*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!
Kolkata
Overview:
Kolkata might not be as popular among the general traveler to India, but it’s very popular among the photography community. There’s good reason for this too because Kolkata is made for photography as much as any city in India. While it is one of India’s biggest cities, it doesn’t feel like the others. With a friendly reputation and a more condensed landscape, there’s a welcoming feeling where you can just explore away with your camera without a worry. It’s the most walk friendly big city in India and as packed with chaotic interest as you’ll find. The colors and interest mixed with an old world atmosphere meets big city life. The colonial-era architecture contrasting with urban slums, along with the yellow ambassador taxis and endless street food are just a start to all there is to experience with camera in hand in Kolkata.
So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Kolkata has to offer before you even arrive!
Map:
- New Market
- Mullick Flower Market / Howrah Bridge
- Kumortuli / Bagh Bazaar / Sovabazar
- Victoria Memorial / Big Field
- Park Street
Bonus: College Street
Top 6 Street Spots:
1. New Market
The New Market, also known as the Hogg Market, is always one of the busiest areas in the city. Right in the center of Kolkata, you’ll find rows of shops selling clothes, jewelry, electronics, leather, household items, flowers, sweets and more. The unique red-brick market hall contains over 2,000 stalls in all.
For me, the best part of the New Market isn’t inside, but outside in the surrounding chaotic streets. The shopping continues with street sellers, a meat market and more stores, along with some of the street food Kolkata is known for. This area has been the heart of the city’s shopping for over a century, even after a large fire in the 1980’s caused much of it to be rebuilt. If you want busy streets and chaotic India, this is a top spot to go. It can get overly crowded and somewhat touristy for some, especially among local photographers, but it’s still a must for some exploration.
2. Mullick Flower Market / Howrah Bridge
The Mullik Ghat Flower Market is the largest flower market in Asia. You don’t need to like flowers to enjoy it, either, because the endless variety being sold here creates one of the more unique and chaotic market atmospheres around. Its location right by Kolkata’s signature Howrah Bridge background makes it arguably the most popular place for photographers to come. Behind all the packed stalls of colorful flowers, you’ll find busy steps down to the Hooghly River where people bathe and use the water. If you’ve seen any street photography from Kolkata, chances are you’ve seen this famous bridge background. The market and life here goes from very early morning into the night. There’s almost always plenty happening here.
Now, since everyone comes here and leaves with shots of men carrying flowers or children playing in the river with the Howrah Bridge dominating the background, that means you have to work to capture something more unique. While it’s been photographed so much, you still can’t leave Kolkata without shooting here. There’s too much activity and unique interest surrounding you here. My advice is to go really early at least once too to catch things just starting up. The famous Kushti Wrestlers also practice here early by the river, but they always want money, which ruins it for me, but it might not for you.
3. Kumortuli / Bagh Bazaar / Sovabazar
Kumortuli is a neighborhood in north Kolkata most famous for sculpting deities. This tradional potters’ quarter has become so famous for manufacturing clay idols for religious festivals that it exports them all over the world. You can walk through the narrow alleys here and see all the rooms and lanes lined with different gods and goddesses. Most are in the process of being created with straw and clay, while others are fully painted and ready to go. Early in the morning is more quiet, where you mostly only see the workers and locals who live here, and the interesting variety of deities. Later in the day, it can get more crowded, depending on the time of year.
It’s a very unique spot to explore with your camera and something you’re sure not to find elsewhere. There’s a good mix of local life too combined with all the surrounding interest. Nearby, across the train tracks, you’ll find the Hooghly River, where many of the used deities are thrown out near temples for prayer by its banks.
In this area you’ll also find Bagbazar to the north and Sovabazar to the south, two great spots to explore for more street activity and photography. Heading down Chittaranjan Avenue, also known as Central Avenue, you’ll walk through a variety of activity the whole way with plenty more to discover for a packed street photography walk, including Sonagachi, India’s largest red light district.
4. Victoria Memorial / Maidan Field
The Victoria Memorial is a large marble building on Queens Way that was built over a century ago in dedication to the memory of Queen Victoria. Now, it’s also a museum, but the reason you should come here for street photography isn’t for the building, but the 64 acres of grounds and gardens surrounding it.
There are parks, ponds, and plenty of people walking around here at all times during the day, especially in the evening. One thing you’ll notice is that it’s also where all the young couples come for romance. In the streets you don’t see much affection, but here everywhere you look there are couples enjoying each other’s company and the quiet privacy the grounds provide in comparison with the chaos of the rest of Kolkata.
To the west and north, Victoria Memorial is surrounded by green space, including Maidan, the largest urban park in West Bengal and home of Eden Gardens cricketing stadium and a race course. Across Queens way is a popular place for the local children and adults to come play pick-up games of Cricket on the gigantic grass field. At times, the open fields will fill up with 5+ games going at a time, right next to horses being offered for rides. If you really want to capture India’s love for cricket in your Street Photography, I’d recommend coming here on a Sunday.
5. Park Street
Park Street is a famous thoroughfare in Kolkata. It was the original high street of this huge metropolis and has been the recreation zone for Kolkata people since the British era. This is where much of Kolkata’s night life has been centered over the last century and remains Kolkata’s premier dining district.
