Cigarette For Grandad!, a photo from Berat, South

Photographer's Note

Candid photo straight from the street. The little girl is trying to get a cigarette out of the pack for her grandad. A lot of smoking goes on in Albania. All packets of cigarettes clearly write "Smoking will kill you" but noone seem to take any notice. In theory all smoking is banned in all public places but in practice the same places are the heavens of smoking and the government cannot possilbly contain such large scale rebellion! I hear in the news that in an attempt to crackdown smoking in public places in Tirana the vast majority of people prosecuted were young girls! It is going to take some time and a lot of misery.

Vasa, jusninasirun, daddo, tyro has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Vasa (15217) 2012-02-07 15:31

Hello Aleks,

I am happy for your EOS 5D. The result is evident and your satisfaction. EOS 5D is my dream, and will never get it. That is life, my friend. Be strong in such winter!

Branko

jusninasirun (15204) 2012-02-07 16:15

Hello Aleks.
Great candid straight from the street here. I guess the smoking situation is the same in my country. I can see some success as more and more places and restaurants are banning on smoking.
Thanks and have a nice day.
Regards,
Jusni

daddo (16675) 2012-02-07 16:54

Mirëdita Aleks. Interesting note. I don't know whether fines are given for those who break the ban. it happened in Australia and everything went well. No smoke now in restaurants, cinemas and in all civic buildings. Anglo societies have a strong sense of civic duty wheres no one can tell an Albanian what to do. in my family when one of us is pigheaded we revert to call each other Arbanas.Intimate shot. Pity it's not lollies they are sharing. Best wishes. Klaudio.

tyro (8239) 2012-02-08 3:36

Hello Aleks,

A lovely crisp and well saturated photograph of this little family group and an interesting comment upon life and the concerns about smoking nowadays.

Good composition with all three people looking at the cigarette packet, Grandad patiently waiting in anticipation while the girls fumble to get a cigarette out. Very sharp and clear too.

I notice that there's no ashtray on the table. Here in Britain, I'm sure you'd be allowed to smoke in a situation like this where the tables are outdoors. And it's funny that here it is also young teenage girls who smoke much more than their male counterparts.

A Lovely Shot!

Kind Regards,

John.

holmertz (20554) 2012-02-10 11:20

Hello Aleks,
Step inside a restaurant or café anywhere in the Balkans and you will probably see a sign saying that smoking is forbidden, and you may also find an ashtray on every table!
This is a quite charming picture, in spite of what it's showing :-) . I like the look of the man waiting patiently for his granddaughter to get that cigarette out of the packet, hopefully without causing any damage.
Bset regards,
Gert