street photography

Street Photography in India

I am a photographer from the United Kingdom who loves to travel.  Last year I spent over six months travelling around India.  I started in Bangalore before making my way down the west coast to the southern tip of India before making my way up the east coast to Calcutta.  After some time in Bangladesh I returned to explore the north of India visiting Varanasi and the state of Rajasthan as well as the Capital of New Delhi.  There weren't many days during the trip that I didn't head out with my camera to document my experiences.  As well as capturing the iconic sights such as the Taj Mahal, and beautiful nature images on the coastline of Kerala and in the immense Thar Desert, some of my favourite photographs from the trip were ones I took on the streets, capturing everyday life in India.  This blog includes some of the many street photographs I took whilst travelling through India.

What is Street Photography?

Street photography is a genre that has become very popular in recent times with the popularity of Instagram, and the ability to take good quality photos on a mobile phone.  There is some debate as to what actually defines street photography and what it should and should not include.  My understanding of street photography is the documentation of people living their everyday lives in a public space.  Street photography nearly always contains people and is taken in a candid, unstaged way, normally without the knowledge or consent of the people captured.  I don't personally believe that street photography has to necessarily be taken in a street or even an urban environment as not everyone in the World lives in a City.  Street photography involves the observation of humanity, and when done well becomes an art form in itself.  A well taken street photo will evoke some kind of emotion in the viewer, over and above that of a standard snapshot.  The resulting image provides a single moment in time that tells a particular story, often in an amusing or ironic way.  Some documentary and street photographers insist on their photos being black & white but I personally feel this to be a shame particularly if the image was taken in a colourful setting as is often the case in India.   Aside from the possible conversion to black and white it is generally agreed that street photographs should not be overly edited and should be presented in a natural and realistic way.  I am a member of a Facebook group called 'Urban Street Photography' which has some fantastic examples of the different styles of street photography taken around the World.  It is a perfect place to look at the work of great street photographers with differing styles for some urban inspiration!  

Examples of my Street Photography taken in India

India is a brilliant place for every type of photography, street photography included.  The Cities and towns are full of colour and are bustling with life throughout the day.  What can seem hectic and overbearing to many people can be a street photographers dream.  As a street photographer you often just have to be patient, and something interesting will eventually happen.  In addition, Indian people are very friendly, who in the majority of cases do not mind having their photo taken.  It is also a safe place to travel around with a camera so long as you take the obvious precautions.  My normal plan when travelling is to meet up with local people, often photographers from Flickr or Instagram to go and take photos with.  This provides me with some valuable local knowledge as well as making the experience more enjoyable resulting in some better travel and street photographs for my portfolio.  Click on the photo below to view a slideshow of ten street photos I captured on my journey around India.

I highly recommend India for a photographic and travel experience, you will not be disappointed, it really is a unique part of the World.  I have written several photographic travel blogs about my time in India including: Travel photography in Varanasi, Sunset silhouette photography in Fort Kochi, and one on the birds at Marina beach at sunrise in Chennai.  I have always enjoyed taking street photographs on my travels, here is a blog I wrote combining two of my interests: street photography and street art.  More of my street photographs from India and around can be found on my website, my Instagram, my Facebook and my Flickr account.  I have a large selection of my travel photographs from India available to licence via Getty Images.  If you are interested in purchasing a print direct, writing a guest blog or collaborating in another way please send an email to: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

Photography in and around Fort Kochi

Last year I set off on a six month journey around India. I didn't really have a plan aside exploring and taking lots of photos on my travels. After a couple of weeks settling into the Indian way of life in Bangalore (also known as Bengaluru) I decided to fly to Kochi. Kochi (also known as Cochin) is a coastal city in India’s southwest state of Kerala. I always prefer being near the coast and the area had been recommended to me by both tourists and Indians alike. As a bonus, India’s largest arts event was being held in the city whilst I would be there, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018.

