Night Rain in Kathmandu

The timing was perfect: I arrived at my favorite street photo area right when it got dark - not earlier, not later.

Then, I had a while to warm up my photography skills (with a 50mm on a Nikon full frame as always)

and had some time to realize that I got bored with this place and wanted something new.

And then, when I found a lovely position below a huge tree, the rain started. The rain wasn't too weak (when you can hardly notice it in the images) and wasn't too heavy (when you can't leave your shelter because the camera gets dangerously wet too soon). What else do you need to be happy on a photo walk?

The best opportunity for rain photography is when the rain just starts and people are caught off guard and react vividly - running for cover, smiling.

Secondly, people are absorbed by excitement and the feeling of getting wet so they hardly notice the guy with the camera in the dark.

And if someone spots you, they'll know for sure why you are taking images of them. That's helpful - and joyful - everyone is sharing the fun.

What about the sources of light? That's the thing about night street photography - using the light from the passing vehicles along with the stationary street lamps. And the best place for getting illumination by headlights is at a crossroads.

And this is where I was: hiding below a huge sacred banyan right in the middle of a crossroads, so I only needed to turn around in search of photo opportunities, not forgetting at the same time to wipe off moisture and raindrops from the camera - the edge of the shirt worked perfectly for that.

The darkness hides unnecessary elements, the jumping light is changing the appearance of the street every moment, and then there is the rain - so much movement and emotion...

I don't know how I coped, but I definitely enjoyed this experience.

My shelter - the old banyan tree!

Empty, right? Because it was very, very late already - 8:20 pm, lol... Yes, Kathmandu is this; it goes to sleep early.

And if you don't want to be the only human among dogs lining along streets, better to end things early, too.

Only the rain didn't want to end early. After a 30-minute walk back to the hotel, I had my shirt and sneakers soaked.

But why not get wet under rain sometimes, especially when it's +21?

A marvelous evening walk, it was, so wild, so joyful.

The photos were taken with a Nikkor 50mm on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 on August 30, 2025, in Kathmandu, Nepal.