Adobe Coffeeshop, a photo from Mopti, South

Photographer's Note

This building was made of adobe (mud and straw) and it contains not just one coffee shop but two.

I took this photo in the city of Mopti in central Mali in the winter of 1982. I don't remember the circumstances, but I guess I may have wanted to capture the young men sitting outside one of the cafés but pretended to take a photo of the sign to the left. One of the men watched me carefully anyway.

What I possibly didn't notice at that time was that the nearest café was called "Au bon café" (The good café), and the other one, where the men were sitting, was "Meilleur café" (Better café). A rather aggressive kind of marketing, but it seems to have worked well.

Of all the "nothing special" photos I have ever posted, this may be the most nothing. The quality is not great, and it doesn't show anything particularly interesting or beautiful, but it indicates the atmosphere of a city on the outskirts of the Sahara desert.

It was scanned from an Ilford FP4 black and white negative. Here is a larger version.

Tue, papagolf21, ikeharel, Royaldevon, jhm, Fis2, macjake, ourania, PiotrF, COSTANTINO, Cricri, danos, ktanska, worldcitizen, saxo042, mcmtanyel, adramad, alvaraalto, PaulVDV, Hansaphotos, ChrisJ has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Tue (91574) 2017-01-31 1:18

Hello Gert,
Great capture of these two coffeeshops. They don't look very attractive from the outside, but the two signs over the doors are really great! Good composition, which just includes the men on the right hand side too.
Lars

papagolf21 (152605) 2017-01-31 1:20

Bonjour, cher Gert,
Toujours un fan de vos photographies journalistiques décrivant des scènes de vie.
J'ai bien aimé le texte accompagnant votre composition.
Amitiés.
Philippe

ikeharel (112439) 2017-01-31 1:48

For sure, the other Adobe we normally encounter is not made of mud and straw, Gert.
Daily-life scene par-excellence, a local "parliament" like we see in many places - also was there in Mali, at the "Au-bon-Cafe" facade.
Nice to seee this documentary from the past.
Best regards,
Ike

Royaldevon (85606) 2017-01-31 2:30

Hello Gert,

I laughed out loud when I read your notes.
It is significant that the 'better cafe' is being frequented.

I take your point about the man 'eying' you. It could have seemed suspicious that you were photographing them! Uncertainty breeds fear!
I have thought, on a number of occasions that your photography could have got you into deep trouble!

Anyway, thank you for sharing this photograph which, though 'nothing special' was very informative, Bev :-)

jhm (211734) 2017-01-31 3:42

Hello Gert,

45 years ago but yet a very nice picture, a coffee shop.
People have much fantasy for make this type houses.
The attention of the people is a very nice addition.
Composition and presentation are perfectly.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

Nicou (193806) 2017-01-31 3:53

Hello

quelle compo nostalgique et vue quel rendu sur lafaçade de ce café avec le groupe d'homme et quelel petite pancarte charmante.
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

GyurMaster (24668) 2017-01-31 5:11

Dear Gert,

This one is another good nothing special photo with an interesting note about everyday life there.

Have a nice day!
Gy.

pajaran (114915) 2017-01-31 5:35

Dobar dan.
Lep pogled, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad, lepo pokazano mesto i trenutak, lepa crno bela fotografija. Lepo secanje.
Lepo popodne i sve najbolje.
Paja.

Good day.
Nice view, interesting and good text ...
Good work, nice place and shown a moment, a beautiful black and white photo. A nice memory.
Nice afternoon and all the best.

Sergiom (117241) 2017-01-31 6:11

Bonjour Gert,

Une autre petite merveille tirée de tes archives. Le noir et blanc était très à la mode à l'époque.Les gens sont comme serrés dans le coin ce qui est original.

Amicalement

Serge

samson (2250) 2017-01-31 6:27

Hello Gert,

I would disagree with your "most nothing".

Your picture is itself very interesting, showing the clothings worn by the locals, especially the one with the head cover and the "jacket". Doors and windows made with zinc sheets. Overflow pipes from the roof gutter.

I learned a lesson here. Business name must be "better" than the competitor.

cheers,
sam

dkmurphys (79209) 2017-01-31 6:48

Hi Gert,
Also back then, even in that far away place, the competition of business was hard :P. Very nice capture, I guess the coffee shops are the most popular social institutions in the whole world.

D

Fis2 (169731) 2017-01-31 7:02

Witaj Gert!
Another excellent photo from Yuor archive.
Curious scene, good shot.
Well done.
Nice afternoon.
Krzysztof

rychem (72187) 2017-01-31 8:31

:)
Nice association and a good title, very well captured with the sign and the men sitting in the front of the shop, bravo
Ryszard

Silvio1953 (220605) 2017-01-31 9:24

Ciao Gert, lovely B&W composition with two coffee and nice people, excellent clarity, splendid light and wonderful perspective, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

BennyV (34742) 2017-01-31 9:59

Keep those oldies coming, Gert. THis is another stunning one. Fascinating how you pretend to take a picture of something, actually wanting to take a different picture, and then finding out you have taken a picture which includes a find you hadn't seen when you took it...if you still know what I mean :)

Great picture from a wonderful country!

