Who is Candid Cineframe?
Candid Cineframe is a wedding photography and film studio in Sri Lanka that works only on Tamil weddings. It is led by G. Vasanth, founder and lead wedding cinematographer, and has documented more than 400 stories.
Questions couples ask
Tamil wedding photography, answered
Straight answers about the candid style, wedding films, rituals, planning from abroad and booking. If your question isn’t here, ask G. Vasanth on WhatsApp.
About Candid Cineframe
Where do you work?
We are based in Sri Lanka and cover weddings across the island, including Jaffna, Colombo, Kandy, Bentota and temples throughout the country. We also cover destination weddings abroad, so tell us where yours will be.
Do you only photograph Tamil weddings?
Yes. Tamil weddings are all we do: Hindu temple weddings, Christian church weddings and civil ceremonies, along with the engagement, henna night, reception and homecoming around them. Knowing these rituals well is what puts us in the right place before each moment happens.
Who will photograph and film our wedding?
G. Vasanth leads the team himself. For full wedding collections he directs a multi-camera film crew and candid stills photographers, linked by wireless headsets, so every camera is in place before each ritual begins.
Candid photography
What is candid wedding photography?
Candid wedding photography means photographing the day as it really happens, without asking anyone to pose. The photographer watches and anticipates, then captures real moments: a tear as the sacred necklace is tied, your father’s hands, friends laughing just before you walk out. It is often done from a distance with long lenses.
What is the difference between candid and traditional wedding photography?
Traditional wedding photography is mostly posed: groups look at the camera, and rituals are sometimes paused for the shot. Candid photography follows the day without interrupting it, and puts emotion and story first. We combine the two: candid all day, plus a short, organised session for the family group photos.
What is the difference between candid and cinematic?
Candid describes how we take photographs: unposed and true to the moment. Cinematic describes our films: your wedding edited like a movie, with music and your own voices. Most families book both.
Will we still get the traditional family photos?
Yes. We plan a short family session from a list you approve, so the album has every group your families expect, from grandparents to every branch of the family.
Do we have to pose?
No. For most of the day you will hardly notice us. For couple portraits we give gentle direction on where to stand and walk, then let the moment happen.
Will you get in the way of the rituals?
No. We know the order of the ceremony, keep a respectful distance from the priest and the sacred fire, and use long lenses instead of stepping in.
Are the photographs edited?
Yes. Every photograph is colour-graded, and selected images are also delivered as monochrome plates. Pre-shoot and milestone portraits are retouched in a magazine style.
Wedding films
What is a next-day edit?
A next-day edit is a short film of your wedding that is filmed at the ceremony, edited overnight and screened to your guests at the reception. When the ceremony and reception fall on the same day, we make a same-day edit instead. You can watch Vicash and Thivany’s next-day edit from ITC Ratnadipa, Colombo, on our home page.
How long are your wedding films?
A full wedding collection includes a 3–5 minute cinematic highlight film and a 45–60 minute feature film of the whole day, as well as the next-day edit for your reception. Pre-shoots come with a 90-second teaser film.
What cameras and equipment do you use?
We film on Canon cinema cameras, the EOS C400, C80 and C50, and photograph on three Canon EOS R5 bodies with Canon RF lenses from 15mm to 200mm. Sound is recorded on a Zoom 32-bit float recorder with Hollyland wireless microphones, the lights are Aputure and Amaran, and every camera records to two cards at once.
Do you use drones?
Yes. For destination and outdoor weddings we film drone aerials of the coastline and the temple where flying is allowed. Indoors, where drones cannot fly, a camera crane gives the same rising shots over the hall.
Will our films have real sound from the day?
Yes. We record the sound desk, the room and wireless microphones on the couple and the speakers, so vows, speeches and music stay clear. Recording in 32-bit float means even the loudest temple drums do not distort.
Rituals and planning
Which rituals do you cover?
We cover every ritual you choose, in order: the gold melting ceremony, the engagement, the henna night, the turmeric blessings, the groom’s arrival, the exchange of garlands, the wedding saree, the tying of the sacred necklace, the grindstone and the star, milk and banana, the reception and the homecoming.
Do you know the order of a Sri Lankan Tamil wedding?
Yes, and we follow your family’s version of it. Names and order differ between Jaffna, Colombo, Batticaloa and Indian Tamil families, so before the wedding we go through your rituals, the auspicious time and the family members who matter most, ideally with your priest’s schedule.
Do you cover puberty ceremonies and 18th birthdays?
Yes. For puberty ceremonies and 18th birthday celebrations we plan a concept portrait session before the day, cover the event candidly, make a highlight film and design a retouched, magazine-style album.
Do you do pre-wedding shoots?
Yes. Each pre-shoot is planned with a moodboard, styling and location scouting, at temple corridors, the coastline, estates or in the studio. You receive more than 60 retouched images and a 90-second teaser film.
How far in advance should we book?
As soon as you know your auspicious date. Popular wedding dates are taken first, so send us your date as early as you can and we will confirm whether it is free.
Families living abroad
We live in Canada, the UK or Australia. Can we plan our Sri Lanka wedding with you from abroad?
Yes. Many of our couples fly in from Australia, the UK and Canada. We plan with you on video calls across time zones before you land, cover the welcome dinner, henna night, ceremony and reception, and coordinate with your bridal artists and planners.
Can you send our wedding album overseas?
Yes. We ship fine-art heirloom albums to Australia, the UK, Canada and Europe, and your photographs and films are also delivered in a private online gallery.
Booking and delivery
How much does Candid Cineframe cost?
Every commission is quoted individually, because the price depends on how many events and days you need covered, the size of the team, and the films and albums you choose. Send your date, venue and events, and G. Vasanth will reply with a proposal for your wedding.
How do we check if our date is available?
Message G. Vasanth on WhatsApp at +94 77 888 9768 or +94 77 3000 873, or email vasanthan@candidcineframe.com. The enquiry form on our home page writes the message for you, with your date, venue and the events you want covered.
What do we receive after the wedding?
That depends on your collection. A full wedding collection includes the next-day edit, a 3–5 minute highlight film, a 45–60 minute feature film, colour-graded photographs with selected monochrome plates, a fine-art heirloom album and a private online gallery.
Which venues have you worked at?
Recent weddings include ITC Ratnadipa and Cinnamon Grand in Colombo, a coastal resort in Bentota, and temple weddings across Sri Lanka.
Still have a question?
Send your date, venue and the events you are planning. G. Vasanth replies personally.