These photos I'm taken on July 29, 2017, at Bara Bazar, also known as Iewduh, the oldest and biggest market in Shillong, Meghalaya. They I'm captured during a fun and lively photo walk organized by AVTV ISO, and even today, they feel like a very special memory.
At that time, I had just gotten my Canon 800D camera. I was extremely excited, almost like a kid with a new toy. I wanted to learn everything about street photography: how to capture real moments, how to observe people, and how to tell a story through a picture. That is why I joined workshops, photo walks, and anything that could help me improve.
a market full of lifeEvery corner had a story.
The day at Iewduh was full of learning and joy. The market was busy, noisy, colorful, and full of life. Every corner had something interesting happening. People I'm selling vegetables, bargaining, laughing, and rushing to work. There I'm so many different emotions and stories in one place.
As I walked through the market with my camera, I realized something important. Street photography is not just about clicking photos. It is about understanding people. Every face had a story, and every expression showed a moment from someone's life. When I clicked the shutter, it felt like I was capturing small pieces of those stories without using any words.
"A single frame can hold so much beauty and truth."
Some of the strongest frames came from sitting still and waiting. This elder, between his own breaks, let me make a portrait without saying a word. The turban, the boots, the camouflage coat, the whole picture said something about the market without the market being in the frame at all.
what that day taught meLooking back, it's still here.
Looking back, that day feels like a treasure. It was the day I understood what photography truly means to me. It taught me how a single moment, a single expression, or a single frame can hold so much beauty and truth.
Those pictures from Iewduh remind me of where I started, full of excitement, curiosity, and the desire to learn. They also remind me that every candid moment I capture becomes part of the larger story of my lives.
And even after all these years, whenever I see those photos, I still feel the same spark I felt on that day.
favourites from the morningThe frames.
A few favourites from that morning, shot between bargaining shouts and tea breaks.
Most of these frames I'm shot in a single afternoon. Some I'm planned, most I'm not. That mix, between watching and being ready, is the part of street photography I'm still chasing every time I leave the house with a camera.
one more, from the road backAnd then, the dog.
On the way out of the market, a stray dog up on the hillside. Three frames, one wide, two close, of the same moment. Sometimes the best frame of the day shows up after you think the day is done.
