My Kolkata Photography Experience
Memorable Kolkata photography experience featuring a merchant pouring a cup of tea.
A Kolkata photography experience offers a truly authentic street photography adventure. I’ve created this post so that your own Kolkata photos will be just as positive and life affirming.
Kolkata offers the enthusiastic street photographer with a wide range of amazing stories that deserve attention.
With a long history and a rich culture a Kolkata street photography experience promises to be immersive and enriching.
But great photos are not simply a product of good camera technique.
How you approach your photography, and those you photograph, will large determine the success of your own Kolkata photography experience.
Is Street Photography For you?
Many of us love looking at great street photography.
However, to help you realize your own passion for photography, the question you need to resolve is if street photography is for you.
Take, for example, the photo at the top of this post featuring a merchant pouring a cup of tea from a green jug in front of his establishment in the backstreets of Kolkata.
Let’s explore how I made that particular photo.
I was on a self motivated photo walk and keen to make great photos.
As this is India there’s opportunities for great street photography, quite literally, around every corner.
Once I happened upon a potentially interesting subject or scene it was simply a matter of constructing an interesting and cohesive composition.
The early evening light was beautiful and the human element interesting. What’s more I could perceive the potential for a really great composition.
However, as timing was critical to the success of this image, it’s worthwhile backtracking a moment to explain how it came together.
Walking along the street I could see a range of interesting compositional elements on the other side of the road.
What I needed was for them to come together to form a cohesive and harmonious composition that would underpin the event or story that I believed was about to unfold.
As this was street photography I knew that anticipating dynamic movement and being ready to record the scene, as the action unfolded, was of critical importance.
As in all things, practice makes perfect and it’s gratifying to know that I only needed one, single exposure of this particular scene.
What drew my attention was the dominant green hues that seemed to frame the three people at the tea stall.
As I mentioned I photographed this scene from the other side of the street. That caused me to replace the lens I normally use with a longer telephoto zoom lens.
Of course, even if I’d wanted to, it’s hard to stay inconspicuous with a large, white telephoto lens protruding from the front of your camera.
As I got closer the merchant noticed me and I took the opportunity to raise my camera and, at the same time, lower my head in what I consider to be a respectful gesture.
It’s something I instinctively tried way back in December 1999 in Myanmar. It worked and I’ve used it, on a number of occasions, since then.
I use this gesture when such things as physical distance or lack of a common language make it difficult to formally ask permission to make someone’s photo.
As is usually the case the gentleman in question nodded in agreement.
Photography and the Need for Speed
Still, I had to make the photo, and I needed to do so quickly. Anticipation was key to the success of this image.
I guessed that something was about to unfold and, before you could say Kodak Candid Moment, the proprietor moved towards the centre of the group and began to pour a drink from that wonderfully vivid green jug.
I moved into position and raised the camera up to my eye. After quick adjustments to exposure, focus and framing the camera’s shutter was released.
The picture, and the event, were completed within a few short seconds. I nodded my head as a gesture of appreciation and then moved on with confidence knowing that I’d made a really strong image.
One Of My Best Kolkata Photos
It’s one of my best Kolkata photos.
I love the simplicity of the story it tells, how the photo came about and, most of all, the strength of the underlying composition.
I have no doubt this friendly merchant put on a show for me and, by extension, for you.
Without his kindness and good grace this photo simply would not exist.
It’s a great example of the collaborative approach which underpins my preferred approach to portrait photography.
While I do very little candid photography, it can be a very enjoyable and invigorating experience.
It does feel good to be able to anticipate, observe and record a moment in time, as it unfolds in front of you.
That experience, sometimes referred to as the Decisive Moment, is an important part of the tradition of great street photography.
Just remember it’s okay if the people you’re about to photograph are aware of your presence.
I instantly recognized that jug would be the key design element around which the rest of the image would form.
Being the most saturated color within the scene I knew that the jug would provide a strong point of focus.
The positioning of the man's body, as he poured the drink would, in turn, draw attention to the jug.
Can you see that, while the alignment of his body is slightly askew, the vividly colored green jug rebalances the image by bringing the eye back towards the centre of the frame.
The man’s movement towards the centre of the group is also important. It brings all three figures into a triangular formation which brings a sense of unity and cohesion to the image.
Showcasing stories from the heart in this portrait of an elderly lady.
Stories From The Heart
Now let’s examine this dignified portrait of a lovely elderly woman on the backstreets of Kolkata.
Can you see how a black and white rendering has emphasized the textural qualities within the original image?
My Kolkata photos are really stories from the heart that showcase the candid moments and portraits from my own Kolkata Street Photography adventure.
I believe that by approaching the people you photograph with respect you’ll find yourself creating photos that tell the story of those you photograph in an honest and authentic way.
Those images will also explore the rather special and intimate relationship you’ve established with the people depicted in your photos.
As a result your best photos will document your own life’s journey. It’s how you’ll tell your story, in a way only you can.
I cannot overstate how a positive mindset and a respectful approach can give you the confidence and purpose you’ll need to achieve great results on your own Indian Street Photography adventure.
Knowing the outcome of the photos you make, before you make them, will be essential to your success.
You’ll recognize your intention is to create unique and life affirming images. That’s your purpose, the reason you make photos.
This knowledge will allow you to approach strangers with confidence in the knowledge that your camera is no longer simply a piece of technology.
