Photo

  The bridegroom has come with his friends to the bride. He has to overcome obstacles which are raised on his way to the bride. He shows inconceivable generosity, hands out alcoholic drinks, paves the steep stairs with banknotes of different value, guesses riddles, shows his keenness of wit and sense of humour. It’s interesting to observe this process standing aside, but it’s not so easy to shoot some worthwhile photos. First of all, the reason is that they do all this just for fun: the money, which the bridegroom hands out to the bridesmaids are replaced from one family purse to the other; and the alcoholic drinks will be drunk up at the wedding table. These bottles have been bought specially for that purpose. The only thing which can baffle the bridegroom is the riddles which are proposed by the bridesmaids. At this moment a photographer has an opportunity to take good emotional pictures. But it’s difficult to photograph at such moments because the bridegroom is gathered round by his friends, and all the action takes part either in narrow staircases or in a small anteroom of the flat (See photos 7,8).

 
   7. Obstacles on the way to the bride. Camera Nikon D2X. Camera lens Nikkor 17 -55/2.8. Focus 25 mm. Sensitivity 200 ASA. Exposure 1/60 sec. Aperture 2,8.

 
    8. Numerous riddles… Camera Nikon D2X. Camera lens Nikkor 17 -55/2.8. Focus 17 mm. Sensitivity 200 ASA. Exposure 1/60 sec. Aperture 2,8. Left wall is intensified with photoflash.

    I manage to get over the solid fence of the guests’ heads with the help of metal coffer. I bought this aluminium box, meant for winter fishing, twenty years ago for 9 Soviet rubles; I pasted its inside with soft synthetic material and have been carrying my equipment in it since then. I can stand on the coffer when I need and have a good camera angle. The guests’ heads are not obstacle for photographing any more (See photo 9).