Promila Bahri

Street Photography © Promila Bahri

Promila Bahri | Street Photographer

We are back in India with someone who can be really good with words as well as her camera. In SPG World’s 19th interview feature, we have someone with art & philosophy within her heart, and she hails from New Delhi. She is one of those who's photos and words both can potentially draw you in. Let us quickly dive into our interaction with street photographer & visual artist Promila Bahri.

Promila, why and when did street photography become your THE thing? What exactly inspired you? 

Promila: Street photography drew me in because the street is an ever-changing theatre. The light is dramatic, every moment asks to be observed, and patience becomes the greatest teacher. It sharpens my instinct, keeps me practicing, and rewards me with beautiful serendipity-those unexpected coincidences that transform ordinary scenes into extraordinary photographs.

How would you define your style of street photography? 

Promila: My street photography is rooted in the drama of everyday life. I'm drawn to chaos, where multiple stories unfold within a single frame. I love layers - images that reveal something new each time you visit that photograph. My images also have hidden details. I love black and white, but I love the emotional richness of colour too. While my images emerge from everyday encounters, they often explore identity, women-lived experiences and larger questions of gender.

Let's pick the Top 3 favourites of your own Promila!

Promila: Yes, let me do that...

Act of Everydayness - This was taken in Mumbai at the Marine Drive - where from mornings till the end of the day, people gather carrying invisible burdens. This solitary man surrounded by crows, seemed anything but alone. The birds transformed solitude into connection. Beyond him, the city’s skyline dissolved into haze, its towering ambitions fading into the background. In that fleeting moment, the sea, the birds, and the man became a quiet reminder that even in the heart of a crowded city, hope often arrives in the gentlest company. Street Photography © Promila Bahri

Waiting For Her Turn - Gomira, is a ritual mask dance of North Bengal, India. Performed exclusively by men, even when embodying female deities. Yet, at its edges stand the girls-watching but have never been invited to perform. My intention is not to question its sanctity, but to observe the evolving relationship of their identity. Street Photography © Promila Bahri

Theatre - All strangers; meeting randomly, burdens pass silently, while every face carries untold stories. Street Photography © Promila Bahri

Promila, what is more important to you - the people or the surroundings? 

Promila: People always come first. It is their presence, emotions, and gestures that draw me in. The surroundings matter because they provide context and deepen the story, but they are never the subject on their own. For me, the environment exists to amplify the human narrative.

When you look deep within, did street photography change you? 

Promila: Absolutely. Street photography has changed me profoundly. When I began, I believed it was simply about photographing people or scenes on the street. Over time, I discovered that it is really about seeing - understanding light, relationships, timing, and the poetry of everyday life. The more I learned, the more I fell in love with it. Its possibilities are endless, and it continues to change the way I observe the world and myself.

Street Photography © Promila Bahri

Promila, is there any top list of tricks to succeed as a street photographer? Share some tips for people who are starting out on this genre . . .

Promila:  My tips for anyone starting in street photography would read like this:-

• Lead with respect. Every person you photograph deserves dignity, ethics, and sensitivity. Practice patience. (Therav in Hindi) My Mantra from my Mentor Dinesh Khanna - Great photographs cannot be rushed.

• Observation is your greatest skill; learn to see before you shoot.

• Enjoy the journey. Don’t chase perfection. Experiment, make mistakes, and keep learning. The best camera is the one you have with you.

• Stay curious.

• Embrace light. Learn how changing light transforms an ordinary scene into an extraordinary one.

• Look for layers. The richest street photographs often contain multiple stories within a single frame.

• Return to the same places. Familiar streets reveal new moments every time you revisit them.

• Read, look, and study. Explore the work of great photographers, art, cinema, and literature-they will shape how you see.

• Photograph with intention. Don’t just record what happened; ask yourself why this moment matters.

  
  

Street Photography © Promila Bahri

Street Photography © Promila Bahri

Street Photography © Promila Bahri

Street Photography © Promila Bahri

For a street photographer, what beyond that camera?

