Last week, 16 amateur photographers took on to streets of Patan to capture people and public spaces on the go. Part of a three-day intensive street photography workshop, organised by Sattya Media Arts Collective under instructor Rabik Upadhyay, the participants applied their newly learnt skills of street photography—approaching strangers, basic understanding of composition, mastering available light, analysing decisive moments—to photograph very raw and candid moments. 

The workshop was organised to catalyse the ever-growing trend of photography in the capital. “Nowadays with the availbility of decent camera-phones, street photography has gained popularity,” says Upadhyay, who has been taking candid and abstract photographs for the last four years. But not everybody knows the tricks, tips and technical knowledge to produce the best results.  

A manifestation of the workshop, an exhibition featuring 16 of the hundreds of photos—one by each photographer—that were taken over three-day time, is currently ongoing at the Village Café, Pulchowk. 

“These photos document the daily lives that meet and don’t meet the eye. They resulted from the photowalk that we organised during the workshop,” says Upadhyay who also selected and edited the photographs. “These photos range from still life to very candid portraits.” 

The exhibited photos present an interesting variety. Even when the photos were taken in the same streets, it’s interesting how different photographers found different elements intriguing. One photograph in the exhibition features a wall that has “Stick no bills” written on it, just as simple as that. The exhibition will conclude on June 30.