It’s not easy to be a photographer in this day and age.  It seems that everyone has someone in their family who recently got a DSLR camera for their birthday and now puts a logo that says “{First Name} {Last Name} Photography” in the corner and calls themselves a “Professional”.  Of course, then there are the smart brides and the smart grooms of who know better than to get suckered into things like this because they know that the most important day of their young lives shouldn’t be trusted to an amateur and shouldn’t be trust to someone who doesn’t have the eye for the perfect shot.  This year, I got a chance to be part of something very special in very different, yet the very alike cultures of Pakistan and India.  I got a chance to photograph brides who were Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and Christian and each wedding was as unique as the one that was before it.  It was completely mind blowing that brides loved my work so much that they had me participate in the most amazing days of their lives.  Whether it was on a beautiful sandy beach in Jamaica, a sunshine filled day in L.A., or a snowy morning in Chicago; it was all beautiful and unique to the taste of each and every bride and groom.

This post is a “THANK YOU!“ to all my beautiful couples in 2011 who made this year another goal breaking year for me.  I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and want to wish you the absolute best in 2012 and onwards.  Because of your kind words and beautiful faces, 2012 is already looking like it’ll easy eclipse 2011.

Have a wonderful Holiday season and have an amazing 2012!!

No one likes to talk about insurance, until they need it of course.  With all the things that can go wrong when you get a large amount of people all boozed up and dancing around expensive equipment, you shouldn’t take the chance unless you think you’re holding the winning lottery ticket in your hands.

What happens if your drunk uncle trips over a camera bag or a little kid running (even though mom said not to) falls over a cord that your photographer is using? A bruised ego is one thing, but a hospital bill that can run into the thousands of dollars is another.  Would that be cash or charge?

Who do you think is responsible if your photographer’s camera flash explodes (it can happen and it has) and starts a fire at the venue?  If you think that a venue is not going to hold you personally responsible, I’ve got a bridge in San Francisco to sell you for $50.

The fact of the matter is that under most circumstances, you (bride and groom) are going to be responsible for any liability issues that arise on your wedding day.  Of course, you can play Russian roulette with this one or you can play it safe.  This is the reason why you need to choose a photographer who is properly insured against any liability claims such as this.  This is the entire reason we buy home owners insurance, car insurance, life insurance, etc…  No one plans to have their house catch on fire, run their car into a ditch, or kick the bucket, but isn’t it nice to know that you and your family have a safety net in case any of those unfortunate things happen?

I carry a $1,000,000 policy in liability insurance for these reasons and any others we can’t fathom.  Hoping to never use it and always living by the words…”Prepare for the worst, hope for the best!”.

After receiving 35 entries total (had some last min. entries) and reading all the wonderful stories and seeing all the beautiful pictures, the panel of three people (including myself) made our decision.  Thank you everyone for sharing your story and pictures!

With the amount of entries from the Chicago area from Indian and Pakistani brides (and even some out of State), we had a very hard time deciding on just one couple to win.  It almost seemed unfair to pick just one couple because there were so many great submissions.  So what did we do?  We took that original number of only one couple to THREE couples!!!!  This means we officially have THREE couples who I’ll be shooting for.

And the winners are…

(In no particular order)

1.  Hira A. & Zain

2. Kruti & Suresh

3. Priya & Niket

Please contact me via email using the contact form or my email address (you may already have) to start talking about meeting up

If you didn’t win.  Don’t be sad.  I’ll most likely do another contest in the fall of this year to capture some fall colors

I’m horrible with keeping this type of stuff up to date.  I just can’t seem to find time in the day to do so, but for 2011, I’m going to try and do better with sharing pictures.

You know what they say, “If opportunity comes knocking….Open the door!”.

If you’ve been looking to get some great engagement photos taken, but don’t have the budget or perhaps just want another shoot, then this is your opportunity for 2011!  I’m looking to expand my portfolio a little bit and thought this would be a great way to give YOU something in return for you giving ME something (pictures of you!)

What I’m offering here is a chance to get absolutely free engagement pictures taken by me along with all high-res images provided to you on a DVD.  There are a few rules however to this opportunity and I’ll run them past you below:

1. You have to seriously be getting married.  Engagement photos.
2. You must be willing to write me a short paragraph or two (make it sweet) about why I should pick you and your fiancee for this instead of others.
3. You must be willing to provide me with a picture of you and your fiancee (just so I know I’m not getting punked).
4. You must agree to sign over your life.  Just kidding.  I actually only need you to sign a photo release if you’re chosen.
5. I will give you some dates, times, and locations for the shoot.  If you have recommendations, I’m willing to listen, however since this will be for my portfolio, I get the final decision.

Isn’t that easy?  I’ll pick the lucky couple (or two! if your story is awesome also) by April 30th, 2011.

Use my Contact Form to get in touch with me or send me an email at .

I’ve decided to start offering iPads for your wedding photos.  It makes an excellent photo album for Indian and Pakistani (Desi) wedding or event photographs because the colors of the weddings in Chicago are super vibrant and look AMAZING on the iPad screen!

Having had one since it came out, I can definitely say it’s magical and will give the person viewing it a very enjoyable experience as they flip through your memories with ease and enjoyment.
Contact me for more information on pricing!

The last thing a newly married bride and groom want to hear is that their beautiful (and expensive!!) wedding photos were lost due to a mechanical failure.  How much would it cost to recreate the wedding?  Would a full refund of the photography cover it?  How would you recall all the lost memories?  How would you recreate those candid moments full of joy and happiness with friends and family?

