Pune with Komal & Nikhil
The day after Komal and Nikhil’s court wedding, we set out for an early morning portrait session around Peth Pune — the heart of the old city. Komal, who grew up in Pune, was up and ready at the crack of dawn, with her sister and her husband, Mileha and Bastian joining us for the ride. The walk felt less like a shoot and more like friends rediscovering the city. The best part? I got to test the new Sigma 70-200mm DG DN OS that had just arrived, and Pune’s old-world charm proved to be the perfect canvas.
Komal and Nikhil's wedding celebrations were intimate and deeply personal, much like this portrait session. There’s something about early mornings that makes everything feel softer — the light, the pace, even the sounds of the city. With the shutters still down and the streets slowly waking up, the whole session carried a quiet, dreamlike quality. Their ease with each other brought a sense of stillness to the frames — like they were quietly soaking in the first morning of this new chapter together.
A little bit of Nostalgia
I lived in Pune for over 4 years while studying Film Design at MIT Institute of Design, and Old Pune has been the only constant in this ever-changing and evolving city in the last 15 years.
I loved the way the palette of this shoot came together — the misty morning, the muted greys of the city, and Komal's orange outfit weaving through it all — everything fell into place in the most effortless way.
Sigma 70-200mm DG DN OS Lens
Like all SIGMA lenses, this lens also delivers excellent sharpness and clarity across the zoom range. This magnification is never my first choice of lens since I’m a upclose, maximum 5-6 feet away from my subject kind of a photographer. But when SIGMA sent me this a few weeks back, I was hooked.
It produces beautifully creamy and natural looking bokeh with a smooth transition between focused and defocused areas. The autofocus is fast, accurate, and capable of keeping up with fast-moving subjects
We won an award!
What made this session even more special was a little twist of fate. One of the frames from this shoot accidentally made its way into Junebug’s Best of the Best Destination Wedding Photos 2024 — in the wrong category! This photo was meant to go into the Engagement Shoot contest, but destiny had other plans.
To have a slice of Pune’s heritage recognised through our work made this win feel even more surreal. Whether planned or accidental, chasing stories like this is what makes this work so rewarding.
Here's to chasing stories — planned or accidental — always.
As they step into this new adventure, their wedding will always be a reminder of love, laughter, and the best kind of spontaneity. Watch all this madness in motion below:
