How Saying Yes Made Me a Fashion Photographer

Gautam Dhimal photographing luxury bridal couture in a high end hotel set for Vishal Kapoor.

Back in 2012, Vishal Kapoor kept urging me to shoot his luxury bridal and wedding couture fashion collections. I kept saying no. I had never done a fashion shoot before, and honestly, I did not see myself in the world of fashion photography or luxury bridal photography at the time.

Then one day, I said yes.

That single yes turned into a creative partnership that shaped the course of my career as a fashion photographer. From our very first shoot, his conceptual ideas pushed me to experiment, design sets, and explore locations ranging from luxury hotels to stylized runway events. Together, we created work that blended Bollywood glamour with luxury fashion photography, something completely new for me then.

Over the years, we have built sets, crafted editorial fashion campaigns, and captured unforgettable runway moments. Each collaboration became a story, from conceptual studio work to on location fashion editorials, and each story led to new challenges, new awards, and more opportunities. What started as unfamiliar territory slowly became a defining part of my journey as a professional fashion and editorial photographer.

I owe much of my recognition as an award winning photographer to Vishal’s persistence back in 2012. Today, we are not just collaborators but great friends, and we are already working on exciting projects that will bring more experiences, more stories, and more blogs in the days to come.

For those unfamiliar with Vishal Kapoor, he is a Bollywood fashion designer known for his bold couture sensibility, hands on styling, and visually striking runway presentations. Often regarded as a Bollywood fashion icon, Vishal is deeply involved in shaping every aspect of his collections, from concept to final look.

Working closely with designers like him has been instrumental in shaping my approach as a fashion photographer, especially in understanding how couture, movement, styling, and storytelling come together. Collaborations like these are where meaningful fashion narratives are built, and where a top Bollywood fashion photographer must work as both a visual translator and creative partner.

If you are building a fashion story, couture collection, or editorial project and believe in the power of saying yes to the right collaboration, you can reach me directly.

Sending an email to mail@GautamDhimal.com is the easiest and the most effective way to contact me.