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Jaipur Stories, Street Photography In Jaipur

Sunday | Street Photography In Jaipur

It was Sunday, and I was out for some street photography in Jaipur after a long hiatus. I had chosen a bylane of the busy market in the walled city area of Jaipur. The street is lined with old Havelis of Agarwal and Jain merchants along with a few shops. It bore a desolate look with scorching sun and humid weather. I have traversed this street many times during previous photo walks in Jaipur and found the shutters of this shop latched every time. I love capturing the facades and doors of the old buildings so here is a picture from one of my previous photo walks.

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The shop was buzzing with activity and looked like a small printing press. Curiosity directed me to initiate a conversation with this person who was engrossed in his work. I sought his permission to click a picture to which he enthusiastically agreed.

jaipur-photography-tour-street-life-india-jaipurthrumylens-blog

“Where are you from?” he asked.

“Jaipur”

I guess he must have assumed I was a tourist and now with this answer, he was a bit suspicious.

“Why do you take pictures?” My best guess is he must have assumed I was a reporter but I didn’t look like one.

“I love photography.”

Once his suspicion was settled, it was my turn.

“Do you stay in this lane?”

“No, I come from very far away.”

“So where are you from?”

“I’m from Naila village”

“The one near Kanota dam?”

“Yes. Have you been there?”

“Yes. You have lots of old Havelis in your village and a nice fort (now owned by the Oberois) but the old palace is in a very bad condition.” I was referring to a beautiful palace which is now a regional medical training center in Naila.

“People don’t know how to maintain.”

Read- Naila- A village tucked away in time.

places-for-photography-in-jaipur-street-life

“What’s your name?”

“Prabhu Narain”

Is this a very old establishment?

Yes. It is 70 years old. The house is even older. We are just the tenants.

Was this always a printing press?

No. we are into binding business. There was never a printing press.

Hasn’t business gone down over the years with computers?

“Not really, we are never deficient of work since we bind answer sheets of an ITI. We used to get a lot of business from banks previously but that has dwindled over the years. Schools and training institutes will continue giving business for a long time. There’s no substitute for these sheets.”

Happy to meet you. I’ll see you some other time.

Positively, he said with a smile.

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100 thoughts on “Sunday | Street Photography In Jaipur”

    1. Hi, Mel. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree. B&W pictures have their own magic, sort of timeless charm. Do you click or process pictures in black and white?

      Liked by 2 people

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  2. Black and white pictures have their own charm!!
    Sometimes talking to strangers is so intresting. During summer, my latest visit to Jaipur I talked a few people (sabzi waala, chudi waala, kapde waala etc) about their view over Modi’s comeback. It was so interesting to listen why people supported him for various reasons. We never hear these things from news channels or newspapers.

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    1. Indeed. The best part is that people are more than happy to share and converse. Your genuine interest can also lift their mood. Isn’t it so? Do you converse with people in BLR too?

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      1. So true, conversation bring people close. I do talk here also, but somehow I found that people here are more literate but at the same time a lot conservative in their thinking process. They don’t allow liberating themselves.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Bangalore is quite big. I have seen a big difference among people in new areas and the old part of Bangalore. While the new areas have people mostly working in the corporate sector and hail from other parts of the country, it is the old areas which have true essence of the city.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Absolutely. That’s where the culture is. I have written one post on the importance of old markets and why one should visit them during travel.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. In Bangalore old market is exactly like Jaipur, one seprate market for vessels, then other one is for cloths… and you will be surprised that most of the shopkeepers are from Rajasthan. You feel like you are roaming around in Dada market or manihaaro ki gali in Jaipur 🤔

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      6. Thanks for the info, Deeksha. Happy to know it is a nostalgic experience for you. It will be great to meet you someday and hear all the stories. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      7. Always welcome Arv! 😊
        I feel all old cities are same. Even in Chennai the old market place is same and like Bangalore it is also called ‘Chikpet’ and it is always dominated by marwari business people!
        Even i would be looking forward to meet you!
        During this summer trip of Jaipur my daughter had fractured ankle, so didn’t go anywhere. But next time whenever you are visiting Bangalore, we will plan!

