Street Photography in Delhi

Chandni Chowk is the main street of Old Delhi, running west from the Red Fort, and the lanes off it are where the pictures are. Raffaele Ferrari says it is at its best between 5:30 and 8:00, before traffic builds, when vegetable carts and tea sellers take their places. Rohit Vohra likes arriving before the shops open and watching the crowd build. Try Kinari Bazaar for wedding trimmings and Dariba Kalan for silver. Stand where a lane meets the main road and let rickshaws cross your frame. By mid morning it is a crush, and pickpockets work it.

Jama Masjid was begun in 1644 under Shah Jahan, and its courtyard is one of the largest in India. Rohit Vohra says it is packed in the morning and evening, which is when to shoot. Delhi Tourism lists tourist entry for foreigners from 8:00 to sunset, with no tourist visits during prayer. It lists photography as free, but many visitors report a camera fee at the gate, so carry small notes. Dress modestly; robes are available at the north gate. Shoot from the steps outside for the crowds and street food of Meena Bazaar and Matia Mahal below. Inside, keep your distance from people praying.

Khari Baoli is Asia's best known wholesale spice market, at the west end of Chandni Chowk. Raffaele Ferrari recommends it at dawn, when the sacks are opened and the colors are strongest in low light. Porters carry huge loads on their heads and backs, and chili dust makes everyone sneeze. Look for the stairs up to the rooftop of Gadodia Market, where you can shoot porters on the terraces below, but expect to be asked for a tip or turned back. Step aside for loads; this is a workplace, and nobody slows down for a photographer.

Sadar Bazar is a vast wholesale market for household goods, west of Old Delhi railway station. Both Rohit Vohra and Raffaele Ferrari say it gets far fewer foreign visitors than Chandni Chowk, and Vohra finds it even more crowded. The main market is closed on Sundays, but roadside stalls appear instead; Vohra likes to go around 10:00 on a Sunday. On other days, Ferrari says the wholesale deals are best before 9:00. Look for people framed by walls of stacked plastic buckets and toys. Carry nothing you can't hold with one hand.

The shrine of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya sits in a tight old neighborhood of lanes lined with flower sellers. Rohit Vohra says Thursdays are the most crowded and the best day, and qawwali singing is usually held in the evening. Cover your head and take off your shoes to enter. Inside, ask before photographing anyone at prayer, and follow the caretakers' instructions. The lanes leading in are easier: kids running and stalls selling rose petals. Expect to be asked for donations at the entrance.

Delhi's river is not Varanasi, but at dawn it is the calmest place in the city. Rohit Vohra recommends early mornings here for silhouettes and quiet moments. In winter migratory gulls gather over the water, and people feed them from the banks and boats. Face the rising sun and shoot figures against the light, with the gulls as texture. Vohra notes Sundays are busy with local photographers and pre-wedding shoots, so come on a weekday for a cleaner scene. The river is heavily polluted, so keep your gear out of the water.

Lodhi Colony is a quiet government housing area whose walls are covered in large murals. Rohit Vohra says it can be busy with kids playing one day and deserted the next, so treat it as a place for patience. Mornings and evenings have the best light. Pick a mural with a strong shape and wait across the street for someone to walk past who echoes it. This is a residential area, not an attraction, so keep noise down and avoid shooting into homes.

Connaught Place is the colonial shopping district of New Delhi, built as rings of white arcades around Central Park. Rohit Vohra suggests it for modern Delhi, and f.d. walker notes the park is popular with couples. The arcade columns give you shade and repeating frames all day. Stand at one end of a corridor and wait for a figure to cross a band of light. Janpath and Agrasen ki Baoli, a stepwell, are a short walk away. Touts target foreigners here, so ignore anyone offering directions to a tourist office.