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Shillong, my camera, and I: a sleep-deprived love letter

@Owen Steele2/28/2026blog
Shillong, my camera, and I: a sleep-deprived love letter

i'm a freelance photographer who's been bouncing around the northeast for weeks now, and shillong's air is thick with mist and the smell of wet leaves, and i just checked my weather app: 10.37°C, feels like 8.79, humidity 51%. exactly the kind of damp chill that makes my lens fog up every time i pull it out of the bag. perfect for moody shots, terrible for patience.

i've been here three days and i'm already sleep-deprived from chasing sunrise over the umiam lake, only to find the clouds swallowed the light whole. someone told me that the real magic happens when the fog lifts around 4 pm, so i've been dragging myself out of bed at 3:30 like a zombie with a tripod.

if you're thinking about visiting, do yourself a favor and rent a sturdy jeep. the roads here are like a rollercoaster designed by a caffeinated goat. and the neighbours? if you get bored of hill vibes, guwahati is just a four-hour drive down the winding road-where you can find proper coffee and a mall that actually stays open past 9.

now, the gear. i'm notoriously minimalist, but shillong demanded i bring the heavy stuff:

- *camera: sony a7r iv (i know, i'm a分辨率 addict)
- lenses: 35mm f/1.4 for street, 70-200mm f/2.8 for distant waterfalls, and a 16-35mm f/4 for those cramped indoor markets
- tripod: manfrotto befree (fits in my backpack, barely)
- rain cover: because shillong's drizzle is no joke
- extra batteries: 4, because cold drains them like my willpower at a buffet
- cleaning kit*: microfiber cloth, blower, and more wipes than a hospital

pro-tips you won't find on any tourist brochure:

- get to the living roots bridges early; the morning light filters through the canopy in ways that'll make you weep into your sensor.
- if you're shooting markets, bring a scarf to cover your camera-locals are friendly but sometimes the crowds are nosey.
- always carry a plastic bag for your gear; sudden showers appear outta nowhere.
- the best chai is at the stall next to the wilson park-ask for 'special chai' and you might get a hint of cardamom that'll change your life.

anyway, the city itself is a maze of colonial-era bungalows and neon-lit noodle shops. i've been wandering the lanes around donkey's ballot (yeah, that's a real place), and i keep stumbling upon hidden murals that look like they were painted by ghosts. i heard that a street artist from Bangkok passed through last year and left a few pieces behind-if you find the alley behind the library, there's a tiger that seems to follow you with its eyes. spooky but cool.

for food, you haven't lived until you've tried jadoh with duck curry. i'm not a huge fan of organ meats, but the locals swear by it. check out the TripAdvisor page for the top-rated joints; the comments are a goldmine of drunk advice. i also found this rad Yelp list compiled by a backpacker who claimed the momos at 'asia heritage' saved his life after a breakup. overrated? maybe. but good for a laugh.

now, the map. i've pinned my favorite spots: the lake, the bridges, the viewpoint at shillong peak. give it a look, then go get lost-i promise it's more fun that way.


i've also got some shots to share-these are from the past couple of days, all taken in the rain and then edited with a heavy grain filter because why not.

waterfalls on green mountain under white clouds during daytime


that's the nokrek falls, or at least a cousin. i got lost trying to find it, ended up on a goat trail, and then this view opened up. i set my tripod on a rock and waited for the clouds to part. totally worth the ankle-deep mud.

a wooden path in the middle of a forest


this is the famous living roots bridge near nongriat. you have to hike down a gazillion steps, but the air down there is like breathing liquid oxygen. i shot this with the 16-35mm at f/8-everything's sharp, from the moss to the sky peeking through.

a river with trees and hills around it


the umiam river at dusk, when the light turns everything gold. i used the 70-200mm compressed the scene, made the hills look like giants. my favorite spot for this angle is a little clearing after the police bazaar, you have to ask a kid where it is-he'll lead you for 20 rupees.

oh, and i almost forgot: i stumbled upon a forum thread on Shillong Talk where someone claimed that if you shout your biggest secret at the edge of the lake at midnight, the water whispers it back. i tried it, all i got was a cold and a duck that lookedjudgmental. maybe it works for others.

anyway, that's my rant for now. i'm off to chase the last light of the day. if you're in shillong, say hi to the stray dogs for me-they're the real photographers, always posing.

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About the author: Owen Steele

Believer in lifelong learning (and unlearning).

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