World Photography Day: Exploring photographers’ tryst with Mumbai

Photography is a powerful creative medium that empowers people to preserve moments, document history, encapsulate culture and chronicle experiences. This multi-faceted art form is a tool of information and change. From historic feats to tragic occurrences, from cultural extravaganzas to everyday life, photographers have long been documenting different aspects of the world.

Mumbai has been a muse for many such photographers over the years. It's difficult to condense the city's spirit into one shot, story, or piece of art. And yet, some photographs communicate a lot about life here. As we celebrate World Photography Day on August 19, Mumbai-based photographers open up on their deep connection with the city and give insights to people wanting to explore Mumbai through their lens.

‘Mumbai is full of life'

Bustling streets, fully-packed locals, rushing people - Mumbai is characterised by its ability to function non-stop. In this fast-paced and vibrant life, one will always find moments to photograph.

"Mumbai is one of the best places in the world for street photography just because there are so many people and things going on. It's so lively, every day of the week. It's such a vibrant city. By now, I've explored much of the city but there are always little things that I haven't discovered yet and I run into those occasionally," remarks Craig Boehman, a Mumbai-based American photographer who has been in the city since 2013.

Salonee Jain, an award-winning street and travel photographer, backs this sentiment. "Mumbai as a city is changing every day. I think it's heaven for street and travel photographers. One can go to the same spot or location every day and it offers you something new to shoot. It's very versatile, super unique and full of life. Whether you go to Dhobi Ghat or Kumbharwada, you'll see that people are busy working and they never give up," she expresses.

Atul Kamble, who has clicked several award-winning pictures for Mid-Day as a photojournalist, comments, "Mumbai is such a diverse city. You get to shoot every kind of picture here. You go to Dharavi, you'll get a picture of slums. Come to Parel or Lalbaug, you'll find the middle class. In South Mumbai, you'll be able to capture the upper-class lifestyle."

The city is not only constantly rushing but also changing.

Sooni Taraporevala, a veteran photographer, screenwriter and director, who has been chronicling the stories of Mumbai through her photographs for more than 40 years, notes, "Mumbai has changed. I started out in the late 70s. The biggest difference is that there were far fewer people and cars on the road then. The skyline pretty much remained the same for a very long time but it has suddenly changed. Now, if you go down a street and two months later, visit the same street again, the building that's always been there is no longer there. There are these big construction cover-up barriers all over the place. So, that's a big visual difference."

‘The city has a lot to offer for photographers'

People, architecture, nature, wildlife - Mumbai offers different avenues for photographers to choose from.

Ujwal Puri, known by the name ‘ompsyram', shares, "The city has a variety of genres for photography. Mumbai is a peninsula. It's got sunrise and sunset viewing points from both sides -- Gateway of India on the east and Marine Drive on the west."

"The city has different skylines and architecture. It's a cultural hotpot of activities and there are a lot of festivals. Some people also do macro photography. Within the city, there are so many open spaces like Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Oval Maidan, etc. People go on street tours. They see old buildings like the ones in Khotachiwadi. There's a fishing market, vegetable market, everything. If you want to take good pictures, there are also stations. There are a lot of opportunities for clicking good pictures in Mumbai," he adds.

Jain explains, "For photographers, Bombay offers two things. One is it offers a lot of opportunities. Here, I get to interact with big photographers, when they come to the city and have their workshops. I've got to study from Mr. Raghu Rai. I've attended workshops by Vineet Vohra. He's an international street photographer. I met Steve McCurry here in Mumbai. The other thing is experience. The kind of experience it offers to you is amazing. You'll have the monsoon, which is different. There are so many communities. All in all, I think for a photographer, it's like many cities in one city."

"Mumbai will offer you pictures full of colours," comments Kirti Surve Parade, principal photographer at Mid-Day.

While the scope for photography in Mumbai is immense, what do these photographers like documenting the most, we ask.

"The people of Mumbai," Taraporevala is quick to answer.

The same answer is repeated by a few others.

"For me, it's usually people, specifically, candid photography. I'm more interested in everyday scenes and trying to capture them and making them look artistic. I find that to be more rewarding, getting those kinds of everyday scenes from an auto rickshaw or beaches. So, it's always people-centric, but usually more candid," reveals Boehman.

"I love to capture the people of Mumbai. You have to see the kind of hard work they do. There is this guy who has been coming to Gateway of India for the past 20 years to feed the birds. He comes at 5:00-5:30 in the morning. He's there till 9:15 and then leaves. You get to experience this kind of stuff in Bombay. There is so much enthusiasm. People live life in the moment," shares Jain.

"I love capturing the daily life in Mumbai," says Parade.

However, for Kamble, making a choice is difficult. "Asking what I like photographing the most is like asking a mother who her favourite child is. Everything you feel should be clicked is worth clicking. Photographs don't differentiate," he comments.

Puri expresses, "Every time I pick up my camera and go out, I try to click something different. I try to connect even one percent with anyone who has visited the city, whether it is from the past or whether it is someone who is going to come in the future. I like to connect with the soul of Mumbai. It can be a dabbawalla or a Ganpati statue or an architectural building. I love to show what's unseen. I always try to find out different kind of views and vantage points where someone has not seen Mumbai from that angle."

