Srinagar’s Streets by Azaan Shah
An 18-year-old street photographer from Kashmir, India.
I am an 18-year-old street photographer from one of the conflict zones on earth, Srinagar, Kashmir, India. I love to document life on streets of my city.
When I began street photography a couple of years ago, I felt very guilty about invading strangers’ privacy while they were unaware that they were being photographed. I commonly shoot in downtown where I live. Street photography is not very common here so whenever I have my camera in my hands many people give me creepy looks, which makes me feel uneasy. It is commonly thought as unethical to capture a photo of a stranger without their permission, so it can be dangerous. In fact, we are so socialized against doing this that we are worried what repercussions may happen to us if we do so. We are worried that the people we shoot may become belligerent, yell at us, or even call the police.
If I could estimate, I have probably shot nearly 500 street photographs in last 4 months on the streets. Out of all of these shots, I have only got three really negative responses. The first encounter involves an old man grabbing my arm and accusing me of taking pictures of girls, as I was checking my exposure at that time. The second a man in downtown tried to grab my camera, and the third one of Kashmiri fisher woman berating and running after me for trying to click a picture of her.
I love to enjoy the beauty of daily life observing people on streets. I am included in those people who prefer to be absorbed in their work, not paying attention to external stimuli. This isolation puts me in a meditative mood, but also prepares me to react quickly to the chaos of the street.
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Azaan Shah is a self-taught Street Photographer from Srinagar, India. He began shooting photography in 2013 when, in 10th grade, he received his first Canon point and shoot camera as a gift from his father. You can follow him on Instagram @azaanshah.15.