a police crackdown in Tahtakale Photo

Photographer’s Note

Question : maybe should I have posted the larger photo instead ? : ... it is more revealing about the interesting architecture of these labyrinthical lanes at the back of the Rüstem Pasha mosque, to the detriment of the action...)

This happened just a few days ago but it is, the sellers explained, kind of a routine : plain clothes police suddenly arriving in those narrow lanes to grab all what they can from the sellers who don't have any permits and who sell second-hand clothes, shoes etc. I've also posted in the WS the 2 next photos (please, follow the arrow and you'll return to this one : => a few seconds later...)
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After having met Abdullah the cigarette seller in the same area (preceding photo), I was warned once again about the dangers of the place (it was not my 1st passage there) ; with my backpack against the wall, I was preparing myself to take a photo of this interesting architecture dwarfing the various sellers when I saw through my lense all this fighting going on - did not feel in danger at all, they were not after me and even did not pay any attention to my presence.

!!! One question that I'm asking myself now : if those policemen don't wear uniforms, any petty criminal can join them and take advantage of the confusion to grab also what is on sale !!! Anyway, another lady showed me her artificial eye that I had not noticed : she had been attacked by a thief some years ago at the same place, just for the few posessions she had with her ; that brave woman was still working there, SUCH A PRECARIOUS JOB FOR SO LITTLE REWARD - these are very poor people ! She too posed for a photo, but impossible to post here all the portraits that I took that day unfortunately...

syd1946, jorbe, ChrisJ, MarcT, cknara, tomescuc, Vasa, zmey, abulafia has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

syd1946 (17889) 2008-06-26 5:18

Hello Catherine,
Indeed this is an excellent daily life scene!We can feel the panic to the market place just before the policemen arrived.I like very much their possition to the small space between the old walls and of course the action!Very fitting black and white also,made the moment a documentary shot!

Have a nice day,
Thomas

jorbe (319) 2008-06-26 5:18

Hello Catherine,

Excellent action & daily life photo. Works well on B&W

Good Job!
Jorbe

alibasarir (14303) 2008-06-26 5:46

merhaba catherine,
gerçekten çok güzel bir kompozisyon olmuş.tahtakalenin eski eşya ve elbise satılan bildik görüntüsünü nefis yansıtmışsın.ayrıca burada siyah beyaz tercihinde yerinde bir karar olmuş eline sağlık.
selamlar sevgiler
Ali

ChrisJ (70165) 2008-06-26 6:30

Bonjour Catherine

A good documentary styled shot with a superb capture of the pandemonium. Nice tonal range. Tfs!

bostankorkulugu (33522) 2008-06-26 6:53

dynamic shot, interesting note... i felt like i was looking at a movie scene with the screenplay written by orhan pamuk... beautiful indeed cath...

all the best...

korkut

MarcT (21097) 2008-06-26 7:00

Salut Cath,
Serais-tu un peu inconsciente???
L'endroit est dangereux et c'est pas la police qui réduit tes risques. Tu sais tout cela et tu persistes!
Non mais!
Marc

cknara (553) 2008-06-26 7:15

From a photographic technical point,an Amazing shot.perfect lighting and composition.

faubry (32281) 2008-06-26 13:38

Bonsoir Cath, tu te mets au noir et blanc? tu as bien raison car cela sied très bien au sujet..he bien tu n 'a pas peut dis donc??? une scène intéressante..
bonne soirée
amitiés
francine

tomescuc (2837) 2008-06-26 17:02

Outstanding image, Cath. You were right in the middle of it, capturing these intense moments. And the image is of the highest quality nevertheless. Congratulations!
CT

RADEEH (2762) 2008-06-26 22:07

Hi Cath
A brave journalistic effort to bring out this police action from the streets of Istanbul. But I was not able to differentiate policemen and the traders correctly.Great image and story. Congrats and TFS
Radeeh

Vasa (5500) 2008-06-27 2:58

Chere Catherine,

un tres bon travail de reportaire journalistique. La photo dynamique et energique. Le moment decisif a son propre mot.

Felicitations, amis,

Branko

holmertz (9612) 2008-06-27 8:26

Hello Catherine,
Unusually much action for being a TE photo. I also appreciate its documentary values, much more interesting than pretty views. It's also a technically very good photo with a fine greyscale.
Regards,
Gert

PixelTerror (86060) 2008-06-27 10:47

salut Cath
tu fais des reportages pour les journeaux turcs maintenant?
une image bien traitee avec de multiples interactions qui pourrait faire la une
Bonne soirée jy

toto (18707) 2008-06-27 11:21

Bonjour,
belle photo NB de cette descente de police sur cette ruelle ou si j' ai bien compris on vendait du crack.
Dangereuse votre prise car que ce soit les dealers ou les policier, la prise de vue n' est pas une chose qu' ils tolèrent souvent, car a cause de ces photos diffusée certains peuvent etre retrouvé etc...
Belle prise quand même.

Amitiés Thomas

tehanu_f (6874) 2008-06-30 3:22

You captured a very common scene from Turkey - something I'm so much used to seeing that I would never think of shooting it! The people's panic, the urgency of the situation is very obvious here. Very well done, I love it.

zmey (7248) 2008-07-02 9:50

hello catherine

wow... never mind the architecture. i love the dynamo you have captured here... the postures, the charge, the chaos... if anything, i would have 'zoomed' in more on the group (and lost some of the architecture): the whole appeal fo the scene is in the folks and their expressions. my thumbs up to the capture!

warm regards,
kristaps

Polonaise (5636) 2008-07-05 5:27

Unreal...!!!

A theatrical stage ?

You and your IXUS...
And it really doesn't matter - In or Out...
In your hands it becomes a fairy tale wand...

Bowing down, Cath...

george

..............

abulafia (4802) 2008-07-20 4:07

Hi Catherine
A strong action packed scene, and very good notes and work shops.
The "police" didn't mind you taking pictures?

Clever linking with the arrow taking us back to the original post.

Harry