Priyanca Rao specializes in wedding photography and is the harmonious blend of emotion and technical prowess which she brings to South Asian weddings making them unique and authentic. Her global perspective, shaped by experiences from India and New York City, adds a unique dimension to her storytelling and photography style. Priyanca’s journey reminds us that every click of the shutter holds not just an image but a narrative bridging tradition, love and the ever evolving art of photography. In a chat with SEEMA, she shares how she balances the emotional and technical aspects of photography when capturing the essence of love and tradition in South Asian weddings.
How did your background in fashion design influence your approach to wedding and portrait photography, particularly in terms of boldness, vibrancy and artistry and cut?
I see fashion as a medium of expression where you show your identity, and I apply that same principle to photography, where you use photos in an empowering way to show your personality and express yourself. Whether it’s through connection, through your camera and lens, whether its body language and the way you sit up, or it’s the clothes that you wear in front of the camera, it can really show who you are and help express yourself. When I was in fashion design school, I learned different techniques, like designing and balancing color concepts of composition. I use all of them for my photography on an everyday basis that produces really powerful images.
You have many accolades, which include being ranked number four wedding photographer in the US by fearless photographers. Can you tell us about a specific wedding or a photo shoot that you particularly found challenging, but also very rewarding?
To win your photos have to be really extraordinary. This year alone, I got eight awards, which put me on the top four in America and top 50 in the world. But it’s taught me so much about facing my fears and getting over some of the challenges. One of them is when I’m in an emotional moment at a wedding, I get really stressed out because I am a little bit of an empath, and when someone is either super happy or super sad, I want to put my camera down and just give them a hug. So photographing through that moment is challenging for me. One example I can think of is at Isha’s wedding. She had written a letter to her dad, and he was reading it. I was taking photos of this moment. The dad was holding back tears, and it was a very emotional moment. And I looked back and looked at Isha, and she was also emotional seeing her dad. I wanted to have them both in one frame, but they were far apart. So I saw a mirror sitting there, and I reflected her face in that mirror. And you can see in that one frame, I managed to capture both people to show the bond and their relationship. And I’m very proud of that photo.
So how do you balance the emotional and technical aspects of your photography when capturing the essence of love and tradition in South Asian weddings?
This is such a good question because it’s asked by professional photographers when they’re interviewing other photographers. South Asian weddings are packed with emotions start to end, and sometimes the lack of emotion, because culturally, we’re trained, sometimes not to show emotion, to be strong and hard. The way that I am able to balance that is, first of all, I want people to feel very comfortable around me and give them the space to emote in whatever way that they feel comfortable. I really try hard to meet with clients before and break the ice even with parents. So that when I arrive on the wedding day, I’m not arriving as a photographer, but really as a family member. And the other thing that I’m I needed to work on was dealing with my own emotions during an emotional moment. Because, like I said before, I sometimes get a little stressed out. I practice photography on my children when I’m at home. That practice with my children has really helped ground me when I’m in an emotional situation, and helped me focus on the important moments with the technical aspects.
What advice would you give South Asian women, who are aspiring to be photographers like you?
I’ve been in this industry for over 12 years photographing luxury weddings, and it’s changed a lot. I feel the most genuine way that we can connect and contribute to the industry is by being authentic, by finding projects that you are truly passionate about and 100% believing in them. I also work really hard to build a connection with my clients before the wedding. For example, if I know a client is curious to hear more about our work, I will invite them into my home. We’ll drink a glass of wine together. We’ll talk deep stuff. I’ll tell them about me. They’ll tell me about them. We’ll laugh. We’ll cry together. I’ll ask about their parents. And then on the wedding day, when I show up, I’m not a photographer. I’m her friend. So they’re able to show me their true self. They’re able to be raw and authentic with me, and those are the photos that they treasure. So I would encourage all photographers to make genuine connections with their clients. Always work on projects that are less transactional and more heartfelt and genuine, because the money and the fame will come when it is real.
