What To Bring To My Mumbai Street Photography Workshops
The comprehensive list of everything that you might want to bring to my street photography workshops in Mumbai.
I've been fortunate so far that all of my clients have come prepared for my street photography workshops here in Mumbai. They haven't forgotten anything nor have they been inadequately equipped to deal with photographing Mumbai. This is a great thing. But it only means I've been lucky so far to play host to some very experienced travelers and photographers.
I'd like to take a few moments and make a list of things that I regularly pack with me when I plan to shoot street photography for several hours in Mumbai. Because there is a difference between casually going out versus traveling some distance and making a day of it, especially considering the heat of the day which begins to manifest before noon.
Packing List for My Mumbai Street Photography Workshops
Comfortable walking shoes - no sandals or open-toe footwear of any kind.
At least one camera, either a DSLR or mirrorless system. You could also make do with a decent compact or point-and-shoot. Sorry, smartphone cameras won’t cut it!
One lens preferably. Either a 35mm prime or a zoom lens that covers the 35mm focal distance in full-frame terms.
Extra batteries (fully charged) and memory cards (formatted ahead of time).
Lens cloth or cleaning kit.
Hand sanitizer. I recommend this even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Too many reasons to list why!
Sunglasses or hat. We’ll likely be in the sunshine at least half of the time. It gets hot, it gets bright.
Some petty cash for snacks and water, etc. Caution: Do not bring cash for beggars or to pay people for taking their pictures. Please abide by my personal request for the duration of our workshop.
Optional: a mini tripod like a Gorillapod or similar. I don’t usually recommend standard tripods for my workshops. Plus, there aren’t many opportunities for the kind of street photography we’ll be doing.
Small bag or backpack for all your gear for 5+ hours. Try to bring only the essentials and keep it light.
More On Shoes
Notice that I place comfortable walking shoes at the top of the list? Well, most seasoned travelers will know the importance of comfortable walking shoes. But since some people aren't visiting Mumbai as a pure tourist destination, they may forget that while it is an urban environment, there are still places I'm going to take you where you're going to thank yourself for wearing comfortable shoes that also protect your toes from any number of unpleasant things.
Keeping It Light
I highly recommend just taking one camera and one lens. This saves you time when shooting because there's no reason to re-think what lens you're using for any particular scene. Now, there are a few photographers who want to get certain shots that may require one or two other lenses, and that's fine. You're paying me to help get you the shots you want. But if you're on the fence as far as what to bring with you and have multiple lenses, including primes and zooms to choose from, go with the 35mm or 50mm prime. For zooms, a 16-35mm or a 24-70mm or similar works well. And bring extra batteries! This is a must because I highly advise keeping your camera on at all times while shooting.
Everything else on the list is pretty self-explanatory. But I want to empathize that traveling simply and light is the best way to go. You don't want to be fiddling around with a lot of crap for a 5-6 hour photo adventure. You want to be able to walk unencumbered and not be weighted down for when it starts to heat up in the later morning.
What Do You Normally Pack?
I’m always open to suggestions and for improving my Mumbai street photography workshops. That includes listening to my clients and learning from them, too. Do you have gear or advice that you’d like to mention or for me to consider adding to the list? Please tell us in the comments.
