Pokhara, Gandaki Province, Nepal
On this blog, I've already showed Pokhara's old [1], [2] and tourist districts [3], as well as its amazing semi-rural neighborhood called Sedi [4], [5] and its mountainous "suburb" Sarangkot [6]. But no local people were in my frame for a long while - I was too introverted for such photography, and just wanted to be socially isolated... At last, I recovered and returned to street walks with my beloved 50mm lens, and here I am going to share some good shots of mine.
But let's start with Prithvi Chowk, what is this?
A busy intersection, a famous transport and shopping hub of Pokhara.
A highway adjacent to Prithvi Chowk is occupied by intercity departing and arriving buses as well as by all sort of shops, with a big indoor market nearby. An area with lively vibes of awaiting, meeting, and motion.
This:
The intersection itself looks fine but my favorite highway area with buses has no great architecture, only chaos, and people coming and going...
Minibuses like those in the image above are used to trave along mountainous roads between cities. Luggage on the roof and as many passengers as possible inside. I myself had 3 trips of this kind between Pokhara and the Indian border, a serpentine ride with 8 spare hours to ponder your life.
But on June 2, I came to watch, not to travel. The young man (in the middle) approached me and asked polite questions what I was doing. After a short talk, he left and chose the position right between me and the minibuses like if he forgot about what I just told him right... But I liked this new layer of the scene and pushed the button.
I didn't know what attracted me in this scene but the gravity was strong so I quickly approached and openly photographed this place. Only during postprocessing, I noticed these nice combo of pastel pink and blue in the frame. The lady with the man noticed me, felt awkward, surprised, and excited about my sudden appearance.
I liked their poses and outfits, I liked color, so I quickly swang the camera and pushed the button.
The young man appeared on the motorbike (he's a driver of a taxi app, I guess) and asked me to photograph him (because he spotted I was taking images of passersby). I took his image but was unsatisfied: the background wasn't easy - the road with traffic and a row of shops behind. I kept taking pictures, checking them on the camera screen, and taking more pictures - so the guy started laughing when I included his passenger in my photo session as well - I was brazen but in a funny way. He invited me, so I used the opportunity to the full extent, lol.
Chronologically next:
I was noticed and approached by another man (in the helmet). And then the guy with the mango (probably a little drunk) started approaching, so I included him too.
Spontaneous shots are good, but portraits are part of the process:
Something gravitated me to this person, and I asked him if I could take his portrait.
(Why asked permission this time? I don't know - I felt this way.)
A general view - it's a continuation of the Prithivi area. The shot actually conveys the architectural flavor of the place.
People in the travel mode - there are plenty at Prithvi Chowk:
The girl on the right noticed me while I was photographing someone, and her eyes sparkled - I spotted that from the corner of my eye, so I knew I could approach and openly photograph her without disapproval from her side. I quickly came and pushed the button. Despite I knew she didn't mind, I avoided looking at her eyes as I was overwhelmed with boiling excitement in me and... it would be too much, lol. I photographed and bowed to her.
Bowing is part of me - probably, that's why I feel comfortable in Asia.
Ladies showcasing an amazing older generation's fashion:
They were talking when I quickly approached them and photographed - I liked them too much to miss this opportunity. The right woman noticed me but immediately returned to the conversation - thanks to her for that.
And one of the favorite shots of mine:
Lol.
I just liked this circle of people, so I didn't care. Somebody came to me and started talking about something - selling something or asking something, and I, without losing the focus on my camera and photographing, replied "Sorry, I am busy now, can't talk".
Being brazen in the sake of beauty is fun. I feel alive at such moments, I am laughing inside of me, and swimming in positive energy.
More street images are shared, stay tuned! 😎
The photos were taken with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 on June 2 and 7, 2026 (and the 1st Prithvi Chowk view on May 5), in Pokhara, Nepal
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