Street Photography Stroll with a 70-300 mm. #Wednesday Walk in Kathmandu

When I come to a new city or revisit one after a long time, I always go out with a 50mm f/1.8 mounted on my camera - because it's versatile and light. But gradually I note places where a telephoto lens will work perfectly, and when I have a pack of such ideas, I change the 50mm for a 70-300mm. This is what I did in late afternoon on September 22, 2025 - sharing the results.

I started in the late afternoon, had Nepalese dumplings momo with chicken (0.7$ for a portion), and then walked to the Ring Road, where I found a motorbike taxi (1$) to the Durbar area - the palace square, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

180mm

The old town's streets are too narrow even for 50mm, but there are many archways there leading to yards, and that's where 70-300mm can be helpful.

260mm

A very special intersection - there is an elevated temple there, so I could take a position above the crowd.

260mm

This is a big traffic jam where people, cars, and motorbikes got mixed together.

185mm

A shop across the street, like, 30 meters away from me, while I was standing at a temple construction. We saw each other and... this shot appeared.

250mm

Sneaking portraits is another option but normally people feel bored in the traffic jam, and images taken in such a disaster have the same energy.

At some point, I realized I had taken all I could from this elevated temple at the intersection, and left it.

I am blind to my own fresh images - can't see what is good and what is bad, so I don't know; but I feel (now) this one is good:

116mm

I was looking at the shop selling colorful fabrics (in the background), when I spotted two joyful guys, passing by. And then one of them suddenly put his hand on the shoulders of his friend, and the latter lit up with a smile. There was no time to change settings, and I had to quickly swing the camera up to catch the moment. That’s why the image isn’t quite sharp, but I believe the blur makes it feel more dynamic and alive.

Returning from street photography to postcard-like imagery that actually may sell on Shutterstock and such:

155mm

Or is the next version better?

185mm

I had walked this street many times with a 50mm, and my heart was bleeding each time - "I must come back with the 70-300mm" was my thought.

155mm

Vertical version. Not sure about these blurry giants - probably, too much...

70mm

When there is no perspective in front of you, a 70-300mm becomes quite sad in the narrow streets of Kathmandu. But sometimes it can help to catch a detail like one above.

Do you know what this is? Nepalese license plates.

230mm

No de-saturation - just a dead tree with crows - looking like somewhere in the North in winter or early spring.

70mm

Ladies at the Durbar Square. Behind - Bhairav, a manifestation of Shiva, the protector of Kathmandu.

85mm

Signature roofs of durbars of the Kathmandu Valley.

6 pm, it was too dark for the the 70-300 mm f/4-5.6, so I mounted my lovely tiny 50 mil.

50mm f/2.5

A small stupa in the end of the archway, located in the residential yard.

50mm f/2.5

A balcony with rich carving.

50mm f/4

A tiny Hindu temple by a crowded street.

I had such pleasure with the 70-300 that I felt uninspired to shoot with the 50 mil... or maybe just I burned out all creative energy I had for this walk... anyway, I realized that it was time to walk back to the homestay.

The photos were taken with a Nikkor 50mm / a Nikkor 70-300mm on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 on September 22, 2025, in Kathmandu, Nepal.