Nor is it a physical barrier between you and the world.
Your camera is now a passport into lives and worlds beyond your normal everyday experience.
About To Travel?
Candid Street Photography
Would you like to produce a portfolio that sets you aside as a famous candid photographer in Kolkata?
While candid street photography isn’t easy, I think it’s possible to achieve that goal, whether you’re a tourist or a local.
For my part I very rarely make what most folks would refer to as candid street photography.
But what’s meant by the term candid photo and how does it fit into your own approach to street photography?
For the sake of this discussion let's refer to a candid photo as a single image, made within a fraction of a second, that successfully records an important or interesting moment from an unfolding event.
The above image of a crowded river taxi was made at sunset on the Hooghly River in Kolkata.
It’s one of those rare times when, noticing action out of the corner of my eye, I quickly turned to record the candid moment as it unfolded.
Mind you I had already set my camera for the light (i.e., exposure and white balance) conditions under which I was working.
All I had to do was to focus the lens and frame the image in such a way to achieve an interesting composition.
Candid Moments in Kolkata
Believe me, you won’t have to venture far from your hotel to discover all manner of candid moments unfolding in the streets of Kolkata.
The candid moment could explore all manner of concepts, including the following:
Relationships
Feelings
Mood
Atmosphere
Movement
Solidity
Temperature
Elements of composition such as color, shape and form
Although I’ve made images were the people photographed are unawares that they’re being photographed, it’s quite rare for me to do so.
My preference is to approach the subject, ask for permission to make their photo and then make an image that expresses the beauty of the moment.
While these images often display a natural feel, the person depicted is very much aware that they’re being photographed.
When successful a candid portrait may talk to us about the Human Condition beyond the more trivial, mundane banalities of our own daily lives.
Portrait of a shopkeeper in his tiny, colorful shop in Kolkata, India.
Are You Afraid To Make Photos?
While truly candid moments might make for a great photograph, to my way of thinking it’s rarely the case.
I think that most folks like the idea of making candids due to their inability to approach someone directly and ask permission to make their photograph.
They jump out from behind telephone poles or out of bushes so that they won’t have to interact with the person they’re photographing.
Clearly, there are exceptions to the rule. However, as a generalization, I associate this approach with being a photo taker.
I belong, very much, to another camp which I refer to as photo makers.
My own thinking is that more directed, interactive and collaborative images can exhibit the same qualities or sense of moment as a, so called, candid photo.
What’s more I much prefer to work that way. But, on rare occasions, I'm drawn to seize the moment and try to grab an image as it unfolds before me.
When it’s possible to do so I’II approach the primary person or persons depicted to show them the photo and explain why I had to make it without first asking their permission.
I believe it’s the right thing to do. But I also think it helps to diffuse a potentially explosive situation.
Who knows it may even positively shape their opinion about photographers potentially invading the space of others in public places.
A Kolkata Photo Walk
A positive attitude and an approach based around the notion of being a photo maker certainly helped me on my first Kolkata photo walk.
I had spent all morning sleeping after arriving from Bangkok in the early hours of the morning. By the time I'd checked in, unpacked and sorted out my things it was 3:30am.
After a torrid and restless sleep I spent most of the afternoon catching up on image processing, emails and the like.
Around 4pm I took a taxi to a famous temple dedicated to Shiva, a most powerful Hindu deity.
Unfortunately, due to the bombing of a Hindu temple by a muslim extremist the previous year, photography within the temple was forbidden.
The logic behind this policy, I believe, is that photos help terrorists determine where to place their bombs or how to carry out their attacks.
The good news is that, after a lengthy discussion, I was permitted to make photos within the temple grounds.
Sadly, this policy seems to have been enforced in temples throughout India. Personally I think it’s nuts.
We all know that a mobile phone is all that’s required to make photos and videos of a particular site. And let’s not forget Google Earth.
Why punish well-meaning, creative photographers just because they have good cameras?
With photography inside the temple forbidden I made a few photos outside the main structure and then wandered out to explore the activity in the nearby streets and alleyways in the late afternoon light.
Kolkata Is A Triumph Of Chaos
I was not disappointed and soon found myself immersed within the triumph of chaos that is Kolkata.
Fortunately, the narrow alleyways around the temple kept the usual onslaught of cars and taxis to a minimum and I was free to walk around, talk with local folk and make more Kolkata city photos.
Within about an hour I'd made what I consider to be a pretty decent set of images, most of which were portraits.
This is exactly what I was hoping for and it was clear that, despite the difficulties of travel in India, Kolkata remains an incredible place for street photography.
The Photographers’ Mindset
So, here I was, in the hot, dusty, crumbling chaos that is Kolkata. I was uncomfortable and fatigued, but also inspired.
I knew the experience of exploring the backstreets of Kolkata would be enough to motivate me to make great photos.
With motivation shyness disappears and confidence rises, as does energy.
But it was still really hot.
I decided to move into open shade where I'd be more comfortable and the light more flattering on the faces of those good folk I wanted to photograph.
As soon as I got out of the sun I stopped moving and began to smile as a whole stream of potential photographic opportunities started to appear.
I hope your own Kolkata photography experience will be as challenging and enjoyable as my own.
Street photography in Kolkata is not for the faint hearted, but with a sensible approach and a positive attitude your chances of success should be significantly improved.
