The largest South Asian Festival in North America will take place at The Harbourfront Centre in Toronto.

This year M!M!M! will showcase the greatest talent that Toronto has to offer in Comedy, Dance, Fashion, Film, Literary Arts, Music, Spoken Word, Theatre, Visual Arts and Workshop Seminars.

I will be one of the featured artists showcasing some of my newest images from India in the Marilyn Brewer Gallery inside the  Harbourfront Centre Building.

I will also be donating all proceeds from the sale of all framed fine art images to Asha For Education Canada.

A charity that is very close to my heart.  Asha Canada is the Canadian arm of Asha for Education, whose stated mission is “to catalyze socio-economic change in India through education of underprivileged children.”

I have visited many of Asha’s Project sites in India, and have witnessed first hand the awesome work this organization is doing in India.

So I hope to see you at the event!

Here’s a few of my favs that will be included in the show.

Namaste!

What a journey it has been, 29 planes, 12 trains, too many bumpy tuk-tuks, 2 Elephant safaris and one nasty Camel trek!

Getting around in India is certainly an adventure!  I’ve met some wonderful people and have been very fortunate to

photograph some amazing weddings all over India and my last wedding just outside Bangkok, Thailand.

In case you  have not been following my other blog: Katha Images.  Here is a summary of some of the wedding highlights.

(for more images from each wedding click on the links to see the original post).

An over the top  palace wedding fit for Royalty in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Vivin and Denea’s  wedding on a floating Palace in beautiful Udaipur, Rajasthan – City of lakes.

Preeti and Vikash’s all night wedding at the Taj, in the historic city of Lucknow.

A chilled out wedding at the Alila Diwa Hotel in Goa.

A late night Hindu wedding in Bangalore

Aurvi and Monesh’s Genda Phool wedding in Delhi.

A blending of traditions – Priyanka and Ragu’s stylish Bengali and American wedding in  Kolkata

And finally Kunal and Rashmi’s Indian wedding in Thailand.

I am in the process of editing a few thousand images from my travels so do check in from time to time for more of my South Asian adventures.

I am looking forward to the start of a new wedding season, with new opportunities to catch some of life’s most treasured moments.

Happy spring everyone!

To get an inside ticket to these weddings is really such an honor!  So if your thinking or already planning your wedding in India

be sure to check out my other website; Katha Images.  This is where I post all my recent Indian Weddings!

Although I will be busy traveling all over India these next few months I still have a few dates open for 2011.

So wether your getting married in India, Canada, or anywhere for that matter,

don’t hesitate to contact me! Email is the best way to stay in touch! Or just click on contact at the top of this page.

Namaste!

Wedding Sutra is the number one wedding planning website in India.

The article discusses some of my recent work in India.

Check it out here.

Tina Weds Ashok at the Leela Palace, Bangalore India

]]> http://www.andrewadamsphotography.com/blog/featured-photographer-on-weddingsutra-com/feed/ 0 http://www.andrewadamsphotography.com/blog/a-new-website-for-south-asian-weddings/ http://www.andrewadamsphotography.com/blog/a-new-website-for-south-asian-weddings/#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:36:36 +0000 Andrew http://www.andrewadamsphotography.com/blog/?p=404

Well I am really excited to announce that I have launched a brand new website.

Katha Images. Katha is an Indian style of story telling, often told through traditional dance, paintings, or other forms of creative art.

This site will be dedicated to my love for all things South Asian.

Not just Indian weddings, but also my fine art photography, tavel photos from India,  my humanitarian work with

Asha for Education, and other worthy causes in India, and what ever else I find inspiring to bring my readers.

Please stop by and say hello, let me know what you think of the new site.

(It’s  work in progress!)

My current site; Andrew Adams Photography, an this blog is not going away!  I will be updating it with lots of

beautiful new images, recent weddings, and portraits, so please keep checking back! Leave me a comment here

or on the new site.

Have a Happy Easter Everyone! and Namaste!

These past few years I have seen an increase in the number of couples opting for a destination wedding.  So I thought it would be a good idea to post some of my favorite images from various locations I have traveled as a photographer, along with some helpful resources for planning your destination wedding.

I’ll start off with one of my favorite places; India.

Often times couples planning weddings have friends and family spread all over the world.  And sometimes it may be easier to bring the wedding to their family instead of having everyone fly to them.

For my NRI (Non Resident Indian) clients It makes perfect sense. Everything you need for a beautiful wedding you’ll find in India from gorgeous printed invitations, hand made Silk Sarees, stunning florals, and an abundance of unique venue locations. Historical Palaces in Udaipur, and Jaipur, 5 star luxury Hotels in Mumbai or Delhi, pristine beach resorts in Goa, and Kerala, India’s got it all!

