About your guide
Street, Documentory & Travel Photographer
I photograph India as it really is — raw, layered, alive. Street and documentary work from the chaos most people walk right past.
My story
Born in Varanasi, shaped by Kolkata — two cities that taught me how to read the streets long before I ever held a camera. For over a decade, street, documentary, and travel photography hasn't been a profession for me — it's been the way I understand India. Born in Varanasi and raised in Kolkata, my connection to these two culturally rich cities runs deep, and it shapes how I see and how I tell a story.
When I picked up a camera, I already knew how to disappear into a crowd, how to anticipate the moment before it happens, and how to earn the kind of trust that lets a stranger forget you are there.
Over these years I've mentored more than 500 photographers and led over 50 tours and workshops across India — helping people refine their craft not in a classroom, but in the dynamic, unpredictable streets where real photographs are made. My work is built on navigating those streets: knowing how to anticipate a moment before it happens, compose a compelling frame under pressure, and tell a powerful story in a single image. That's the real skill I pass on — not technique, but awareness. The streets of India don't wait for you; I help you learn to move with them.
"Born in Varanasi, shaped by Kolkata" — Shivam Pandey
Approach & gear
Current camera
Leica M11-P
Previously
Leica Q Series
The tools matter less than the intention. A rangefinder forces you to slow down, commit, and be in the moment — which is exactly the approach I try to pass on.
The ability to slow down, to observe, and to truly engage with what is unfolding in front of you. The equipment you carry is secondary; what matters is how you see, how you anticipate, and how you respond to a moment. Street photography demands honesty. The light doesn't wait, moments do not repeat, and people sense the difference between being watched and being understood. That's where meaningful images begin, not in technique, but in awareness.
Everything I teach comes back to this: being genuinely present. When that happens, the camera fades into the background, and what remains is connection — cultural, emotional, human. I currently work with the Leica M11-P, and previously used the Leica Q series. My settings are simple and intuitive, allowing me to stay focused on the moment. But the camera is only a medium. In my workshops, I help you understand your camera — any system — while guiding you beyond the technical: how to connect, observe, and tell stories that resonate.
Whether you are just starting out or have years behind the lens — get in touch and let us build something meaningful together.