Sun & Shadows
a conceptual shoot at aga khan museum | 0ntario, canada
Cinematic Film
A Wes Anderson inspired style film threading together Yusra & Taha’s love story through architecture, art and movement.
YUSRA & TAHA
On a warm September day at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, a couple's shoot unfolded amidst the modern and striking architecture of the museum. Yusra & Taha in elegant neutral colors against the museum's contemporary backdrop. The sky a blank canvas as the sun bathed the surroundings, the photos captured the love and connection shared between the pair amidst the tranquil and artful setting. The sleek lines and intricate details of the museum's design provided a perfect contrast to the couple's understated attire, resulting in a collection of images that beautifully blended the past and present, tradition and modernity.
ART + DIRECTION
Written from the perspective of Salma (Sunnyside Lead Photographer & Creative Director)
In 2016 I learned about the Aga Khan Museum after a brief visit to Toronto. I didn’t have the opportunity to visit but it burned a hole in the mental bulletin board of my mind and I knew that this location was special. For a while it was in my vision board, and I would refer back to the architecture and space as inspiration for shoots. When Yusra mentioned that her Valima would be in Toronto, I immediately reached out to her with my proposal of creatively directing and shooting at the Aga Khan Museum. Yusra was fully my muse, her bubbly and down to earth personality inspired a shoot that was light hearted and airy. Yusra & Taha took all of my advice and direction from clothing to make up, dupatta setting and hair inspiration.
Aga Khan boasts several beautiful areas that set a canvas for beautiful photographs. I especially wanted this youthful feeling of a couple walking through modern architecture in traditional clothing, bringing the comfort of the past into a warm space. A high sun created shadow play and accentuated the dynamic between Yusra & Taha.
Yusra described that many of the items she wore on the Valima weekend and the Aga Khan shoot were connected to people she loved and why they made her feel so special. Her favorite gesture was the dress that was gifted to her by her sister Lubna for her and Taha’s first Eid together. It was a piece from one of her favorite Pakistani designers.
“It was so so special to me. I had never worn a piece from Mohsin Naveed Ranjha and my sister and I always wanted to get something from there. When she gave me the gift I was honestly just so shocked. I also got to wear Salma’s beautiful flower bracelets for the shoot, that she wore to her own Valima and it matched my outfit perfectly! And one of my mom’s best friend’s gifted me the jewelry I wore for the shoot for my wedding. Even one of my closest friends Rida did my Mendhi. ”
“I trusted Salma completely with the vision. I loved how she gave such attention to detail to every part of the museum and directed me so well on how to pose. Salma’s creativity is evident in the photos and film - I’ve never taken couple photos like this, the results are editorial, I felt like I could be in a magazine!”
FULL CIRCLE DESTINATION
Yusra & Taha celebrated their Valima Weekend in Toronto, Canada.
While we did not cover the reception, we still wanted to share the conversations we had with Yusra & Taha recapping the entire weekend and their love story.
Yusra describes meeting Taha as her favorite story to tell.
“We were at our friend Sadia's holud ceremony during her wedding weekend. I had never seen him before with Bhaiya (my brother in law) and I went up to Bhaiya to ask him who is that?? He came from Canada and I didn't even know he existed.” Yusra laughs reminiscing, “The next day at the Shaadi, Taha came up to me and asked if he could take a picture of my family and I — with the bride and groom. Apparently he was wandering around there for a while because he knew I would come up and then he could talk to me.”
Yusra is Indian and Taha is Pakistani, their ethnicities in country only made their wedding events more rich in culture and color. They had many events between the Nikkah & Shaadi in New Jersey and the Valima weekend in Canada. Both Yusra and Taha embraced their families cultural backgrounds and traditions in small but meaningful ways. Yusra describes Taha’s embrace of Indian traditions by getting mendhi done with her intials on it as one of her favorite moments. Yusra explains, the groom puts mendhi on his pinky finger at Indian weddings.
The Valima weekend included a series of two events, the Dholki & The Reception. When asked what her favorite part of the weekend was, Yusra exclaims basically the whole weekend because of the people they were surrounded by,
“Honestly the Dholki the day before, and the Valima were my two favorite events. I had my closest friends and family travel to Canada to celebrate Taha and I's love. It was one of the most special and warm feelings. I feel like I just wanted to bottle that feeling up and keep it with me forever. I felt like I got to enjoy these events so much more and we had a blast. It was the moment where Taha and I finally got to end our long distance and everyone we loved was there to witness it. It was just the best celebration we could have ended with.”
The moments that stayed with Yusra and Taha the most were at the reception. The couple truly valued every moment spent with their guests, especially walking around the hall and greeting each guest. Engaging in heartfelt conversations and sharing laughter with their loved ones made their special day even more meaningful. Their siblings made a video montage of them and gave heartfelt speeches, Yusra giggles thinking about her brother in laws speech:
“The speech that stayed with me is definitely Bhaiya's. He just put our love into such beautiful words and honestly without him there really wouldn't be a Yusra and Taha. He was a matchmaker in the process. He asked Taha about me when we first met after I mentioned to him that I thought Taha was cute...”
Yusra and Taha loved that the Valima was set in Toronto, the place that kept them long distance. It was a full circle moment and felt like a beautiful conclusion to one chapter as a new page in their story continued. The air was filled with nostalgia and joy, as friends and family members witnessed the culmination of a long-distance relationship. The couple radiated happiness and contentment, their smiles reflecting the journey that had brought them to this magical moment. It was a celebration filled with laughter, tears, and overwhelming love, a testament to the enduring power of a love story, miles apart. It was only appropriate that Yusra & Taha’s favorite song played at this event Duniyaa :
Basau tere sang main alag duniya
I want to build a new world of our own
Na aaye kabhi dono mein jara bhi faasle
I wish there be no distances between us
Bas ek tu ho, ek main hu aur koi na
I wish there be just you and me....
Yusra’s Favorite Photo from the Gallery
Photography/Cinematography: Sunnyside Weddings @sunnyside.weddings
Creative Direction: Salma Latif @salma.arw
Venue: Aga Khan Museum, Ontario Canada
Hair/Dupatta setting: Huma Beauty Salon @humabeautysalon
Makeup: Lubna Khan @looksbylubs
Dress: Mohsin Naveed Ranjha @mohsinnaveedranjha
Mendhi/Henna: Rida @mehendill