Your guests who have traveled for the wedding will also appreciate the variety of activities, and sites to keep them busy, there is always a colorful festival going on somewhere in India at any given time.

Here are some of my favorite images and places I have photographed in India.

A Bride and Groom are married on the River Ganges, in one of the oldest cities in the world, Varanasi, India.

In India the guest is revered with great respect,  here a warm welcome awaits guests at the beautiful Leela Palace, Bangalore

Tina and Ashok’s Poolside wedding at the Leela Palace, Bangalore

Here Sonia and Sunil take Saptapadi, the 7 steps towards marriage in a Hindu Ceremony.

Unfortunately weddings are not allowed at the Taj Mahal,

but you could always incorporate a piece of this iconic symbol of love into your decor.

Narendra and Navroop did this with a stunning Ice Sculpture.

Of course it won’t stand the test of time as the original has, if you’ve not seen it for real it is a must!

Seeing the Taj Mahal up close and personal was just awe inspiring.

India has many festivals throughout the year, Thrissur Pooram is one of the largest, and takes place in Kerala in late spring.

We were very lucky to be in Cochin for the wedding of Simone and George and were able to take part in this incredible event.

If your planning a wedding with alot of guests from outside of India,

check out the festivals and make your guests aware of these amazing photo ops.

Simone and George even arranged a great tour package for their guests.

A pre wedding photo session at the Brunton Boatyard Hotel in Fort Cochin, Kerala, India

Dhol Drummers used to escort the bride and groom into their wedding reception in Cochin.

If your looking for an opulent Wedding experience, nothing beats getting married like a princess

in one of India’s Historical Palaces, or 5 star Resort Hotels. Udaipur, (the city of lakes)

in Rajasthan has a wide selection of Stunning Venues to choose from. No one know’s this better than Regal Weddings.

They are experts when it comes to planning a destination wedding in India.

Here’s a few of my favorite venues in Udaipur -

Devi Garh

The Taj Lake Palace Hotel

City Palace

My first wedding in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, moments before the groom arrived for the traditional Barat.

When planning your destination wedding, there will be several things you might have to compromise

in order to make your dream wedding in India a reality.

While you will find an endless variety of photographers out there who document weddings.

Make sure you invest in preserving this once in a lifetime experience.

Hire a photographer who’s work you LOVE,  if you can’t find one locally

there are many talented, creative photographers who will travel anywhere! (Like me, hint!)

And if you can afford it I highly recommend using a good wedding planner in India to help ease the stress.

Another great source for weddings in India is weddingsutra.com

If your still not convinced about India, check out this cool new video ad campaign for Incredible India

So there you have it.  A wedding in India, exotic, romantic, and affordable!

Namaste!

]]> http://www.andrewadamsphotography.com/blog/planning-a-destination-wedding-in-india/feed/ 4 http://www.andrewadamsphotography.com/blog/snap-a-photographic-fundraiser/ http://www.andrewadamsphotography.com/blog/snap-a-photographic-fundraiser/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:53:10 +0000 Andrew http://www.andrewadamsphotography.com/blog/?p=127 I just received the news that this image was selected from hundreds of submissions to be included in

SNAP – A photographic fundraiser for ACT (The Aids committee of Toronto) silent Auction.

To be held at the National Ballet School in Toronto next month.

A fun night out for art lovers.

Check out the event details here.

Hope you can make it out, pick up some fantastic art at very reasonable prices

and help support this amazing organization at the same time!

The photograph was taken last April while covering a wedding in Cochin, India.

But I wanted to revisit my journey now and upload these images while the places were still fresh in my memory.

After a hectic week long wedding in Bangalore I was ready for some much needed time off.

So continuing were I left off in my last post….

After our amazing tour of the backwaters of Kerala we headed north and into the cooler hill station area of Ooty, Tamil Nadu.

A beautiful, scenic, lush area of Southern India where you will find rolling hills filled with tea plantations, rain forests, and abundant nature and wildlife.

The best way to see some of this is on the Nilgiri Express.

(A miniture train that is even listed on the World Heritage list)

After our incredible journey through some of the most beautiful, picturesque parts of India we were ready for a few days of relaxing on the beaches of Goa.

It’s pretty easy to get used the the laid back atmoshere in Goa, especially after a month of non stop travel.

A typical site in Goa, Kingfisher not only rules the Airways in India (BTW if your flying in India, I highly recommend them)

They make pretty good beer too! and they sure know a thing or two about marketing!

I’m not the kind of traveler who likes to laz around on a beach for a week so after a few days in Goa I was ready to move on!

I had been to Rajasthan on my first trip to India two years ago, but only had a few days before arriving in Mumbai so we decided to check out Udaipur, the city of lakes and palaces!

