Property for sale Photo

Photographer’s Note

"Property for sale", at least I think that's what the sign to left says: Shitet lokali.
This is from Berat in central Albania. The country is being rapidly modernized and most cities seem to have hundreds of flashy and trendy cafés. At this particular place, though, time seems to have stopped. I imagine it looked the same decades ago.
The PD graffiti refers to the ruling Democratic party of Albania, Partia Demokratike e Shqiperise. Albania had general elections a couple of months earlier.

UlfE, saxo042, artesia, swiatopelk777, Vasa, mikolaj_kawa has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

smarcell (14199) 2009-11-09 9:29

Hello Ger, this is a great and spontaneous scene.
It returns very well the spirit of the place, and I find something common to many scenes and places in southern Italy.
Regards Stefano

UlfE (8897) 2009-11-09 10:31

Hej Gert,

Yes, this looks very traditional and just men. The most trendy here is perhaps the sports shoes of the young man to the left. Very well spotted and very nice photo. I really enjoy it. TFS and have a fine week!

Hälsningar

Ulf

jasmis (49886) 2009-11-09 11:25

Fine street life photo. Amazing scenery, interesting group of people.
Regards.

Glint (3037) 2009-11-09 11:41

Hello Gert,
interesting daily life scene.The facade with its graffiti and For Sale sign make a good backdrop to the socialising of these men. It's a man's world here I see, where are the women do you think? cleaning the house?
best regards,
Bev

saxo042 (15334) 2009-11-09 12:10

Hej Gert,
A very interesting picture of a café so totally dominated by men. This is really a man´s world, as James Brown would say. Very good colours, of both the building and all the customers. No need to delete this...
Hälsningar
Gunnar

zoomer (439) 2009-11-09 14:18

Hello,great scene with the yellow wall dominating the picture and all the relaxed men.It's almost operatic.Best regards Wolf.

BennyV (4568) 2009-11-10 0:15

Hello Gert,

I've been passing some time in your Albania gallery. Thanks for your informed uploads that show rare glimpses of a country we don't know that much about, although it actually is not that far away, really. Your shots made me curious to discover more. Thanks.

Benny

artesia (251) 2009-11-10 0:37

Great capture Gert, you're great in capturing the local scene.... thanks for the info too.

Love the colourful shirts they're wearing.

This is a very typical coffee shop in some countries in this part of the world... only men hanging out there :-)

Warm Regards

Artesia

agjika (178) 2009-11-10 1:50

Hi Gert,

This is a really nice shot of a local scene. You must have strayed a bit off the main road! What I find the most fascianting here is the "facelifting" that has taken place here,it is somwhere between the sublime and the rediculous! the pavement is from the communist area, the marble steps are new and the expensive neat wall covering is very new done with natural stone slates from the new quarries on Tomorri mountain. One would have thought that they would have painted it especially as they wish to sell it!

For the viewers who know less about Albania, women and especially young girls do visit bars and cafes (or LOCALS as they are called there)but this particular cafe is not the right type! It is more for the men to kill some time! Note how casual it is, one of the customers has got is slippers on!

Thanks for sharing

Aleks

swiatopelk777 (7954) 2009-11-10 5:46

Hi Gert!
Goodfellas. Amazing guys. Nice scene. Perfect shot.
Greetings from Warszawa!

Vasa (5202) 2009-11-11 12:34

I like so much to see that scene in Berat, Gert. Your witness from Albania is great by many pictures. The same from the others countries in the region, also from Africa. I follow your feet with a big interest, friend.

Branko

molla (6881) 2009-11-12 14:29

yes!
the cafe latte revolution is really worldwide, no one really cares for a real greek or turkish coffe any more or a classic cafe royal.
like the east Europe pattern on the tablecloth
I guess the PD is one of those hundreds local parties that growing like Swineflue in Balkan
Anders

Wandering_Dan (3201) 2009-11-15 13:05

Hi, Gert -

I think technically it lacks a little bunch of "punch" that could have been put in with a bit of Curves and Levels work. But as a composition of people it works well, with everyone in a well-defined group. There's always an issue with taking pictures of people - either they object or they pose. Here you managed to have everyone still looking natural - not easy with so many of them.

Best,
Dan

mafegan (4041) 2009-11-15 17:39

Hello Gert
Excellent daily life capture from the streets of Berat - but where are the females - perhaps they are hard at work? Nice composition. Tfs, Marlene

mikolaj_kawa (29612) 2009-11-18 5:57

Hello Gert! Very happy men and boys, amazing scene, superb shot, good exposure and capture. Nice natural light and colours. Good luck!