Himanshu Patel: The Engineer Who Shot Arjun Tendulkar's Wedding

'The best photographs usually happen in between the big moments -- a quiet smile, a nervous laugh, a parent watching from the corner of the room. Those are the moments you can't script,' says Himanshu Patel, celebrated wedding photographer and founder of Epic Stories.

Indian weddings are no longer what they used to be.

Naturally, wedding photography has undergone a massive change too.

From forced family portraits in the past to candid, intimate moments now, couples are looking for professionals who can capture unscripted moments while ignoring the chaos to bring alive the emotions of every fleeting second.

Engineer-turned-Wedding Photographer Himanshu Patel, who has covered more than 200 weddings in India and abroad, including the high profile weddings of Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani and the more recent wedding of Arjun Tendulkar and Saaniya Chandok insists that authenticity is the real deal.

Himanshu tells Divya Nair/Rediff about his unplanned dive into the profession, how he prepares himself ahead of each big day and the stories behind some of the most talked-about weddings he has captured.

From engineering to wedding photography

"I come from a small town where wedding photography wasn't really seen as a career option," says Himanshu.

"Like many others, I was pursuing engineering and the plan was pretty straightforward, the usual corporate job," he recalls.

During his college years at Shri G S Institute of Technology and Science, Indore, he picked up a professional camera for the first time.

"And something shifted," he says. "I started photographing friends, college events, birthdays, farewells... just little everyday moments. Very quickly, I realised I wasn't just taking pictures; I was trying to capture emotions and stories."

What began as curiosity soon blossomed into something that gradually altered his life.

"By the time I was 19, I found myself more excited about photographing people and moments than anything happening in my engineering textbooks. That's when I realised this was something I wanted to pursue seriously."

The Epic story

Epic Stories, he says, was never part of a grand business plan. "It began very organically. I didn't launch it with a big plan or business strategy; it really grew out of my love for storytelling," says Himanshu.

His first big turning point came with a wedding assignment.

"After photographing smaller events and candid moments for friends and acquaintances, someone trusted me with a wedding. That experience changed everything for me.

"Weddings have everything -- emotion, culture, family dynamics, joy, nervousness; every moment is real and unrepeatable."

Himanshu's early projects were modest but meaningful.

"The first few assignments were very small and mostly through word-of-mouth but each one taught me something new."

In 2018, he made it official and started Epic Stories.

"I realised that weddings were where my heart truly was. That's when I decided to take the leap and formally create Epic Stories in 2018."

Looking back, the journey still surprises him. "Today, after documenting more than 200 weddings across India and internationally, it still feels surreal that something which began with a borrowed camera has grown into a brand that tells love stories around the world."

Preparing for the unscripted moments

For Himanshu, the preparation for a wedding goes far beyond just checking his equipment.

It's not about clean lenses, charged batteries, an empty memory card or having a backup.

"The most important part is understanding the couple and their families," he says. "Every family has a different dynamic, different traditions and different emotional rhythms."

"I try to spend time understanding their story -- how they met, what matters to them, who the important people in their lives are. When you know this, you begin to anticipate moments rather than just react to them."

Studying the venue and taking notes about the rituals is also part of his homework.

"From a technical perspective, my team and I carefully study the venue, lighting conditions, event flow and cultural rituals involved. Weddings move very fast, so being prepared helps us stay calm and attentive."

But the real preparation, he insists, is emotional. "I remind myself that I am not just documenting an event. I am witnessing one of the most emotional days in someone's life."

That thoughtfulness changes everything. "When you approach a wedding with that sensitivity, you start seeing moments others might miss. And those small, honest moments are what make photographs timeless."

The secret behind 'picture-perfect' candids

In an era of picture-perfect wedding albums, Himanshu is aware that candid photography is a fine line between real and rehearsed.

No matter how well you rehearse or prepare for it, authenticity is non-negotiable he says.

"The essence of candid photography is honesty. For me, the most important thing is making people comfortable."

"When couples see you not just as a photographer but as someone who genuinely cares about their story, they relax and that's when real emotions come out.”

While some direction and assistance may be required, especially for camera-shy couples, Himanshu is clear about his end goal.

"The goal is never to 'stage' a moment, it's to create a space where they can simply be themselves."

And the magic, Himashu confesses, lies in the in-betweens. "The best photographs usually happen in between the big moments, a quiet smile, a nervous laugh, a parent watching from the corner of the room. Those are the moments you can't script."

Inside Anant and Radhika's wedding celebration

Among the many high-profile weddings Himanshu's team has documented, the wedding celebrations of Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani stood out for their emotional core.

"The brief was actually very simple but very meaningful," he elaborates. "The family wanted the wedding to be documented in a way that felt honest and personal."

Despite the scale of the wedding, "they were very clear that the emotions and the real moments between family and friends should remain at the centre."

Having worked closely with the couple throughout the wedding, he describes the duo with quiet admiration.

"Radhika is incredibly graceful and warm and Anant has a very grounded and gentle personality. When you see them together, there is a very natural comfort between them. They share a quiet understanding and that made many moments very beautiful to capture."

Himanshu and his team spent nearly six months with the couple, travelling with them from Jamnagar for the pre-event to Europe on a cruise and finally in Mumbai.

Despite the presence of A-listers and high-profile guests including Rihanna, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, each location and setting of the celebration, he says, brought a different mood.

"Jamnagar felt deeply rooted in Indian traditions. The cruise celebrations had a global festive spirit. And Mumbai was the culmination of everything with family and emotions coming together," he says.

Himanshu calls himself privileged to "being able to witness the entire journey of their relationship through these moments".