Just an hour north or Mumbai by plane, but what a difference coming from the South!

The people, climate, landscape, food,  if you are looking for an exotic location for your wedding, Udaipur is THE place!

with some incredible historical palaces that have been turned into five star hotels like Devi Garh, about a half our outside Udaipur.I would LOVE to shoot a wedding here!

After a few days in taking in the sites of Udaipur we were ready for the big city….Mumbai.A city that I have been to before, but this time I was able to take my time and really get toknow this city a bit better. One of the highlights of my trip was riding the Local trains at rush hour!  I was warned! But being the stubborn independant type. I had to experience it! Even riding in first class was like nothing I have ever encountered before. I was actually pushed off the train before it even came to a complete stop! LOL! But seriously the people of Mumbai were very acommodating and helpful!Like any big city, (25 million!! That’s like the entire population of Canada!)One does have to be careful and always aware of their surroundings. But never once did I feel unsafe!A bit crowed at times? Yes! for sure. But there is nothing like Mumbai. The energy, and spirit of these people is clearly evident.Never a dull moment.  I can’t wait to go back!

So I thought I would take this time to update you all on my two month Journey through South India and my third visit.

After my wedding in Bangalore I decided to take some time out while I was in India.I had so much fun last April that I decided to explore more of this incredible Country.

There is so much history, culture, and fascinating things to see and photograph I don’t think I could ever tire of it.

I met up with a Tamil friend from Toronto in Chennai, and we began our journey through the South.

For him, a return to his cultural heritage, and for me a nice added bonus (a translator/traveling buddy).

We explored many beautiful historical sites, including ancient caves, stunning temples, and quaint little villages.

So many images were captured I had a hard time narrowing my selection down, so I will start with Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

About an hour south of Chennai is Mamallapuram.Once the ancient port of the Pallavas, Mamallapuram plays host to a vibrant festival of Dance.Exponents of Bharat Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak and Kathakali performed against the magnificent backdrop of the Pallava Rock Sculpture From there we continued South to the quaint town of Pondicherry.Were we spend a festive New Years Eve strolling along the cobble stone streets and visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Famous for it’s spiritual leader by the same name, and his particular method of spiritual practice, which he called the Integral Yoga. It was a very peaceful, serence environment, unfortunately photography was not allowed in the Ashram. But I did manage to capture this interesting cluster of women along the sea wall in Pondicherry.The New year started off right with a visit to the one of Asha for Educations project sites Srividyasram school in a small village near Thanjuvar, Tamil Nadu.

This was a great experience!  The staff and students were so kind they even put us up for one night. I have so many great images from this part of the trip that I have decided to post them later on their own, so do check back soon!

 Then it was onto see some magnificent temples in Thanjuvar and Madurai, typically south Indian temples are very colorful.

While staying at the Srividyasram School, which is on the banks of the Kaveri River, I woke up quite early one morning and headed down to the river to catch the warm morning light. What I did not realize is that early morning on the river is where many of the villagers start their daily rituals. Prayers, Bathing, laundry, a beautiful site to witness.

From Thanjuvar we took a 4 hour bus ride to Velankanni Town. The site of an important Roman Catholic Shrine dedicated to Our lady of Good health, And a Major Pilgrimage site in India for Catholics. Vailankanni was also one of the worst hit areas in the 2004 Tsunami. After we finished our temple tours of Tamil Nadu we continued to the very Southern Tip of India; Kanyakumari.Here is where you have three bodys of water that meet, the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Manar, and the Arabian Sea.It is also one of the few places in the world where you can witness the sunrise and sunset over two Oceans.

From the Southern Tip we made our way up the western coastline into Beautiful Kerala. Or as it is commonly known “Gods own Country”I feel so blessed to say I have now been there twice. this place is just paradise!Beautiful backwaters, rich fertile soil, the warmest, friendliest people in all of India, amazing food, and some great little beaches, unspoiled by tourism, (Yet) likes it’s nieghbour to the North;  Goa.These stunning red cliffs are the backdrop of one of my favorite places, Varkala.If you go to Kerala, you must absolutely book a backwaters cruise on a house boat!National Geographic Magazine has listed this as one of their top 10 trips of a lifetime.(Just make sure you book through a reputable tour company as the house boats vary drastically in price and comfort.)Daily life in Kerala is focused around the water.  Children are even transported to school via the backwaters.Well this is just half my trip so far.  Still to come; Wild Elephants in Tamil Nadu’s protected national forest, tea plantations in Ooty. Goa and the insanely mind boggling weekly Anjuna Beach Market, Udaipur, the stunning Rajasthani city of lakes and Palaces.And my new favorite city, Mumbai! Stay tuned and Namaskar/Namastay!