Kolkatta, India. Love it or Hate it. Or just Love it.
This was my sixth time visiting Kolkata as head of the international jury of the Durga Puja Festival — one of the most extraordinary celebrations of faith, art, and community I’ve ever witnessed. Every year, hundreds of neighborhoods across the city create stunning pandals — elaborate, hand-crafted structures that house magnificent idols of Goddess Durga. Our mission as the jury is both inspiring and nearly impossible: to choose eight winners from amongst 100 incredible installations pre-selected by the organizers. Each one tells its own story, blending tradition, craftsmanship, and social commentary in ways that never cease to amaze.
Of course, between the judging and the ceremonies - will be addressed in another post - I always carve out time to go out and shoot. Kolkata — and India in general — is, without a doubt, the best place in the world for street photography. The city overwhelms you in the best possible way: a constant, living canvas of color, chaos, and character. Every street corner bursts with stories — people in vibrant saris, barefoot workers pushing carts, chai vendors lost in conversation, kids playing cricket in narrow lanes. You can’t walk ten meters without stumbling into a photo opportunity. And the best part? People love being photographed. They smile, pose, laugh, and invite you into their world with a warmth that makes our job as photographers not just easier, but profoundly rewarding.
Kolkata isn’t a city you can simply visit — it’s one you experience, feel, and inevitably fall in love with. Whether you’re drawn by the festival lights, the faces, or the frenzy, one thing’s for sure: there’s no other place quite like it.
