Photo sessions at The Portrait Lounge

I love old photos. I can spend hours sifting through sepia-tinted shots of my great-grandparents, so stiff and formal in their wedding attire, my grandparents with their first-born (my dad, with deep lines of kohl under his eyes), various stages of his growing up, my parents’ wedding.

By the time we came along, photos were a much more casual affair. My sibling and I have pictures of cakes being cut while guests look everywhere but at the camera, of throwing our hats to the wind on graduation day. Now, I wish those photos captured the gravitas as well as the fun.

Now, Portrait Lounge makes it possible. Modelled on US studios that focus on family photos, the Lounge makes every shot special. My fiance and I were given the whole tour — three in-house studios, spacious green rooms with well-lit mirrors, preview room, lounge bay — and then shown the props, including backdrops and screens that make for most realistic contexts. We tried a classic hotel lobby, a football stadium (he’s a fan) and a beach. There are lovely options for kids as well.

Our images captured, we were shown a preview and could instantly select the ones we wanted, along with a wide range of frames. They could even do some silhouetting and digital retouch (no more acne scars!). And a week later, we had in our hands, frames with a rich look and texture.

Because we want to look good to our grand-kids too.

The Portrait Lounge. 3283, 12th Main, 8th Cross, HAL 2nd stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore 38. Tel: 42431000. Prices: Five packages on offer, starting from Rs 2900 to Rs 20,000, inclusive of make-up by a specialist.