For eight wonderful days I was part of the Hope Calcutta street photography workshop. Led by documentary photographer Mark Carey, we spent our days and nights shooting on the streets and in the slums of Calcutta, helping each other, and critiquing the results.

For me, street shooting is something different, in part because where I live is quite rural and I don’t have ready access to the streets of a large city. Calcutta was a visual feast by comparison and all I had to overcome was the fear of photographing strangers, something which which I am becoming more comfortable.

There were people who loved to be photographed and a few who did know that they were. This group insisted on it.

Others indicated a firm “no” and that was always respected. Usually a slight head wag and a smile was all that was need to gain approval.

Sometimes black and white worked better than color, India being as colorful as it is.

Flower markets of course lent themselves to color work.

Nighttime shooting was harder to determine although I usually chose color too.

Commute time.

At the starting line.

More to come,

Grover