Street Photography Walk in Kolkata with a 24mm Lens
India seems to have many fewer international travelers this season. Being in Rajasthan, I was thinking "they will probably come in December, on Christmas and New Year's Eve", but not really - Rajasthan looked completely empty and now I am in Kolkata - really few European-/Asian-looking travelers on the streets. For example, in Bikaner I lived in a mansion-like guesthouse mostly alone, with the staff dwelling on the first floor, and me occupying my room and the whole common area of the second floor. The same thing happened in Pushkar - I had the second floor for myself (and occasional monkey visitors from the rooftop). I met a good Australian person to chat with there, and a French guy then, but not many people were on my way in general.
That's why I was especially glad to meet an old friend, Toni, in Kolkata where I arrived after a visarun to Nepal.
That's how we know each other: I met Toni at a hostel in Istanbul in 2011. We chatted and meandered along the streets together, at the shores of the Golden Horn, and stayed in touch online since then, and met irl in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Kampot, Cambodia in the 2010s. And, finally, we are in Kolkata... Toni loves street photography too so we are on the same wave while wandering lanes and avenues of the West Bengal's capital... Sharing some of the shots...
Indian gangta style. Random guys approached us to ask to be photographed.
Exploring lanes around Hazra Road. Some people live poorly, but decorate their humble houses with bright colors. That's one of the reasons I love India - those colors:
Walking from Hazra Road along Dover Terrace,
observing local lifestyles, watching colorful personalities.
Toni speaks some Hindi - that adds a lot to the communication with locals.
Here, a kid gave Toni a duckling. A charming creature that can poo on you at any moment, lol.
A passerby, a woman who wanted to get photographed in profile...
Kolkata is great for street photography as people mostly don't mind being models and at the same time don't normally ask you to photograph them. These kids were an exception.
But when these photo requests from passersby happen rarely, these interactions bring only joy.
Hand-pulled rickshaws are a signature of Kolkata. Being barefoot seems to be part of the job.
If you pity this guy, you should know: the government wanted to ban this work once, but pullers rallied to defend their craft.
Another scene: locals playing cards, and badminton.
"All Bengal for hire", "India is great" - a scene on a large avenue at Gariahat Market area.
The motherland of chess - a chess center below a highway bridge.
Yellow cabs are another charming symbol of Kolkata.
Shrines are especially numerous in Kolkata, and many of them are decorated with great taste.
Colonial architecture is another attraction:
Kolkata was the capital of British India until 1911, so there are many British buildings there. The poshest ones are owned and well-maintained by the state, but many are in a state of dereliction. I'll show you many in the next posts.
At last, the portrait of my friend Toni, in the sunset:
Gorgeous personality, happy to have time with her again!
The photos were taken with a Nikkor 24mm f/2.4D on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 on December 28 and 31, 2025, in Kolkata, India.
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As always you do @x-rain friend!... The street photographed with immense mastery!... Thank you for sharing!
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Muchas gracias, @jlinaresp! Have a nice day, friend! :)
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IMPRESIVE!!!!…
Do try out some mouth watering street food and also the popular Rasgulla. Do try out all the sweets..there would be plenty and each one has a unique taste...you are not far away...enjoy the nice bengali vibes.
Added to my must-try list! Thanks! 🙂
you will love it..for sure.
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It's been a truly amazing trip... Despite the prevailing poverty, focusing on the smiles, the customs, the colors, that house embraced by the tree and its roots, is well worth taking it all in!
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful journey with us!
Thank you for this motivating feedback! 😊
Always a real pleasure for me.
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Ah, what a lovely photo there of people in action @x-rain. and having a beautiful friend like Toni around must have made street photography even more fun! It’s rare to really jell with someone, so definitely worth keeping in touch with. The British building is interesting, though a pity it’s not well maintained. And that duckling… yep, they do make a sloppy poo! What a generous kid, hope you returned it after the photo! Lol.
Returned - before it pooped, happily, lol.
I met many people during travels, and - you are right - few left in my life. Toni is definitely #1 among them.
Yup :)
Thank you!
Great shots street photography is the best and I must say your friend Toni, is quite brave wandering the world as a solo female. Kudos, she needs to get on the Hive!!
She is brave indeed. She traveled in India a lot, crossed it solo on a bicycle.
Probably :)
Thank you!
👍
Hi, thanks for sharing. I love your photography in Kolkata with a 24mm lens. Your photos showcase the diverse street life.
They're full of style and color, looking natural. They're very distinctive, especially the visually striking expressions of the locals. They seem happy in front of the camera. What's interesting is capturing the authentic cultural and architectural nuances of the city, reflecting their style.
Thank you! 😊
Wow, this is so cool! Thank you for sharing.
😊 Thank you for commenting!
Que belleza de fotos, puras costumbres y sentimientos nacionales a tu país. Bendiciones para ti
Thank you, @mairimmorales!
Loved the photos and colors!
Did you shoot all of them with the 24mm?
I have a 24-50 but want to get a 24-105 as I feel that I cannot take all the shots want
(Just starting my actual photo-journey with a camera)
Yes, 24mm.
A retro one, actually, bought it being used.
This is a prime lens (with the fixed focal length) so - no zoom. This debate "prime vs zoom" is long-lasting, both have advantages. Prime lenses usually are of better quality for the same money and they teach to see frames and shots... As for zooms, yeah, having everything in one is amazing. I like my primes (24mm, 50mm) but sometimes feel upset I don't have something like 24-50mm. (I have a telephoto zoom - 70-300mm but this one is rather for birding, and it's slightly too heavy for me.)
Thank you!
https://x.com/i/status/2008441065020203351
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