I spent a few days on the mainland of Kochi in the Ernakulam area before moving to the coastal area of Fort Kochi. Whilst in Ernakulam I experienced one of the elephant festivals which are popular throughout the state of Kerala. The festivals contain a large number of decorated elephants, elephant handlers, music and dance. Scroll through the slideshow below to view photos from the Elephant Festival:

Fort Kochi is a fascinating area by the sea, rich in history and well known for its Portuguese, British and Dutch architecture. Another attraction of Fort Kochi are the large Chinese fishing nets positioned along the beach. The Nets look picture perfect on the right day but I didn’t see a good sunset in the four days that I was staying there. I did however manage to capture some minimalist style silhouette photos above Kochi beach one evening.

As part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale being held during my stay, there was an excellent photography workshop that I attended in the Jew Town area of Fort Kochi. The full day event was presented by Nick Ut And Mark Harris. This pair of world renowned photographers told us their incredible life stories and guided us with concepts, ideas and techniques to help guide our photographic goals. Both of the presenters were extremely helpful and motivational in their delivery. At the end of the event, inspired by the masters, I joined another photographer on the course to explore the area and take some photos. Sri Harsha Pamu (Instagram: shellzero) from Hyderabad but now living and working in California is a big fan of street photography and made the visit to Kochi purely for the workshop.

Fort Kochi is an excellent place for photography. It is a small area which can easily be explored on foot. We wandered around for a few hours following the coastline and explored the many streets and alleyways within the town. Due to the Biennale there was a lot of art work around which when combined with people can make for some interesting street photography. The area has some beautiful old buildings as well as an interesting mix of Churches, Temples, Mosques and a Synagogue. The small town is still a place of work for the people who live there so there is plenty of authentic photographic opportunities to capture. The people are also very friendly and open to having their picture taken. Click through the slideshow below to view some of my street photography and street portraits taken in Fort Kochi:

I enjoyed my time in Fort Kochi but it was time to move on so I took a taxi a couple of hours south to my next destination, Alappuzha (also known as Alleppey) in the south of Kerala. Alappuzha (or Alleppey) is a coastal city who’s area is best known for it’s rustic backwaters, a network of tranquil and picturesque lagoons and canals. More of my travel photography from India can be found on my website, my Instagram, my Facebook and my Flickr account. If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or collaborating in any way please email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

The Q’eswachaka Bridge Building Festival near Cusco, Peru.

In June 2016 I was lucky enough to attend the first day of the annual Q'eswachaka Bridge building festival.  The Q'eswachaka Bridge is located over 100 kms from Cusco and crosses the Apurimac Canyon.  It is the last remaining hand woven Inca bridge in Peru, made entirely of long blades of grass and traditional materials.  Click through the slideshow below to view some of the photographs I took on the day.

The Q'eswachaka Bridge Building Festival lasts for four days each June when the neighbouring communities join together to celebrate and honour their Inca ancestors.  I took these photos in a candid manner of the people involved on that first day.  The day involved preparing the ropes for the new bridge with the women weaving the smaller sections and the men tying together the large knots.  It was a fascinating day and the local people were extremely friendly and very colourful.  I would love to return sometime in the future to witness the entire four days of the festival.   

More of my travel photography can be found on my website, Instagram, Facebook Page and my Flickr account.  If you are interested in collaborating on future projects, or would like to purchase a print, please send me an email: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

Black and White Portraits in The Gambia

I recently spent two months in Senegal, during that time I travelled south to the Cassamance area staying in Ziguinchor.  From Ziguinchor I travelled north to spend a couple of weeks in The Gambia.  I spent a couple of weeks living in the Serekunda area some 11 km's west of Banjul, the capital of The Gambia.  This set of black and white photographs were taken outside a traditional Gambian home.  Click through the slideshow below for some black and white portraits I took of the local Gambian children there:

All of the above photos were taken with a Canon 5D2 and a 50mm 1.4 prime lens.  Some of the images were taken candidly whilst others were obviously posed.  I converted the images to black and white using Lightroom as I preferred the overall mood of the resulting series.  

