Early Morning Photo Shoot at Delhi’s Famous Flower Mandi

Travel photography isn’t just about capturing places; it’s about discovering fresh and unique perspectives that bring a location to life. While exploring Delhi, one of the best ways to find creative angles is to step off the beaten path and experience the city in unexpected ways.

Travellers visiting Delhi are often surprised by how late the city starts its day. While morning walks and yoga sessions begin at sunrise, businesses rarely open before 10 a.m. But for those seeking a unique visual story before dawn, India’s largest wholesale flower market in Connaught Place offers a fleeting glimpse into the city’s vibrant trade. This market comes alive at 4 a.m. and vanishes without a trace by 9 a.m.—a perfect example of how timing and location can shape compelling travel photography for editorial, commercial, and documentary projects.

This morning, instead of heading home after dropping my daughter off at the school bus, I went directly to the pavement flower market in front of Hanuman Temple on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Hundreds of traders set up temporary shops, their stalls overflowing with flowers flown in from across Asia. The bustling market, filled with retailers, decorators, and private buyers, is a visual feast of color, texture, and movement—an excellent setting for finding interesting and new perspectives and creating photographs that captures the essence of culture, commerce, and daily life in India.

Finding creative perspectives in travel photography at Hanuman Mandir Flower Market 

I was at the flower market on assignment, shooting some travel photos for a travel magazine feature on Delhi. The images will not be the main images of the story and I only needed one or two decorative shots to give some color to the story. I needed to get in and out and go on with the day to get the rest of the images. I used three very simple and easy tricks for getting the job done quickly. Getting a busy market image would have taken more time and concentration but I didn’t need it. For a quick morning shoot this is more than enough. The three elements I used are 1. the shallow depth of field with the portrait of the vendor holding the flowers, 2. the close up on dirty hands, 3. The wall. Three elements can be found in any situation and harnessed to produce good images that will make any photo editor of a travel photography magazine’s happy. I hope you like them too.