mumbai

I have been in Mumbai, India the last 3 days and have been having the blast of my life. Kaushal Parikh, an incredibly talented street photographer from Mumbai, has been my host and not only shown me the wonderful streets here, but has treated me like family and is feeding me well (I probably will gain at least 20 pounds before leaving).

For those of you who have never been to India, here are some of my thoughts about shooting street photography here:

1. People are incredibly friendly

I haven’t had a single negative encounter so far. I just make sure to smile and say “thank you”. People are very receptive here and LOVE to get their photo taken. I have even shot with my flash today, and people seem very amused with it, and appreciate the attention.

2. The juxtapositions are great

India has a massive gap from the wealthy and poor. The wealthy are incredibly rich (drive around Bently’s) while the poor are dying on the streets. It is really heartbreaking to see, but makes me appreciate what I have so much more.

However this can make for interesting juxtapositions between the rich and poor, in terms of the people as well as the buildings, cars, etc.

3. The streets are generous

There is so much to see and so much to shoot. Although this can be a problem at times (there are sometimes too much people on the street). However it seems wherever I go, there is always people and something going on.

I am also preparing for my street photography workshop this weekend (I am hosting 3 of them while I am here). Wish me luck and I will keep everyone updated! :)

Also if you are an Indian street photographer and would like to be considered in the India Street Photographers collective, email Kaushal Parikh at kaush_par@yahoo.co.in