Business was slow, a photo from Plovdiv, West

Photographer's Note

There's not much I can say about this picture from Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This elderly woman selling lettuce, or something like that, didn't seem to be making any good business. All over Europe, and especially in the southern and southeastern parts, life is tough. A lot of pensioners have a hard time making a living.

fanni, erhan1958, vasilpro, tyro, skippy007, bayno, kato, Tigerlily has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

fanni (13868) 2012-01-11 12:20

Hej Gert,
life is really tough, especially for people living in ex-communist countries. Such a scene doesn't surprise me at all: I am used to seeing such "babushkas" selling their very simple stuff - every day. Well, what else is there left for them to do? thanks to greedy governments..
In any case, I find it an interesting and characteristic shot. The wall included in the composition also says a lot about the place.

varma hälsningar,
Elena
PS. please do not remove this image!

dale54 (4922) 2012-01-11 12:56

very impressive pic,hi gert!looks like she's had a hard life,you wonder what she is thinking!great scene,super POV! dr

patdeph (35738) 2012-01-11 13:01

hello Gert
I don't know what to think about thi situation,except that it's very sad.But it's the same in my country,some old or even young people have not enough money to live, and they even don't have a garden to have a lettuce to eat or to sell.Yes, some people are very poor,while some others are very rich.This is a crazy world,could we change something?
Anyway, this is a very informative picture, very well framed.
Regards
Pascale

emka (58152) 2012-01-11 14:01

Hi Gert,

Your favourite theme - the elderly people trying to sell something, with no success. Sad picture, we can imagine the hard life of a woman, the wall behind her also in bad state. Such scenes one can see everywhere, in poland too. But at the moment the elderly in Poland are concerned about the health service. One must be healthy and rich to go to the doctor!

Warm regrads

MAlgo

vasilpro (40192) 2012-01-11 14:25

Hello Gert,
Wonderful daily life composition from the streets of Plovdiv, interesting scene, very nice framework, TfS!
Have a nice evening, Vasilis.

tyro (13101) 2012-01-11 14:34

Hello Gert,

Business does indeed look slow. But, then, she doesn't appear to have an enormous amount of goods for sale - just a couple of boxes and a bucket of lettuce.

This is a rather sad and poignant picture, the elderly lady sitting alone on a pavement with boarded-up windows behind her and no other signs of life. Well seen and well taken with perfect exposure, good true colours and excellent detail.

You mention the word "pensioner" - I wonder if people like this lady actually do receive a pension from the state in Bulgaria? If so, I imagine it will be a fairly paltry sum.

A fine comment on life!

Kind Regards,

John.

Nard (6913) 2012-01-12 0:44

Hi Gert
Interresting and strong life scene well framed. The global atmosphere is well made, the dirty wall with the tags, the dark clothes of the old lady and her sad or thoughtful attitude.
Regards
Bernard

saxo042 (31802) 2012-01-12 5:09

Hej Gert,
A very good picture, well balanced and composed. I like the three parallel diagonal lines here. The woman is well placed and she (and her wares) provide some fine colours too. At least she is selling something...
Hälsningar
Gunnar
PS Har du beställt biobiljetter än?

siamesa (27449) 2012-01-12 6:43

Bom dia Gert

This is a scene very common here too. The difference is that people sell vegetable and fruits in a market street with a lot of other people. I see this woman lonely.
This way is more difficult to sell something here, I mean, in my city.
Abraços
maria

wolf38 (28190) 2012-01-12 7:58

Hello Gert. Such is the life of an old woman. She waits for someone buys something. It is sad that old people need to supplement their income this way. The photo shows the harsh reality in documentary style. Rgds, Wolfgang.

dkmurphys (36819) 2012-01-12 9:20

Hi Gert,
We have also this kind of scenes. The poverty brings the old people to stay on the streets and try to sell anything they can made. A good decent thing to do, considering a minor part of the people who rather robb and steal.
Have a nice evening,

Daniel

Budapestman (82620) 2012-01-12 11:15

Hi Gert,
an effective street photo with superb composition and graphic details, suggestive shot, Tfs! Have a nice evening! Kellemes estét kívánok!
György

Nicou (97727) 2012-01-13 1:32

Hello

superbe compo et iamge fantastique cpatage quelle scène et iamge sueprbe quelle dame cela est touchant et impressionant.

bravo et amitié
Nciou

williewhistler (7283) 2012-01-13 8:21

Hello Gert,
a very fine photograph that encapsulates the hardships that some less well off have to bear.
Provocative and very moving.