Promila: Beyond the camera, I see myself as a lifelong learner. I practice a Buddhist philosophy of humanism, which deeply influences the way I see and relate to people. Street photography has made me more sensitive to the quiet struggles of everyday life. Ultimately, I hope my work contributes to a larger purpose-using visual storytelling to give voice to meaningful human experiences and create conversations that inspire empathy and understanding.

Is street photography your primary source of bread & butter?

Promila: Not yet. I am a full-time visual artist and visual storyteller, and my fine art practice is currently my primary source of income. I would love for street photography to become my bread and butter one day—not just for the livelihood it offers, but because it would give me the freedom to spend even more time on the streets, creating work that is honest, meaningful, and deeply human.

Any shot you missed, and you must have taken?

Promila: Nope - if I could I would.

Which camera(s) do you use? And what about your lenses and other accessories?

Promila: Fuji XT4; Prime 35mm

Which other street photographers’ work inspires you the most?

Promila: Raghu Rai ( India ) ; Alex Webb ; Saul Leiter ; Vineet Vohra.

What is your word of caution to amateur street photographers?

Promila: My advice to aspiring street photographers is simple: be yourself. Don’t chase trends or imitate someone else’s vision. Every photographer has a unique way of seeing the world. Trust your instincts, stay curious, and give yourself the freedom to develop your own visual language. Authenticity will always outlast imitation.

What NOT TO DO in street photography?

Promila:  Do not stage moments and call them street photography. Let life unfold naturally. Street photography is about observing, anticipating - not directing it. The most meaningful images are discovered, not manufactured.

You are reading the SPG interview of Street Photographer Promila Bahri.

Do you believe that street photographers are travel photographers too?

Promila: I see them as different disciplines. Travel photography often celebrates the uniqueness of a place - its landscapes, architecture and culture. Street photography, is about the human condition. it doesn't require an exotic destination. A compelling street photograph can be made just outside your home, because great street photography depends more on observation than on location.

What's your perspective on the relation between Street Photography and Street documentary?

Promila: I’d say they are closely related, but their intention is different. Street photography captures a moment; street documentary builds a narrative over time. One may be instinctive, the other more sustained and contextual. A single frame can suggest a story, but documentary work gives it depth. The curiosity that begins with one encounter can evolve into a long-term exploration of a place, a community, or a human condition.

Do you follow any composition technique by the books?

Promila: When I’m out on the street, I’m not consciously thinking about the rule of thirds, leading lines, or framing. Those principles have become instinctive. My focus is entirely on the moment, the emotion, and the story. If the composition works, it’s because the eye has absorbed the rules-not because the mind is calculating them.

Any project that you remember more than everything else

Promila: If there’s one project that has stayed with me, it’s Gomira in West Bengal. It was magical-the simplicity of village life, the beautiful light, and the ever-changing skies. For me, every lane, every courtyard, every encounter offered a possibility. The project invited me to go beyond single moments. It became a bridge from street photography to street documentary. I found myself drawn to the lives of young girls, their realities, and their place within the Gomira tradition.

Any location that you dream to cover next? Or any place that you would want to revisit?

Promila: I’d love to revisit and explore Ladakh. The light there is extraordinary—crisp, dramatic, and constantly changing. But beyond the light, it’s the people in everyday life that draw me to go back. It offers immense possibilities not just for street but for meaningful documentary storytelling too.

What makes you say "Wow!" when you see some other street photographers' work? (and the reverse)

Promila: What makes me say Wow - is a frame that makes me wonder, ‘How did they see that?’ Extraordinary use of juxtaposition and layered compositions, early street photography preserving both history and humanity, work built on remarkable coincidences and unexpected points of view especially those featuring animals - always amaze me. Ultimately, what leaves me in awe is not the camera or the technique, but the photographer’s ability to see what most of us simply walk past. Reverse I ignore.

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That is street photographer Promila Bahri for all of you as she opens up in this candid interview.

Promila Bahri

You can connect with Promila Bahri on Instagram

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