People & Streets

From Stieglitz to Munkácsi & Bresson to Fan Ho & Saul, almost every photographer has done some sort of photography around the streets, with the most intriguing of people. From portraits to candids, people & street photography will remain a favorite subject with all photographers for ever!

People & Streets of New York

People at Work

From artists to cobblers, the heartbeat of a city, often as big as New York City, Chicago or San Francisco, are the working people.

New York City San Francisco Street Photography by Ranjay Mitra

Faces of New York City

What makes New York City great are the amazing people of New York City. Their amazing strength, their resilience, their love of life and their undying faith in their city make New York City the most loved celebrity of all times!

People & Streets of San Francisco

Subways

Subways are the arteries of cities like New York & San Francisco. While subways run in almost every city now, those of New York City & San Francisco are the heartbeat of the cities. They have featured in daily news to sci-fi movies.

The Runaway Kids

Each year, numerous teens and young adults, run away from their homes, spurred by their spirits of adventure & to see the world.

Between 2007 & 2013, I did a small project on such kids who decided to leave their homes & sheltered themselves in various cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago & others.

People & Streets in Color

Most of these images are photographed in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, Chicago, Portland and some more.

Celebrating America

The Ignored America

Poverty is everywhere. While America could be seen as the financially richest country in the world today, hundreds of thousands of Americans struggle financially everyday to make their ends meet. There are a lot more who end up on the streets.

Unless there is a specific purpose to photograph people who are struggling, I rarely take their pictures just for the sake of clicking the shutter. The reason you see these images below of homeless people is because, after speaking to them, they have told me that this lifestyle is by choice.

They have homes, but they decide not to engage in traditional work! They allowed me to take their pictures. I have shared coffees & cigarettes with them whenever I have met them during my work.

People & Faces of Kolkata

The city survived the destructions brought about by the invaders to India over hundred of years, it bore the systemic decimation of religion & education in the hands of the British. And yet, the city grew to be the cultural & intellectual capital of India.

A city that has been phrased “City of Joy” along with adjectives like “dirty & poor” all in the same breath, remains a mystery to those who don’t wish to know her & provides all the sustenance to those who, for some reason, fall in her love!

Although I was born & grew up in Kolkata, India, I never really got to explore the city at that time. Years later, i had the chance to wander some of those places that connect the city to the heart of civilization.

These photographs are from 2012, when I got a chance to see the lives of this historic city around the Ganges.

Kolkata India People Street Photography by Ranjay Mitra

Innocence & Childhood

Children do not have anything to do with poverty or prosperity. They have everything to do with curiosity. They are curious about every stranger and often they are very curious about things they are already familiar with, learning to re-learn every moment!

Masks & Makeup