Regards Les.

mafegan (8618) 2012-01-13 16:45

Hi Gert
This photo is significant for the message it conveys. Life can be very tough for the elderly especially in developing countries. Such a scene could also be found in many parts of Asia. The background wall, which is crumbling and covered with graffiti, supports the message. Tfs, Marlene

mkamionka (24537) 2012-01-14 2:27

Hi Gert,
The title made me laugh but then I realized that at the moment I am unemployed and I may turn to similar business approaches soon. May be instead of lettuce I would try to sell my photos :)
Very interesting portrait and street scene.
Excellent capture,
M

skippy007 (12500) 2012-01-15 0:37

Hello Gert, My immediate thought is that at least they are trying to make an honest living unlike the many beggars you now see wherever you go. Nice shot even if it is a little sad. The woman is well placed in the frame, I think the wall covered in graffiti & posters tell us a lot about her environment. Well done.
Regards
Santo

agjika (4011) 2012-01-15 9:23

Hi Gert,
Very nice presentation of this poor old woman. As you say life can be very difficult for some in these parts. However most of old people in Bulgaria should be looked after by their children rather than their pensions but there are always exceptions of course.

Great journalistic photo.

Thanks for sharing

Aleks

faubry (35335) 2012-01-15 15:58

Good evening, like Romanian woman, she try sale somethings8 good daily life captured
soon
francine

bayno (16209) 2012-01-19 13:24

Hi Gert, very sad, but much better than begging, like this remains a bit of dignity and something to eat first, the scene is well framed, nice reportage and daily life shot, best wishes, Valter

Angshu (51174) 2012-01-22 23:35

Hello Gert
She's really quite old & its quite ironical that she has to sell some lettuce to perhaps earn something to eat! Ironical given the social security structure Europe has as contrasted to countries like ours, where citizens have to fend for themselves whatever is their age. A picture of good documentary value!
Best Regards
Angshu

kato (6777) 2012-02-27 20:23

Hello Gert,

This is a documentary photograph, so it's impressive to see the elderly woman who wears a severe face in the road and sells lettuce. The side of a severe life can be known from this photograph. It's interesting in the scribble of a wall, too. People's life which cannot receive compensation of a country by the time of when, either is severe. People of weak positions, such as especially an old man, a child, etc., are pitiful. Under the name of a competitive society, the economically stratified society of the limited layer which monopolizes wealth, and a large majority of poor and needy exists. On the other hand, there is also the middle class's thick society which does not have a gap in comparison. Moreover, the economic discrepancy by national power of the time when it is going to the global standard is also remarkable like the present.
However, when an economically stratified society goes too far, it is a fact of history that national dissatisfaction grows and a country becomes unstable. And, since economic winners take hold on the instinct of the human being who would like to acquire wealth and fame, solution is troublesome.

Kind regards,
mikio

notrap (4690) 2012-03-19 13:16

...and the windows behind are those of a former vegetable-shop, closed because of the old women with their abundant gardens, who can offer their parsley a bit cheaper....

It is a shame for Europe, to have the third world in the backyard

Tigerlily (2343) 2012-11-16 6:08

Excellent journalism...tell us all in one image.

Miguel82 (7820) 2013-05-03 11:49

A very sad shot Gert, it is not acceptable that a senior works very hard at this age
I guess that she is forced to do that
I like the grafittis in the wall, superb exposition, fine colors
With respect