Photography Lovers

Street photography in Kolkata, India

I spent a month in Kolkata, India in August-September 2026. Lived at 5$ hostels with the kitchen, cooked all the way - dalia (broken wheat grains) with cheese, eggs, veggies, etc - was trying to follow my slow carb diet. And almost daily had a photo walk with a focus on cats.

But, of course, I didn't miss opportunities to shoot street photography too.

I was amazed by this colorful group of people, who, perhaps, traveling in this truck. Guess they were sort of pilgrims considering I spotted them near Kalighat Temple. I liked that so much that couldn't help asking their consent; they silently looked back and I considered that "yes".

More people in colorful garments... Sleeping ladies, also in the vicinity of the Kalighat Temple.

Yours truly:

Again Kalighat because I normally didn't travel far from the area my hostel (Bubble Beds Hostel) was located. I chose this area as it was perfect for photography and enjoyed walking around it.

Colors and art are everywhere in Kolkata as well as discturbing scenes:

Decay is everywhere:

But that's one of the reasons I like Kolkata - it knows how to amaze.

More guys in orange:

They stopped curious about me and I photographed them immediately which made them happy.

Quite a wild-looking guy, and even more impressing religious art:

Kolkata inhabinants usually are glad to be photographed but don't normally disturb a photographer as it happened to me in Rajasthan where too many people wanted to shake my hand and ask standard questions - I just had too little time for photography and felt drained with constant attention and boring questions.

Quite a balanced place for street phorography, Kolkata is, with a nice public transportation system. Though, the city is incovenient in too many ways: super dirty street food options, awful retail, everything is so inefficient that you can't stay sane if you are in Kolkata for a long while...

My advice: do as much photography as you can (with as little computer work as possible) - hurry to do maximum before your spirit turns low - first, you don't know that but it always ends this way.

More images from legendary Kolkata is ahead, stay tuned, dear reader! 😎

The photos were taken with a Nikkor 24mm f/2.8D on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 in August-September 2026 in Kolkata, India

Comments · 19

@travelfeed(77)· 7d
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@nicklewis(70)· 7d
Great photos, really capture the beautiful chaos of the country. I’ve never been there and it’s on my list of places, I’d be photographing everything constantly!

The rodent in the bowl was interesting, all creatures seem pretty sacred there whereas here they’d be regarded as pests!
@worthmind(52)· 8d
A month in Kolkata on dalia and hostel cooking sounds like my kind of trip, and I love that the photo walks were mostly about cats. The colorful group near Kalighat Temple really stood out too. Was Kolkata easier to shoot in than Rajasthan, or did you just get luckier with the crowds there?
@grindle(79)· 8d
Fantastic, the Indian sub continent is just the place for all sorts of street photography from the vibrant like this post, to the slums and the darkness of other places. You don't have to walk far to capture life.
@kellyane(73)· 8d
Doesn't the government monitor the cleanliness of street food stalls? I feel sorry for the people there. It seems like the government isn't doing much about it, even when it comes to keeping public streets clean.
@josephthegreat(61)· 8d
It’s their "orange day," haha! But I like their outfits—especially the ones the women are wearing in the last photo; they still wear those even now. I can also see a woman who looks tired, talking about her problems—hahaha!
@rishehri(61)· 8d
I always enjoy street photography because it captures the character of a city through everyday moments. In people's faces, the streets, and the little details we often overlook, there’s a lot to discover. Kolkata definitely has diverse and fascinating scenes for a photographer.
@callmedaks(56)· 8d
Wonderful shots Sir.
@belug(78)· 8d
What a truly and strong shots… they capture the kindness and the chaos in India. I learned so much from that country… thanks for sharing
@visualshots(69)· 8d
Impressive post my friend!... Applause!

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@pizzabot(60)· 8d
PIZZA!

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!discovery shots !PIZZA
@indiaunited(71)· 8d
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@lee1938(68)· 8d
#hive #posh
@mterprocess(43)· 8d
Excelente publicacion. Muy interesante y gracias por compartir con nosotros.
@theworldaroundme(77)· 8d
Haha! Wow! What striking images! Such beautiful, attractive colour combinations mixed with some really odd scenes. My brain is shouting! 😂

Okay, that guy sleeping like that looks as if he’s been crucified (excuse me, Jesus!). But how on earth can he sleep like that? Haha! His legs are literally keeping him on that tiny, rather short seat/bed!

That disturbing painting isn’t nice at all! Look where the blood is landing, in their mouths? It’s kinda vampirish, but pretty harsh! I wonder what that’s supposed to mean, bit scary. And the mooouuuseee! Enjoying the scraps! 😂

Though I do like those ladies chilling in their beautiful, attractive attire. I love photographs that tell a story, but this one is really full, as in FULL! Haha!

Thanks for sharing! Great shots, and you look healthy from all that walking around doing photo yoga! Well done! 😄
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