I’ve coined a term for stopping up to your maximum aperture on the lens and walking around in Aperture Priority mode on Auto ISO: Goofy Mode. It’s what everyone is bound to do when they purchase a fast prime lens (like a Sony 85mm 1.8.) and set out and about and put it through the paces.

I don't consider myself a documentary photographer. I occasionally take pictures, that if were part of a much larger and more precise body of work, could be considered documentary in nature. But the reality is there's only one project that has been dear to me in the past decade and I only photograph that part of Kolkata real estate too infrequently.

I see a lot of crazy shit in Mumbai and if I’m packing one of my cameras, the chances are that I’m going to capture the moment even if the image isn’t technically immaculate. My definition of crazy shit may differ from yours, but for the sake of argument, let’s just say that crazy shit is a good thing and not necessarily a bad thing and hence desirable to capture. It could crossover into Bresson’s decisive moment territory, and I don’t see why it wouldn’t ever not be the case. Crazy shit is memorable. Crazy shit tends to stir up conversation. And Crazy shit can be epic. I’m always on the lookout for crazy shit in my street photography.

A frame within a frame is always on my brain - when I'm shooting wide on my 24mm prime lens. That's because I'm always considering foreground layers when it comes to composition. Shooting subjects straight on can be unflattering compared to other focal lengths that come with nice bokeh when opened wide up. The 24mm needs help, in my opinion.

If you've ever visited Howrah Station and taken the bridge across to reach there, you may have noticed the intermittent but neverending stream of porters sluffing bags to and from the station. When you get up close and personal with them, you get to see how hard and tiring that kind of work is.

I’ve heard too few photographers talk about the phenomenon between how we feel when we’re taking pictures and the results. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Germans had a multi-syllable word for it. But we English-speakers certainly do not. So here’s a common scenario to describe what I’m talking about.

I’ll be the first to admit that shooting street photography on vacation isn’t always a fruitful endeavor. Whenever I travel to Goa, I have the same conversation with myself. Should I take the camera or leave it at home? If I take it, I’ll likely not use it that much and have to pack onto the flight with me as carry-on. If I don’t take it, there’s always the chance that I’ll miss the shot of a lifetime.

In Chapter 1 of Tales of Mumbai Street Photography, I’ll share a few of my favorite images from the past and recent shots from 2022. The purpose of these posts is to act as supplemental material for my Street Photography projects page.