This horrific situation may seem like it never happens, but the truth is that memory cards in cameras fail all the time and usually at the most inconvenient of times.  A majority of wedding photographers will tell you that it’s never happened to them so you shouldn’t worry.  Of course, do you want to play Russian Roulette with your special day?  I couldn’t imagine making that phone call to the newly married couple and telling them, “I’m sorry, I lost all your pictures due to equipment failure.”.  My stomach is in knots just thinking of photographers who have been in that situation and I don’t even want to think about how a newly wed couple would take that news.

When I set out to do wedding photography years ago, one thing that every seasoned photographer that I spoke to told me was that I would need at LEAST two cameras with me.  In case one fails, I have the other to capture the moments.  Of course, this still left me with a very dreadful thought, what about the pictures that are on a card that’s already failed?  I started to look around the market for solutions, there were lots out there from the very inexpensive to the very expensive.

I ultimately settled for a very expensive solution that not only put my fears to rest, but also the fears for every soon-to-be-wed couple I came across.  The primary camera equipment that I use to capture your special day has a secondary card slot built-in so that everything is recorded twice!  I think this should be a MUST for any serious wedding photographer.  Along with this highly expensive piece of equipment, I’ll always have a second camera with me (or at least close by) for the unexpected.  Even after the wedding, the paranoid part of me goes back to my PC and stores your special moments in at minimum 3 separate locations to account for absolutely any failures.

When it comes to wedding photography, I live by the phrase, “Plan for the worst, hope for the best.”  Because of this, I know that I will never have to make that call.

For more stress reducing tips for your wedding, check out my post about 14 Super Easy Tips for a Stress Free Wedding.

Being a bride (or groom) is not easy, especially if you’re having an Indian or Pakistani shaadi (wedding) in Chicago.  It’s very easy for you as a bride to get carried away on your wedding day; after all, it’s one of the most important day of your life. But no matter how things unfold on the big day one thing to remember is as long as you and your groom are there (along with someone with the power to marry you) you will be getting married. So why stress about things which you can easily manage months, weeks and days ahead of the big day.

Here are a few “don’ts” that can make your very special day go a lot smoother and stress free.

• Don’t skimp on photography or catering. These are the things that you and your guest will most likely remember and enjoy long after your day is over.  Check out this post that I made about selecting the right photographer for your wedding.
• Don’t hire any vendors without signing contracts. Insist on signed contracts no matter how big or small the vendor or service.
• Don’t rely on photos on a website when booking a venue. Photos are usually edited and will not give you the sense of ambiance and space. Make time to visit the venue before signing any contract.
• Don’t wait to order your cake a couple of weeks before the wedding. You should at least allow 6 months to successfully implement your vision.
• Don’t wait to try your dress on the day of the wedding. Try it on at least a couple of weeks before the event so you can allow enough time for any needed alterations and always try your dress on after it comes back from alterations.
• Don’t wait to have your hair done the day of the wedding. Many salons offer trial sessions at discounted or even free rates. Take advantage of this and eliminate the chance of a birds nest on your head the day of the wedding.
• Don’t try a new hair color close to the wedding day. Always stick to hair colors and products that you are used to. Allow at least 2 weeks to get your color before the wedding. Go back for a color glaze a few days before the event to seal in that extra glossy finish.
• Don’t forget the deodorant. Go for the streak-less variety to ensure the safety of your clothes.
• Don’t try any drastic skin treatments close to the event. Discuss any new products or treatments with your dermatologist.
• Don’t get a facial a day before your event. Facials are designed to detoxify your skin and a mild breakout is usually expected. Start a regiment of a series of facials at least a month to a month and a half before the wedding.
• Don’t wait to get waxed the day before your wedding. Waxing can cause skin irritation and lead to breakouts. You need to give your skin at least a week to rejuvenate.
• Don’t wait to try on fake lashes the day of the event. Some people have reactions to eyelash adhesives that can cause irritation, so give yourself enough time to find one that is compatible with your eyes.
• Don’t skip any meals on the day of the event. The fainting bride syndrome is more than an overload of anxiety and emotions. Usually an empty stomach is to blame, so have a healthy meal that won’t weigh you down.
• Don’t have any bridezilla moments. It is the most memorable time of your life and you don’t want to be remembered as a character out of a science fiction movie. No matter how pressing the matter, it can be solved calmly.

No wedding will go off without its fair share of issues but the most important thing is for you to enjoy yourself and eliminate any undue stress with diligent planning. After all, it’s your party – you should be the one who enjoys it the most.

Dates are filling in pretty nicely for the spring/summer/fall and the season is just around the corner! Nothing like getting all the equipment serviced and getting all the ducks in a row for another exciting and short wedding season! See you at your special event and look forward to some beautiful pictures ]]> http://www.kensandhu.com/2011/02/20/cant-wait-for-wedding-season/feed/ 0 http://www.kensandhu.com/2011/02/01/for-the-month-of-february-2011-take-20-off-all-wedding-packages/ http://www.kensandhu.com/2011/02/01/for-the-month-of-february-2011-take-20-off-all-wedding-packages/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2011 07:18:37 +0000 Ken Sandhu Photography http://www.kensandhu.com/?p=284 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

That’s right! Take 20% OFF all wedding packages for all contracts signed in February.

This cannot be combined with any other promotion.