Featured Photographer - Priyanca Rao

I am a New York City based visual artist. My Indian heritage and experience designing clothes in London has uniquely influenced my work as a photographer. I love keeping things real and showing layers of stories, all in a very fashionable way! Some of my biggest passions outside of documenting weddings is street photography, aerial silks and more recently mural painting.

Profile Picture by Claudia Tecuceanu  

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY?

My journey into photography is serendipitous. I used to live in London and was a fashion designer in my previous life. When I moved to America, I started a fashion blog and photographed different clothing looks. Slowly, I became more and more interested in photographing my models and letting them show me their personal style. The more I practiced and refined my photography, the more I became obsessed with real people and documenting their real stories.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

 I am a photojournalist first. But my work is heavily influenced by art, personal style and stories. I love to layer stories and playing with these influences.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN IMAGE?

Realness. Realness cannot be duplicated. It’s cool! I try to keep my images real and show something about the people in it in the most creative way possible. Creativity is also so important to stand out in the world that is saturated with visual information.

WHAT INSPIRES OR MOTIVATES YOU?

Street photography in NYC. Oh the characters!! My MOMA membership card is also my best friend! I soak up art, be it a gallery or a street mural. Fashion and personal style is a huge motivation. I love colors, textures and patterns.

WHAT CHALLENGES YOU?

Going back to the same places to take photos is very challenging. I take photos of couples at Brooklyn bridge repeatedly. My biggest challenge is trying to find what is unique about my client. Secondly, looking for NYC characters that will add to my story. Dogs, school bus full of kids, rain, tourists, lovers…and incorporate them into my couple’s story.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT OF A WEDDING?

I am a very emotional person. Last week I cried while I was watching Crazy Rich Asians!! I emote alongside my couples all day. Not just sad moments, but also joyous, humorous, drunk or witty. I especially love shooting getting ready and dance floor shenanigans.

OF ALL YOUR IMAGES, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ONE?

Yes, I love this image of my daughter crying. She is a total diva and was having a meltdown because I caught her putting on my lipstick and asked her to stop. I love this portrait; I hope she will appreciate it one day! Follow her on her Instagram - @priyancarao!

I also love this image of my bride Sumiti having a quiet moment with her dad before the ceremony. They didn’t exchange any words but just hugged for a long time. And then a tear slowly fell down her cheek. So much was exchanged with no words. I shot about 250 frames of this moment. This final one was shot on my Fuji XT2, this was the very first time I used it to photograph a wedding! Developed with Two Mann Expresso.

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PRIYANCA?

I once biked across Ireland in a snow storm and camped in Scotland on the side of a steep highway, while it poured outside all night. (I’m sorry Mom!). It was nuts while it happened, but in hindsight it made me feel like I could do anything. Ever since then I have been fearless. Do first, regret later.

TELL US ABOUT DVLOP

I only shoot 10 weddings a year and I edit all my collections myself. I’ll be honest, editing was a chore. It used to take a long time to add realistic depth to a 2D image using Photoshop. Being able to get this depth with just one click in the DVLOP presets is wizardry. The attention to detail and the hard work that has gone into creating these presents is extensive. Every slider takes a position very intentionally and enhances my raw images. I also love being able to preview different edits for various lighting scenarios within seconds. I have my go to presets for dramatic sky, green foliage, portraits, real moments and crazy dance floor shots with up lights. Before DVLOP I could only get these editing effects using Photoshop. But being able to get this post production quality in Lightroom = MORE TIME WITH MY FAMILY!! So, thank you DVLOP!