Street Photography in Kathmandu

Asan is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Kathmandu, where several lanes meet at a small temple square. Early in the morning it is a vegetable and meat market, and it stays crowded from then until dark. Spice sellers and porters with huge loads fill the lanes. This is the place for complex, layered frames. If you prefer clean minimal pictures, it may not be for you. Composition idea: stand on a temple step for a little height and shoot across the crossing as porters pass. Caution: lanes are narrow and motorbikes squeeze through the crowd. Keep your elbows in.

Indra Chowk sits on the old trade route between Asan and Durbar Square. Small shops sell spices and textiles, and the street flows with shoppers and porters all day. It is a good place to find a spot and let the scene come to you. The buildings block a lot of sun, so shafts of light fall into the street in the morning. Composition idea: expose for a patch of sunlight and wait for a face to step into it. Caution: traffic is mixed and constant. Stand against a wall or doorway, not in the middle of the street.

Durbar Square is the historic heart of the old town, with temples and palaces around a series of squares. Some damage from the 2015 earthquake is still visible. Foreign visitors pay an entry fee. It is busy with tourists, but locals still sit on the temple steps and kids play in the squares. An early market sets up next to the square: go by 7 am and stay until about 8:30, when traders pack up before the shops open. Composition idea: shoot from a temple platform down onto the crowd with the pagoda roofs as a frame. Caution: do not climb on temple structures that are marked off.

Thamel is where most travelers stay. The centre is full of lodges and tour operators, so there is less local life. Head to the edges instead, especially the streets running toward Chhetrapati and Asan. The lanes are narrow, with no pavements, and rickshaws and taxis squeeze past pedestrians. Light is scarce between the buildings, so either raise your ISO or use the shafts of light. Composition idea: find a beam of light in a lane and wait for a rickshaw to cross it. Caution: touts work the centre of Thamel. A polite no and walking on is enough.

Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world and the heart of the Tibetan community in Kathmandu. People walk the kora, clockwise around the stupa, all day. Incense smoke and thousands of pigeons add atmosphere. The busiest times are the prayers at dawn and dusk. Walk the kora with the crowd, then explore the streets and monasteries around it, where monks young and old come and go. Composition idea: shoot along the curve of the kora so walkers lead the eye toward the stupa. Caution: Tibetans are often less keen to be photographed than many Nepalis. Ask first, and ask before shooting inside monasteries.

Pashupatinath is the most important Hindu temple in Nepal, on the banks of the Bagmati River. Only Hindus may enter the main temple, but visitors can walk the wider complex, which has a fee. Cremations take place on the riverbanks and bodies can be clearly visible, so be ready for that. At sunset the aarati ceremony brings music and fire to the steps. Composition idea: frame the ceremony wide from across the river, with the crowd silhouetted against the fire. Caution: these are funerals. Keep your distance from grieving families and never use flash.

Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple, sits on a hill west of the centre and gives you a view over the whole city. Because the hill stands alone, the light works at both sunrise and sunset. You can take a taxi to the top or climb the long stairway on the east side, passing small shrines and plenty of monkeys. People walk around the stupa clockwise and spin the prayer wheels. Composition idea: frame a pilgrim at a prayer wheel with the city haze behind. Caution: the monkeys grab food and loose items. Do not carry snacks in the open.