Best Places for Street Photography in Mumbai

After travelling to and photographing many cities in India, I can certainly say Mumbai is one of the best places for Street Photography.

I have been exploring various lanes, markets and fishing villages in Mumbai and around and here is my list of best places to enjoy street photography.

In this post, I’ll take you through some of my favorite street photography locations in Mumbai, sharing how to get there, when to go, and what to keep in mind for compelling shots.

 

My Mumbai Photography Pictures

See my pictures of Mumbai Street Photography in better resolution here .

(for computer users)

1. Dadar Flower Market

How to Go: Take a local train to Dadar station (Western or Central line). The flower market is just outside the station on the west side.

Best Time to Go: Though the flower market starts very early, going really early, you will struggle with light. The best time is from 630am to 730am. The action peaks around sunrise as trucks arrive, unloading heaps of marigolds, roses, and exotic blooms.

The flower market is basically a row of flower sellers on either side of the road. On one side are the permanent shops and on the right are the smaller sellers who cannot affort a shop. 

What to Capture: Like all markets in India, this market has a lot of chaos. There is a lot of action happening - the flowers being off-loaded from the trucks, brought to the shops, the shops being flocked by many re-sellers who take them to their neighbourhood to sell them, the way the flowers are arranged, the haggling between the buyers and sellers and many more.

As the day progresses, and the sunlight starts hitting some places while some other places remain in shadow, you get some great pictures with a good play of light and shadow, which every street photographer enjoys.

 

 

2. Worli Koliwada Village

How to Go: You can come to Dadar station by train and then a taxi or bus to Worli Village and then keep walking till you reach the Worly Fort. That is the dead end that reaches the sea.

Of course, you can take a taxi from your location directly to the village entrance. Early mornings there is hardly any traffic.

Best Time to Go: An hour after sunrise is a good time to go. The fishermen return home after fishing, take out the fish and segregate them.

The walk from the starting to the end is about 2 kms. You walk through the narrow lanes crowded with people going to their workplace on a weekday. Weekends are not so busy.

There are some lanes and some old traditional houses in them. Some of the house doors are very vibrantly coloured.

You can also find kids playing in the lanes if its a weekend. 

 

3. Bandra West

How to Go: Bandra Station is on the Western line. 

Best Time to Go: Late afternoon to night for West, especially for wall art and Bandstand sunsets. 

Bandra is one place where you see the wide economic divide. While the east is filthy and poor, the west is of the properous, the richest.

There are some streets like Chapel road where the walls are beautifully painted with pictures from movies. With relevant subjects in the foreground, make some great pictures. 

You can walk to Ranvar Village which is quite old and have traditional houses. This village looks really beautiful during the Christmas.

4. Bandra East

How to Go: Bandra Station is on the Western line.

Best Time to Go: Early morning and late evenings.

This part of Mumbai is one of the dirtiest, so please be prepared. 
A lot of people live beside the railway tracks. You will see children playing there and women resting on the tracks.

Further ahead, there are lot of shops and buyers. These make some good shots.

 

5. Banganga Tank

How to Go: Take a taxi to Walkeshwar (Malabar Hill). Banganga is tucked behind the Walkeshwar Temple.

Best Time to Go: Morning, especially weekends between 7 AM–9 AM. You’ll see rituals, holy dips, and spiritual serenity.

Banganga is called the Varanasi of Mumbai. I go quite frequently to Varanasi for my Photography Tours and I feel the same.

The central pond and the religious activities happening around on the stairs surrounding it makes you feel as if you are in Varanasi. There are many temples around the tank. If you go early morning, you will find people with shaven heads worshipping their forefathers, which is a common practise for all Hindus.

The pond is fed from a natural fountain. People take bath there before starting their worship. 

 

6. Crawford Market

How to Go: Nearest stations are CST or Marine Lines. It’s a short walk from both.

Best Time to Go: 9 AM–11 AM or 4 PM–6 PM when the light filters beautifully through the colonial windows.

This is a lovely market and the activities around makes some great shots. You can shoot the workers bringing the baskets of fruits from the trucks and the activities inside the markets. 

You will be able to shoot the mangoes if you go during the season.

7. Chor Bazaar

How to Go: Reach Grant Road Station (Western Line), then take a taxi or walk. It’s near Mutton Street.

Best Time to Go: 11 AM–3 PM on Fridays and Saturdays when it’s most active. You can also go early morning on Sundays.

This is a very interesting market - junk of almost everything starting from a Mercedes vehicle to discarded clothes. There are also many shops selling antique items. This market is crowded and a lot happening here. 

8. Sasoon Docks

How to Go: Take a train, get off at Churchgate or CST and take a cab to Sasoon Docks gate.

Best Time to Go: 5 AM–8 AM, when the fishing boats arrive and the docks are bustling with activity.

This market is very colourful and lots of activities happening here. The fishermen take their big boats out to the sea early morning and return around sunrise time. The fish is then offloaded and auctioned to the buyers. There are many smaller resellers who buy from them and sell them in their locality.

These people (the kollis) are the original inhabitants of Mumbai. 

You can shoot the ladies bringing baskets of fish and taking them to sell. 

9. Girgaum Chowpaty

How to Go: Charni Road Station (Western Line). From there, it’s a 10-minute walk to the beach.

Best Time to Go: Evening between 5 PM–8 PM. Weekends are crowded but full of life.

Look for candids of families, vendors selling bhel and candy floss, and kids playing.
Sunset silhouettes and reflections in wet sand are gold.

Best Location to stay in Mumbai

For overseas visitors, I suggest Colaba area. There are many hotels in this area of different budgets.

The Gateway of India is walkable distance from here. Also, the Colaba causeway market. Even if you dont want to go to faraway places, taking a walk around this area is quite enjoyable. It is hot and sultry most of the time, so light cottons and a hat is highly recommended.

General Tips for Better Street Photography in Mumbai

1. Respect Your Subjects
Always approach with humility and gratitude. A simple “Namaste” or smile can help break the ice and can help you take better pictures. It will definitely make your subjects feel comfortable.

2. Blend In
Avoid flashy clothes or bulky gear. Be a silent observer. Thats how I like to do street photography. Attracting too much attention can be an obstacle to take good pictures. 

3. Use Natural Light
Early mornings and late afternoons provide the best lighting—soft and dramatic.

4. Don’t Chase, Wait
Rather than moving constantly, pick a spot and observe. Stories unfold when you’re still. You can choose the spot based on an interesting background and the direction people are walking. 

5. Travel Light
A mirrorless camera or mobile phone with a good lens can do wonders. Always carry spare batteries and memory cards as you might end up taking too many pictures.

6. Watch Your Backgrounds
Backgrounds can make or break a picture. In Mumbai some places can have very distracting backgrounds. However, changing the angle by a bit makes a world of difference. 

7. Use Flash 
There are times when the ambient light is not enough. One place like that is the Sasoon docks. Most of the time we are shooting towards the rising sun, the faces of the people turn out to be dark. A fill flash makes a lot of difference.

8. Show the Pictures to the subjects
I have experience that it works all the time. When you take pictures where there is one primary subject, it makes a lot of difference if you show the picture to the person on your LCD. It makes people smile and makes them more comfortable in front of the camera. The shot that you get after you show is a lot better as the subjects know what you are doing.

 

Tips for photographers

Street Photography Guide in Mumbai

If you need a street photography guide in Mumbai, I will be happy to help you.

Thanksgiving

Thanks to all the participants who joined for my photowalks in Mumbai.

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