World Photography Day: Underrated street photographers worth discovering

This World Photography Day, look beyond the country's most familiar photographic names and discover artists creating striking work in streets, communities, landscapes and everyday life. From Mumbai's monsoon streets to intimate documentary projects, these photographers offer distinctive ways of seeing India. World Photography Day is celebrated every year on August 19. (unsplash)

Yash Sheth: Mumbai-based photographer Yash Sheth moved from electronics engineering to photography after buying an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera. His street photography focuses on observing strangers and fleeting moments, while his project Varsha Ritu explores Mumbai's monsoon through streets and grasslands. (official instagram page)

Aryan Pankhiyani: At just 18, Ahmedabad based photographer Aryan Pankhiyani has already developed a distinctive documentary and street photography practice. His work looks for fleeting, human moments in everyday India, often using black-and-white imagery to bring out mood and emotion. His series That Which Never Returns was featured by Leica Fotografie International, while his portfolio includes projects such as Mumbai Monsoon, Varanasi, Whisper of the Ganges and Echoes of Division. (official instagram page)

Suresh Naganathan: Mumbai-based street and documentary photographer Suresh Naganathan captures the unpredictable, intimate moments of everyday life. Born in Switzerland, he moved to India in 2008 and began seriously pursuing street photography in 2014. His long-term project A World Called Mumbai explores the city's many overlapping worlds, finding humour, emotion, chaos and beauty in fleeting encounters. His work has earned several recognitions, including the 2025 Indian Photo Festival Portrait Prize, and his photobook A World Called Mumbai was published in 2024. (official instagram page)

Deepti Asthana: Self-taught photographer Deepti Asthana uses documentary photography to bring attention to women and communities often overlooked by mainstream narratives. Her work has explored gender, rural life and the experiences of women in places such as the Baltistan region. (official instagram page)

K. R. Sunil: Kerala-based photographer and visual artist K. R. Sunil is known for documenting ordinary people and overlooked stories. Originally trained in sculpture, he developed his photographic practice while exploring the relationship between people, place and social change. (official instagram page)

Komal Bedi Sohal: Komal Bedi Sohal is a New Delhi–based street and documentary photographer whose images focus on candid, emotionally resonant moments from everyday life. After a celebrated career in advertising, she developed photography as a deeply personal visual practice, capturing people, communities and fleeting interactions with an intuitive, observational eye. Her work has been exhibited internationally, and she was selected for the La Vie Un Bleu International Photography Residency in Nice in 2024. Her photography book Chola Maati, documenting the rituals of the Pardhan Gond community, was published by Mapin in 2025. (official instagram page)