Favourite shots

While every shot clicked by a photographer holds meaning and is special in some way, a few are closest to their hearts.

Taraporevala reveals three photographs that hold a special place in her life.

She shares, "The first good photograph I ever took in my life was a black and white picture of the Gateway of India seen through a window of the Taj Hotel. It was taken in 1977 and is on the cover of my book ‘Home in the City'."

The Gateway of India, Bombay 1977, Photograph by Sooni Taraporevala

"The second one is also a black and white photograph that I took in 1982 of my family on the balcony. It's called ‘Evenings at Cozy Building'. It was only one frame and all the people in that photograph are now gone. It's just not the sentimental value, but I think it works as a photograph as well," she adds.

Evenings at Cozy Building, Bombay 1982, Photograph by Sooni Taraporevala

"The third photograph is on the second edition of my book ‘Parsis: The Zoroastrians of India'. It's a colour photograph of a Parsi gentleman looking out at sea with a solar hat and pants that are too tight for him. It's the view from the back. The third image has travelled all around the world, especially on the jacket of Rohinton Mistry's book ‘Family Matters'," she further reveals.

The man in the sola hat, Bombay 1985, Photograph by Sooni Taraporevala

Boehman also has two favourites.

"One is of a guy who was just on the side of the road, changing a tire for one of these giant trucks. He's there in the middle of it, and he's looking up at me. It's a very intense stare. So, I like that," he shares.

Tire change, 2018, Photograph by Craig Boehman

"The other one is sort of on the opposite end. It's at a train station, and this little boy was with his mother and he heard me taking pictures with this old DSLR, and it was making clicking noises, so he started imitating the sound. Then he started approaching me, and he just kind of put his hand on the rail, and looked at me. I took his picture right there and it's one of my favorite ones," he adds.

Child at Goregaon station, 2015, Photograph by Craig Boehman

Kamble's favourite photograph got him international recognition. "It is a photo of Sachin Tendulkar. It was his last innings at Wankhede. We were batting in the second innings vs West Indies and Tendulkar was coming to the ground from the dressing room. I have been shooting at Wankhede for a long time. So, I know exactly where the lighting is good. I was taught that photography is not rocket science. The one who can play with lights can be a good photographer. So, that's what happened in this photograph," he says.

Sachin Tendulkar walking out of the Wankhede Stadium dressing room to resume his innings on the second day of the India vs West Indies Test, Photograph by Atul Kamble

Puri reveals, "My favourite shot is a photo I clicked in 2019. Mumbai monsoon has a love-hate relationship with other people but I love the rain and storms. So, this picture that I have clicked has lightning striking behind the Taj Mahal Palace at the Gateway of India. That's one of my favourite shots."

Lighting near Gateway of India, 2019, Photograph by Ujwal Puri

Parade has two favourites: one which features water sprinklers at Bombay Gym and the other that captures women enjoying Gudi Padwa.

Water sprinklers at Bombay Gym, Photograph by Kirti Surve

Jain's favourite shot is also a festive one. "As a kid, when we used to go around in South Bombay in the taxi, I would always look outside the window at the Bombay skyscrapers. You're not allowed to put your head outside. So, I would never see the end of the building. Over the years, as I shot Ganpati visarjan at Girgaon, I realised people are so emotional about it. Ganpati idols are known to be grand. So, I thought that I had to take one photo which shows that the idol is way bigger than the tallest skyscrapers in the city. I observed that as a last ritual before they bring the idol down, they splash water on the idol as a final prayer, the final goodbye," she reveals.

"One time when I went to shoot it, the people there blocked me. They said that after this prayer is done, they bring the murti down and photographers click photographs even then. So, they didn't want Ganpati to be shown in bad light. I assured them it would be an amazing picture and they were convinced. I was the only photographer who was allowed that year to click that photograph. I was standing almost in waist-level water then. And I got that photograph. That one is very close to my heart," she adds.

The final goodbye, Photograph by Salonee Jain

Advice for aspiring photographers

Taraporevala: When I started, there were only SLR and film cameras. Now, of course, there are phones, and everyone's a photographer, which is a great thing. I believe in the democratisation of photography. I would suggest to try and have your camera or phone with you all the time. Observe the city, it is amazing. I will never grow tired of it creatively. I feel like it'll take me several lifetimes to explore the city. So, it's endless inspiration for a photographer.

Now, I don't need to make money from photography. I do films and screenplays, which is a great liberation because I think being a professional photographer in this day and age is very hard. My advice is to try and do something else and let photography not be something you're dependent on to generate income. Have fun and enjoy it.

Jain: Go out and shoot. We always feel that I will go for a tour or an event, then I will shoot. But if you don't shoot earlier, the practice does not happen. Especially in Mumbai, you can be amazed at the different things that you get to see.

The second piece of advice would be to shoot for yourself. It's when you shoot for yourself that your photographs will become creative because you're not bothered about how many likes or comments they're going to get.

Boehman: Don't wait for the right camera or to try to learn so much online. Just get out and start taking pictures, even with your smartphone.

Kamble: A photographer should keep learning and shooting. Even if you don't carry a camera everywhere, shoot with your phone. Whenever you find a shot worth taking, take it. Don't waste time taking out a camera, arranging it, etc. Timing is very important.

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