Thursday, January 05, 2006
Egg Ladies
Thanks again to Gadling for selecting another one of my photos as photo of the day. I took a series of photos in the bazaar in Sheki -- one of my favorite bazaars in country -- when we were there in November. Sheki lies at the foot of the Caucasus and is made up of old stone buildings with characteristic red slate roofs. It is, without question, the loveliest town in Azerbaijan.
Gadling's commentary suggests that these ladies don't look all that thrilled to have their photo taken. Actually, the opposite was true. It's very atypical for people in some parts of the former Soviet Union to smile when they have their photos taken. They tend to put on their stoniest faces when the camera comes out. Even at happy events, like weddings, subjects tend to look positively funereal when they're asked to pose. In fact, most of the vendors in the Sheki Bazaar were eager to pose with their goods. They'd stand proud and stoic next to their cabbage or pomegranate until the shutter clicked, then went back to smiles. The digital camera added to the excitement by providing instant gratification.
Now, if someone were to suggest that some of those ladies seem not to be all that ladylike, I might have to agree. I've wondered that myself.
Wool Ladies
Nuts and Berries
Cabbage Volga
Meat Market Twins: goat meat maybe? Calf? Hard to say.
Gadling's commentary suggests that these ladies don't look all that thrilled to have their photo taken. Actually, the opposite was true. It's very atypical for people in some parts of the former Soviet Union to smile when they have their photos taken. They tend to put on their stoniest faces when the camera comes out. Even at happy events, like weddings, subjects tend to look positively funereal when they're asked to pose. In fact, most of the vendors in the Sheki Bazaar were eager to pose with their goods. They'd stand proud and stoic next to their cabbage or pomegranate until the shutter clicked, then went back to smiles. The digital camera added to the excitement by providing instant gratification.
Now, if someone were to suggest that some of those ladies seem not to be all that ladylike, I might have to agree. I've wondered that myself.
Wool Ladies
Nuts and Berries
Cabbage Volga
Meat Market Twins: goat meat maybe? Calf? Hard to say.
