Hanging By A Moment: Five Photographers Share Memorable Outtakes From Campaigns They've Shot

Ever wondered what happens upon peeling back the polish of a fashion campaign? In this exclusive feature, we asked remarkable Indian image-makers to share previously unseen outtakes from shoots that have already had their public debut. From the fog-draped city of Bath to sunlit desert dunes, ELLE India gets a peek at a walking-talking visual memory, one that is deliciously rare and equally enticing.

As stories are revealed, the outtakes take on lives of their own. They become unguarded glimpses into earnest intention, proving that while style reigns, it's the soul that trumps. What follows is a recounting of the experience in the photographer’s own words.

Vansh Virmani

Shot in the dreamlike streets of Bath, UK, for fashion brand Cord back in 2024, this campaign felt suspended in time. There was a soft overcast that day, which acted as nature’s perfect light diffuser, wrapping the clothes in a cinematic elegance.

The city’s old-world texture met the brand’s modern ease in such harmony that it felt preordained to me. We travelled back to London the same evening — tired, but nourished. Shoots like these remind me why I photograph: no chaos, no ego, just a shared will to create something tender.

Amitava Saha

Shot during the rains in Shillong, these frames were born out of spontaneity and constraint. The brief was loose, the models were students, and the landscape did most of the storytelling. I imagined a narrative of estranged friends and leaned into emotion.

We hiked to each location, dodging monsoon bursts. Though the brand (named Meva) never launched, this shoot remains close to me. It was raw, unpredictable, and revealed what I’m capable of when structure falls away.

Pranoy Sarkar 

For this newly released fashion campaign, Chhau by Shanti, I travelled across Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha with twelve artists practising a traditional dance form. We weren’t just documenting culture, we were reflecting lived reality. 

The impeccable styling by Jahnvi Bansal echoed their daily lives: everyday fabrics, sarees, layered histories. The experience was highly emotional and made me rethink what it means to preserve.

Gourab Ganguli

I shot with model Roselynn Raj for label Charu’s Theme in Milan a few months ago, weaving cinematic flair into a bustling piazza. At Duomo di Milano, amidst the crowd, we found stillness.

Later, in Rajasthan, we explored masculinity and adornment with actor and model Chintan Rachchh, who wore delicate jewellery by brand Fine Finery against the backdrop of Saba Haveli in Jaipur, channelling our shared love for intimacy and expression. It’s a beautiful reminder of how beauty can exist in the loudest and quietest of places, only if you know where to look.

Tarun Kalyani

This shoot for Dubai Tourism with Gaurav Gupta earlier this year wasn’t just a visual treat; it was visceral in nature. The desert felt sacred to me. Gaurav’s garments seemed to emerge from the dunes themselves, moving with the landscape rather than against it.

I knew that I wasn’t documenting fashion; I was capturing a transformation. What’s left behind often tells us more than what’s shown.

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