Being Happy’s first client, Lee has always been close to our hearts. And doing a brand campaign for them after close to two years is definitely something that got us excited.
The campaign was shot in the open expanse of the Sambhar Salt Flats in Rajasthan. Photographed by Saurabh Dua, the campaign took life on the minimalistic landscape of the salt lake.
Even the drive to Sambhar from Jaipur is an experience. 60 km from Jaipur, the early morning drive sets the pace for the rest of the shoot. This vast body of glacial saline stretches in length for 22.5 km, its width varying between around 3 and 11 km.
Someone once said, when you search for something great, you should first lose yourself. And that’s what we did before we found the shooting spot on the Sambhar Salt Flats before dawn.
We drove from Jaipur to Sambhar at 4 a.m. to the spot where we recced the previous morning. But as we got off the highway and entered the villages and the cast expanse of Sambhar, it was as dark as the inside of a cow. The headlights were the only source of light (even they went off for a brief period). Twenty minutes later, we realized we’d gone off course. Twenty more minutes later, we were approaching the shooting spot. The first lights of Sambhar welcomed us.
The first sight of the Salt Flats stays with you forever. Daylight is just breaking in. The land is as endless as the sky. The horizon has never seemed this far. And you realize you had forgotten to breathe for a second. As expanse engulfs you, sunlight fills the landscape. Everyone turns photographer. From the light boys to the creative director, everyone’s shooting the Samhar dawn. Mobile cameras, point and shoot cameras, personal DSLRs and Saurabh Dua’s Mamiya with a Phase I Digital Back.
Yes, the one that captured the visuals for our Lee Live with Passion Campaign.
As the sun came out and brightened up our shoot, it also heated up the Salt Flats as we shot next seven hours. For once, more water and juice flowed than alcohol. Dehydration was successfully fought. But not sunburns. We had a deep red Pradeep Ravindran at the end of the shoot. The model blushing when Saurabh cracked a joke was lost when compared to Pradeep’s deep blush.
The hot-air balloon added a different dimension to the open landscape. It made jeeps and humans go miniature. The only person feeling powerful beside the humungous balloon was the man firing the flame under it. He was having fun!
By 2 p.m. the shoot well done and over, we headed back to the hotel for lunch and reviewing the shots. Great experience and an unforgettable day. No memorabilia can better the infinite vastness of Sambhar we took back in our hearts. Makes you forget to breathe every time you think about it. We love Sambhar.
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