Lined with cafes, restaurants, bars and shops, it’s more upscale here than the most of Kolkata. While it’s lost a little of it’s luster with more commercialization than the rest of Kolkata, it still retains some of it’s old world charm.
Come here if you want to mix in slightly different and more modern scenery for your Street Photography. There’s plenty to do here too so it’s one of the prime spots for walking and people watching.
Sample Street Walk:
For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Kolkata:
- Start your early morning exploring Kumortuli (3)
- Then head south down around Sovabazar (3) for more street photography, or up to Bagh Bazaar if it’s Sunday
- Walk down to the Mullick Flower Market and Howrah Bridge (2), which should provide hours more of interest
- Walk or take the metro down to the New Market (1) and finish your day shooting here, or over to Maidan Field/Victoria Memorial (4) if you have time
3 Things I’ll Remember Most about Kolkata:
1. Compact walk friendly big city in India
Most of India’s larger cities are spread out, but in Kolkata things feels more compact and within walking distance. By most accounts, Kolkata has the country’s third largest population. With the other top 3 cities, Mumbai and Delhi, transportation is needed much more, with many top spots long distances apart. In Kolkata, I can continuously walk around the city and hit more spots in the same day. The way the city is laid out makes it even easier and faster to get around too if you want to include the metro. Most of Kolkata’s city activity goes North/South along the metro line, without stretching out nearly as much East/West, making the metro easier, faster and not too far off most of the time. A lot of time can be spent in traffic and transport in other big Indian cities, but Kolkata is a great exception, which makes it one of the best walking cities for street photography in the country.
2. Very Camera Friendly, even for India
India in general is extremely camera friendly, but Kolkata still feels even more-so compared to the other major cities. Locals have told me they feel a slight change towards camera suspicion in India over recent years, which I can say I may have noticed a little, but it’s still one of the easiest places to shoot street photography in the world when it comes to reactions. In Kolkata, especially for a foreigner, bad reactions just don’t happen. There is a flip side to that, though. You have to get the shot off quickly if you want it to be candid because people love to smile and pose for the camera. As a foreigner, especially holding a camera, you stand out so they notice you quickly. So, with all that camera friendliness comes both a gift and a challenge for street photography.
3. British Styled Taxis & Rickshaw Pullers
Taxi cabs dominate the streets of Kolkata. They are everywhere, along with the sound of their horns. These aren’t your normal taxis, though. Most of them are old, yellow Ambassador Classics. These are the first cars manufactured in India and were modeled after the vintage styled British Morris Oxfords of old. In my opinion, they are coolest cabs in the world and provide a unique look that is all Kolkata.
3 Non-Street Photography Things To Do in Kolkata:
- Eat: Macher jhol, Pani Puri , Ghugni Chaat, Cholar dal and Jhal Muri
- Drink: Chai and whiskey
- Visit: Indian Museum and Victoria Memorial Hall
Street Safety Score: 8
*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!
India is a very safe feeling country, especially for street photography. People are extremely friendly and you can feel like anywhere is welcoming to walk. Kolkata feels even more welcoming than the other major cities in India too and their crime statistics match this. It’s a city made for freely walking worry free, while being surrounded with activity. Saying this, though, women should always be more cautious in India, especially at night, and pick pocketing can be something to look out for.
People’s Reaction Score: 9
More than any country, India is famous for its friendliness towards photography. As far as big cities in India go, Kolkata might be even friendlier when it comes to candid photos. It’s a city made for worry free street photography. Your biggest worry is people being too friendly towards photography and posing their way into your photos. Kolkata is a fun city to shoot in and would especially appeal to beginners that might normally be shy to snapping photos of strangers.
Street Tips:
Built on a line. Use metro and walk.
Most big India cities are spread out, making them not as walk friendly for street photographers. Kolkata is the big city exception, though. Instead of being spread out in every direction, most of the interest runs along a North/South line with a metro line running down the middle. This means you can you can just walk much of the city’s hot spots for street photography, while using the nearby line to help out when you need it. You can use the metro to start you off up north and walk back down, or you could use it to take you back home at the end of shooting, or you could always use it in the middle of your walk too. Even better, it’s also cheap. One of my favorite things about Kolkata for street photography is how it’s a big India city made for walking.
Bring cool clothing, tough sandals and extra memory cards (or film)
Kolkata gets hot and humid. So wearing cool clothes and sandals goes a long way. The roads aren’t great everywhere, either, so strong sandals with good support are a good idea too. And there aren’t many cities where you’re going to be surrounded with more sensory overload for taking photos every corner you turn. So, you’ll might take more photos than usual. Make sure you’re prepared.
The food is great, but be careful
I’ve never had food poisoning anywhere in the world my whole life. Outside of India, that is. I’m batting 100% for food poisoning on trips to India, and while Kolkata doesn’t seem to be as bad as many other cities, you should still be careful, or prepared. They are known for their food here, especially their street food, so you’re going to want to try it. Just be careful and bring some medicine.
Inspiration:
For some more inspiration, you can follow and look through the work of local Kolkata street photographer Saumalya Ghosh (@saumalyaghosh). And as always, you can check out 33 of my photos taken in Kolkata.
I hope this guide can help you go experience Kolkata… So grab your camera and capture all that Kolkata has to offer for Street Photography!
If you still have any questions about shooting in Kolkata, feel free to comment below or email me!
(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)
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