How Ronicka Kandhari ‘shoots’ the high and mighty, including Saudi Royals

Creativity cannot be limited to one genre if an artist has passion to explore different horizons. Versatile artists like Maqbool Fida Husain, Kishore Kumar and Prasoon Joshi have successfully explored various genres beside their core competency. One such creative soul is Ronicka Kandhari, a pioneer and a trendsetter for over a decade in the field of luxury lifestyle wedding photography.

Ronicka is the first woman in India to make a significant impact in this challenging niche and importantly, the first Indian woman to shoot for the Saudi Royal Family, including the who’s who like Sunil Bharti Mittal (Airtel), Narayan Murthy (Infosys), Bollywood actors Amrita Arora, Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh.

Besides luxury lifestyle wedding photography, she has authored over 15 books and produced a film ‘Chalo Driver’ in 2012. She also showcased her work internationally, and has been featured in premier publications across the globe like ‘Vogue’, ‘Grazia’, ‘India Today’, ‘Brides’ among several others.

With the flair of a graphic designer and the ingenuity of a Bollywood film producer, Ronicka has a unique sensitivity and skills that helped her create an acclaimed body of work. “Weddings are one of the most wonderful things to witness on earth; people are so happy, and the place is filled with joie de vivre and a range of emotions,” says Ronicka. She believes that every wedding has its story and is driven by moments of surprise, drama and intrigue but only if it’s captured well. “A moment lost is lost forever, as there are no retakes here,” she adds.

Coming from a Sikh family, Ronicka graduated from Apeejay Institute of Design, Triveni Kala Sangam and the New York Film Academy.

What it takes for woman to work in a male dominant niche?

Being the only woman in this male dominant field (luxury lifestyle wedding photography), Ronicka’s journey has been quite a challenging and interesting one. “I somehow managed my way to get a unique angle even

when in a crowd of male photographers. It was not an easy task. The late night working hours, shooting with heavy camera and lenses continuously for over eight to10 hours was very demanding,” she points out.Ronicka got her big break when Adish Oswal, Executive Director of Oswal Group, showed tremendous faith in her vision. Her client list comprises of bigwigs like Al Saud (The Royal Family of Saudi Arabia), Praful Patel, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sajjan Jindal (Jindal Steel), Sunil Bharti Mittal (Airtel), Venu Srinivasan (TVS), Atul Punj (Punj Lloyd), Munjal (Hero Honda) among several others.

What keeps Ronicka stay creative?

What sets Ronicka apart from the rest of her contemporaries is her unmitigated creative curiosity and her hard-to-please attitude till she finds that one elusive angle which makes her pictures look beautiful. “I plod and dig in vigorously (even if it means jumping fort walls or being airborne), in the process generating images that have catapulted me among India’s finest photographers,” adds Ronicka.

Ronicka finds inspiration from travelling to different countries, latest fashion, fascinating architecture and practicing different genres of art.

Importance of technology in art

“Technology is changing with the blink of an eye, one needs to keep up with the pace to deliver quality and to meet timelines. Being well versed with the latest equipment and the post production techniques, one can add different dimensions to creativity and workflow. Digital and social media is the future,” says Ronicka.

Road ahead

Ronicka turns the page of her life to an exciting new chapter as she opens the doors of a new state-of-the-art work studio and gallery showcasing photography art installations. “The new space is part of a greater vision where photography forays into the home interiors space,” adds Ronicka.

Lesson for amateur photographers & entrepreneurs

“Every photographer needs to find their own style. It’s good to get inspired by looking and learning from other photographer’s work, but one must not get lost in their approach,” adds Ronicka. She urges photographers to keep practicing and spend time with their inner self to evolve their own skill and vision. “The harder you work, the luckier you get. Being persistent always pays,” says Ronicka.

“Creativity and business are two ends of a pole, but it’s important to hone both the skills equally to be at the top of the competition. Create your own path, be a trendsetter, and let the herd follow you,” she adds.

Website: Ronickakandhari.com