The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa that is completely surrounded by Senegal except for it's coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.  Despite a third of Gambians living under the poverty line, the people there are extremely friendly and welcoming.  In fact The Gambia is often referred to as the 'Smiling Coast of West Africa'.  I hope to return soon to explore more of the country and take more photos.

More of my travel photography from West Africa can be found on my website, my Facebook and my Flickr account.  If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.  

Geraint Rowland published in Professional Photographer Magazine

Happy to be published in this month's Professional Photographer Magazine, following a competition I won through PhotoVoice.

PhotoVoice competition winner Geraint Rowland's photograph published in Professional Photographer magazine.

PhotoVoice competition winner Geraint Rowland's photograph published in Professional Photographer magazine.

The photo will be part of an upcoming photography exhibition in London which I hope to intend.  Always nice to have work published, especially in a magazine of such high quality.  The photograph which one the competition was taken at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, A Roman Catholic Church in the North of Mexico City.  Here is a version of the image on my Flickr site.

More of my street & travel photography can be found on my website, my Instagram, and my Flickr account. If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

Street Art Around the World (Photo Essay for the Fifth Issue of Dezine Magazine)

One of the first things I do when I arrive in a new country is search for the local street art and graffiti.  I love the different styles around the World and the way the paintings provide colour and life to the streets.  

“Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place.  Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place.”
– Banksy (Wall and Piece)

Street Photography in Mexico City during the Day of the Dead Parade.

Street Photography in Mexico City during the Day of the Dead Parade.

I try to combine street photography with street art in a complementary way.  By adding a human element into the frame you can often enhance the artwork that already exists.  Through timing and placement you can end up with an image in which life imitates the art itself.  Here is a selection of street art photography from various places I have travelled around the World.  Due to the bright and vivid colours of the street art I prefer to present the images in colour as opposed to black and white:

1.  Taken in the multicultural neighbourhood of Raval in Barcelona, Spain.  The art on this wall is constantly changing, I like this fleeting moment of life mimicking the art.

2.  Long faces in the historic centre of Mexico City.

3.  Synchronisation on the streets in Santiago, Chile.

4.  The dog and his double, Valparaíso, Chile.  

5.  A Day of the Dead reveller walks past some crude but poignant graffiti in Mexico City.  'La Historia es Nuestra Venceremos/History is ours, we will overcome'. 

6.  A street performer practises amongst the graffiti in Barcelona, Spain.

7.  A Storm Trooper attacks in the Condesa neighbourhood in Mexico City.  

More of my street & travel photography can be found on my website, my Instagram, and my Flickr account. If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

Catalan Castells

A castell (Catalan pronunciation: [kəsˈteʎ]) is a human tower built traditionally in festivals at many locations within Catalonia. At these festivals, several colles castelleres (groups who construct towers) often succeed in building and dismantling a tower's structure.  

A castell is considered a success when assembly and disassembly can be done in complete succession. The assembly is complete once all castellers have climbed into their designated places, and the enxaneta climbs into place at the top and raises one hand with four fingers erect, in a gesture said to symbolize the stripes of the Catalan flag. The enxaneta then climbs down the other side of the castell, after which the remaining levels of castellers descend in highest to lowest order until all have reached safety. (Taken from Wikipedia)

A castell (Catalan pronunciation: [kəsˈteʎ]) is a human tower built traditionally in festivals at many locations within Catalonia

A castell (Catalan pronunciation: [kəsˈteʎ]) is a human tower built traditionally in festivals at many locations within Catalonia

This particular castell festival took place in the centre of Barcelona on the 18th June 2017 in Placa Sant Jaume.  It is a an amazing spectacle to watch, the strength and agility of those involved is impressive.  The atmosphere is very friendly and the emotions of those involved upon completion of a castell are highly visible.  Click through the images below of this Catalan tradition and the people involved.

More of my travel photography from Spain can be found on my website, my Instagram, and my Flickr account. If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.