Garba is a geometry
A circle, not a stage. The wide shot is the whole floor, from a balcony if you have one, or from a corner that does not become a dancer. A low camera can live at the edge. It should not enter the circle and break it. The music is live or loud. A recorder near the speakers will clip. A lav on the singer, if there is one, is the line.
Four steps, unless you are told otherwise
Many Gujarati ceremonies circle the fire four times, not seven. Film the number that happens. Hasta melap, the joining of hands, and the mandap itself need a locked frame. Jaimala is a few seconds: both garlands, both faces, no orbit.
The day after
A reception can look like any London hall. Do not grade the mandap to match the DJ wash. The fire is warmer and smaller. Protect the reds and the marigolds, and leave a black somewhere in the frame so the colour has a floor.
Where to stand
Questions worth asking
- Is a garba the same as a sangeet?
- No. A sangeet is often a stage and performances. A garba is a circle everyone joins. You can have both in one wedding. They need different wides.
- What if the family does seven pheras?
- Then film seven. The point is to ask, not to impose a regional average on a priest who has already started.