUES OF DESTINATION WEDDINGS AND HONEYMOONS MAGAZINE. BRAJA IS NOT FOREIGN TO THE EXPERIENCE. SHE HAS COVERED MANY WEDDINGS IN INDIA, AUSTRALIA, HONG KONG AND EUROPE TO NAME A FEW. THEY HAVE SOME STORIES TO TELL, SO WHEN YOU MEET, ASK THEM TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR ADVENTURES

Become Inspired

Below are galleries of current photography at weddings and editorial photo shoots across the us.

Covering different faiths to exotic locations.