        Liked by 1 person

      8. Chickpet? I have been there many times. In Chennai, a similar place is called Sowcarpet. I’m sorry to hear that your daughter suffered an injury. Hope she is better now.
        Next time…sure! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Sarmistha. Happy to know you enjoyed this post. I guess I have come a long way when it comes to street photography. Earlier, I would shy away from clicking people but now all that has changed. I rarely find in situations where subject refuses. In such a case, you need to respect their decision. I used to post stories when I started blogging but then gave it up. Restarting after a gap of three years! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  8. Talking to strangers is a challenge, as you can’t anticipate the reaction especially in India. Great post arv, a really different one! I often wonder why some people don’t grow beyond their original/ancestral work. I wish you could have asked this question. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. On the contrary, I have always found it easier to strike a conversation in India than in some other parts of the world. As for your question, he was an employee not the owner. I agree with your observation that not everyone can adapt to changing scenario. I’ll keep your question in mind, next time. Do you engage in conversation with locals when you travel?

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      2. I have always believed that introverts are a keen observer. So I assume you have a lot of take aways from your travels. I still remember your post and the details your shared from your Dubai trip.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Nice pictures.
    I also like how the little stories and street photos are interwoven. 🙂

    Seriously those projects/ dissertations will always have to be bound. Good for the binding business. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Thanks for flipping over and sharing your thoughts. I think people is what makes a city otherwise it is only buildings. Isn’t it so?
      🙂

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    1. I’m glad that this comes from an expert photographer who loves India. I know language is a big challenge but did you have similar moments of conversation during your India travel, Cornelia?

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      1. Thank you Arv, for your kind comment. To your question… at times I did have those moments, yet as a single female traveler I had always to be very careful getting into conversations, yet I had at times really beautiful talks and conversations and great experiences.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Enjoyed the conversation as much as the photos! They say a photo is capable of thousand words but when the real story comes out with the photo, it’s even more intriguing 😊

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  13. So much to like here, Arv. The pictures are superb – I love black and white, as I’m sure we’ve spoken about before. So good that you interacted with your subject, too, so you are able to present him as a personality, and not just an image.

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    1. I do remember having discussed monochrome photography, Mick. I always belevee it is people who makes all the difference. Every trip is different because we never meet the same people even if it is visiting the same place. I don’t think you will ever forget the conversations. What’s your experience from your travels?

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    1. I don’t think he was suspicious initially for he took me as a tourist. People are not used to seeing locals out for photography. In general, from my experience people who have not amassed money are grounded. This is true for the big cities too. Thanks for sharing your views, Ankita! 🙂

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  16. This blog was definitely the best tonic for a wet Saturday morning. Thank you
    I really enjoyed reading about the old village. That was fascinating. But more so was the fact that random conversations really do inspire you to find out more. Love the way you made conversation with the guy and what a story he told you
    All in all a win for you and a win for me. Thank you

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. I’m glad you enjoyed this conversation. Yes, conversationsa re very enriching. Looks like you love stories. Where are you based?
      Your blog is quite fascinating. Read and commented on a few posts. Couldn’t find about page. 🙂

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  19. Do you ask your subjects before clicking pictures? It’s such a tricky thing right? I remember another photographer writing about the challenges of portrait photography. I generally click pictures from the back or side. In Korea, you have have to ask permission before clicking pictures of people. Although, many tourists/foreigners don’t follow that rule. 🙂 India has so many hidden stories. Each person has a story to tell.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Cheryl, clicking people is something that happened much later during photography. I was always apprehensive of photographing people. Coming to your question, there are no straight answers and photographers are divided. In this case, I sought his permissions. I have mentioned the same in the post. In Jaipur, there is no straight approach. At times, people have asked me click their picture after noticing a camera. In western hemisphere one cannot post someone’s picture without their permission. On stock photography sites, if you wish to sell the picture with someone in it, the site requires you to submit a declaration from the subject. I have many pictures on blog where you won’t see faces. But this is a different series and it is not about anonymity.
      I agree, there are so many stories to uncover. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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