• The ‘Discovery’ street photography exhibition by Streets of Colombo

Colombo as a city means something different to each of us. We all have our unique experiences of it and we all have our unique viewpoints of what makes it special. 

This December, the street photography collective Streets of Colombo, in partnership with Cinnamon City Hotels, will stage ‘Discovery’ – an exhibition of street photography that presents different viewpoints of Colombo and its people. 

In the realm of photography, street photography stands as a fascinating window into the tapestry of city existence. It’s a form of art that encapsulates the charm of everyday life in urban landscapes. Candid and unscripted, it captures the genuine moments that transpire in public spaces – a musician lost in their melody, a commuter’s contemplative gaze, a spontaneous conversation at a street corner cafe. 

Through the lens of street photography, the streets unfold as a rich mosaic of emotions, stories, and human connections. It’s an invitation to observe the world with fresh eyes, finding beauty in the ordinary and narratives in the mundane.

Streets of Colombo

Streets of Colombo is the Sri Lankan equivalent of other international street photography movements like Streets of Mumbai, Streets of New York, Streets of Boston, and so on (there’s no connection between these movements, it’s just a form of nomenclature that has caught on internationally). Streets of Colombo Founder Johann Latiff, a creative director and visual entrepreneur by trade, shared that as a movement and collective, Streets of Colombo began quite casually. 

“Back in 2018, a few of us began walking around the streets and experimenting with this street photography genre,” Latiff explained. “As time went by it started to get addictive, wandering around the nooks and crannies of the city, and more and more photographers began to get interested and join in.” 

Streets of Colombo currently sees approximately 25 photographers – casual, amateur, and professional – contribute photographs to the Streets of Colombo platform on Instagram and join on walks around the city (Latiff does a walk each Friday, and each week sees five to eight photographers go to a certain part of Colombo and take photos). 

“The great thing about street photography is that it is open to different styles and interpretations and what you find interesting,” Latiff explained. “It’s mostly to do with capturing people and places in a candid way and there is a documentary side to it too and there is a slight overlap [between the two genres of street photography and documentary photography]. There are no rules to it as such, except the rules of photography – good composition and great subject matter in terms of the characters you get on the street.” 

Latiff also stressed that anyone with an interest in photography could join in on Streets of Colombo’s weekly walks around the city, and they don’t need to have advanced equipment or experience to do so. The nature of street photography is such that even someone with a casual interest in photography and a cell phone can capture compelling images if they have passion and a good eye. 

The launch of ‘Discovery’

‘Discovery,’ Streets of Colombo’s first formal exhibition, was launched at a conference on 29 August organised by Cinnamon City Hotels and featured a panel discussion moderated by renowned photographer Dimitri Crusz. The panel comprised Latiff, ethnographic and documentary photographer (and Streets of Colombo contributor) David Blacker, renowned photographer and Barefoot CEO Dominic Sansoni, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Vice President – Marketing and Brand Brandon Ingram, and Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Colombo Area Vice President Kamal Munasinghe. 

Speaking on the partnership between Cinnamon City Hotels and Streets of Colombo, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Colombo Area Vice President Kamal Munasinghe shared that Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts had always strived to bring the best of Sri Lanka to the world with a touch of elegance, and key to this commitment was forming partnerships that promoted the diversity of Sri Lanka. 

“New travellers always look at ways to experience and explore a destination, and there is no better way to do it [than through street photography]. This is a bid to promote city tourism and drive tourists into Colombo by showing them how photogenic this city is and what you can do here by showcasing places of interest and building a greater understanding of Colombo as a destination.” 

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Vice President – Marketing and Brand Brandon Ingram also spoke on the potential of exhibitions like ‘Discovery’ to promote city tourism. “‘Discovery’ allows us to see Colombo in a whole new light. Even for people who live in Colombo, when you ask them what there is to do in Colombo, they don’t know what to do. The truth is we haven’t done everything. There are so many places that have been untouched and explored,” he said, adding that through exhibitions like ‘Discovery,’ Sri Lankans themselves could appreciate the treasures we had right on our doorsteps while also showing the world just how much there was to discover within Sri Lanka and within Colombo particularly. 

As part of the panel discussion, ethnographic and documentary photographer David Blacker spoke about the sheer potential of street photography when it came to capturing unique stories. “You get all kinds of characters,” he shared. “Street photography is often on the fringes of photography. People wonder if it is a genre to be taken seriously.” 

Blacker also spoke about what defines street photography, and while there are many definitions (and debates), for Blacker himself, what defines street photography is “capturing things that are commonplace and making something extraordinary out of the everyday things that no one notices. The goal is to find something that is both unusual but mundane.” 

Street photography also sets itself apart in how adaptive it requires a photographer to be because of its uncontrolled nature, working with the availability of light and spaces as you happen across them, as well as photographing candidly in a crowded setting.

Renowned photographer and Barefoot CEO Dominic Sansoni also spoke about his experiences taking photographs in Colombo, noting that while he had never done street photography in an active sense, much of his photography had happened to be photographs taken on the streets of Colombo that captured its complexity. He pointed out as an example a photograph he had taken near St. Anthony’s shrine, which was also in close proximity to a Hindu shrine, and also had Buddhist flags in the area, highlighting the diversity of Colombo. 

Speaking of his experiences photographing in such informal settings and often photographing people who happened to be around him, Sansoni said: “I’m amazed by the access that people give me. They’re aware that I’m there with a camera.” 

Blacker and Sansoni also touched on the ethics of street photography, noting that while the majority of people on the streets of Colombo were welcoming of photographers around them, it was important to also pay attention to cues of people not wanting to be photographed and respect boundaries, with Sansoni commenting on the importance of discretion, saying: “Sometimes you take a picture. And sometimes you put your camera down.” 

‘Discovery’: Giving back to the city of Colombo 

As an exhibition that celebrates the spirit and diversity of Colombo, Latiff shared that it was important that ‘Discovery’ also gave back to the city it depicted. 

“How we give back to the people we photograph is always an important question. Seventy percent of the proceeds from ‘Discovery’ will be donated to SOS Children’s Villages and we’ll also be working with Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts’ ‘Meals that Heal’ programme to feed the people in the surroundings we shoot in,” Latiff said.

“In the long leadup to the exhibition, which takes place from 17-21 December, we want to invoke as many different brands and sponsors to partner with us, as well as work with youth groups and photography clubs,” Latiff shared, announcing that there would be competitions and other engagement activities in the lead-up to the exhibition, where members of the public, photography enthusiasts, and clubs are encouraged to dip their toes into the genre of street photography and possibly have their work showcased as part of ‘Discovery’. 

“In terms of participation, street photography is quite easy for someone,” Latiff said. “If you step outside your house, you’re basically on the street. What’s important is getting over that fear factor and getting out there.” 

‘Discovery’ will take place from 17-21 December. For more information and to get involved, reach out to Streets of Colombo:

Instagram: @streets.of.colombo