Benny

macjake (98262) 2017-01-31 12:22

Hi Gert
now THAT is one way to beat the competition. but what if the BETTER CAFE is actually owned by the same owner! Have you thought about that!!!! HAHA, so he had this planned out all along! :)

love the simple sign, nothing too large, just simple and straight forward.

very interesting attire on the man looking directly at you, and the bike is interesting too, is it motorized?
cool rustic feeling here, love this one.

I'll post a new photo tonight or early in the morning, its only noon here in Vancouver
cheers
Craig

ourania (51103) 2017-01-31 13:00

Hello Gert,
this daily life scene is composed and presented in an original way that makes all the features and details important and intriguing. I enjoyed the title you gave it and the spontaneous comparisons it evokes. We can gather a thorough story about daily life in this intimate corner. The man who is looking creates an intensity that is transferred to the other elements too. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a good night,
Ourania

lousat (138609) 2017-01-31 15:02

Hi Gert,I had thought about a play on words to remember the famous "adobe photoshop" before reading the notes and understand the meaning of "adobe" I did not know...ehhe...the pic is a gift for a barman like me,a very old pic but very precious,scanned in the usual top quality,well done and very interesting. Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

PiotrF (54246) 2017-01-31 16:27

Hello Gert,
Nice daily life scene from Mali, wonderful picture from your archive.
Excellent sharpness,very effective composition.
Informative and detailed notes.
Nice presentation.
Regards
Piotr

sacimar (38173) 2017-02-01 4:32

Hello Gert,

good image of this coffe shop in Mali, I like the composition with the people and the motorbike on the right corner, it is an interesting picture, well seen,

Best regards,

Sergio

COSTANTINO (115539) 2017-02-01 10:11

Hello dear friend and have a nice time
and a happy new day
As always one more photo presenting another
way of living here we can see a buiding made
of adobe (MUD AND STRAW)Great idea to take
a photo ike this one capturing those men
sitting ut side one of the cafes
welldone
regards
Costantino

Cricri (176) 2017-02-01 10:33

Hi Gert
Intéressante note, un bon travail faisant revivre cette photo ancienne , version N/B, bien cadrer et présenter
belle soirée
cricri

danos (110407) 2017-02-01 11:01

Hello Gert,
a really beautiful scene from Mali during the '80's.The two signs over the coffee shop are one more clever from the other.The customs outside the door is one more focal point of the image.

regards,danos

ktanska (44468) 2017-02-01 11:06

Hej Gert,
Those simple local businesses show well how limited financial resources there are. Two competing cafes make this very interesting. Of course it's good to see local people and that motorcyclette too.
Kari

worldcitizen (15956) 2017-02-01 12:19

Hello Gert,
Whether accidentally or not, you seem to have photographed interesting details and coincidences in most of your photos, especially the older ones. It makes sense that these men would choose the "Better Cafe". I wonder if the "Good Cafe" ended up going out of business eventually. I like the intense stare of the man looking directly at the camera, too.

saxo042 (38078) 2017-02-01 13:18

Hej Gert,
En intressant skylt till vänster och det sedvanliga mänskliga inslaget till höger. Däremellan en en tämligen ointressant betongvägg, men vad kan man göra åt det?
Hälsningar
Gunnar

kasianowak (17672) 2017-02-01 13:23

Hi Gert
By pretending to be photographing just the sign on the left you came up with a very nice minimalist composition showing the men in context.
I really like your comment about the local marketing. :-)
I must disagree with you though as not only I don't think it's the most "nothing" but, contrary, one of the most "special" out of your nothing special photos... Maybe I just love the look of it because I really want to go there... Or maybe 2017 is going to be my year of "Africa, here I come!". :-)
Best wishes
Kasia

mcmtanyel (67657) 2017-02-01 20:16

Hello Gert,
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Coffeeshop, what's the difference? The fellow with the fancy attire was watching you. Maybe he was afraid you would steal his scooter.
Regards,
MT

jmdias (114278) 2017-02-02 4:57

gert

I would like a little more space at right, anyway I don't know in what conditions you got this image of how much time you had to get it. the black and white enhanced the graphic mood and the minimalism of the place. TFS.

hugs

jorge

adramad (72562) 2017-02-02 7:19

Hi, Gert.
A magnificent image of this rudimentary cafe, which I suppose will not have changed much, over the years, since you captured this image, the group of boys and the bike next to the entrance, is a good touch vital in the composition.
Good image quality.
Well taken photo. I like it
Enjoy a good day.
Very best regards.
Luis.

alvaraalto (42804) 2017-02-02 8:45

Hello Gert
You didn’t mention the (sink-)hole in the ground. I think that is a detail that places this picture in the category a little special. We have to guess what is the reason of this hole and does the hole belong to “bon” or ”meilleur” .
No kidding, I like this kind of authentic images.
Have a nice day.
Groet Rob

emka (157280) 2017-02-02 10:15

Maybe not a beautiful picture in the usual sense, but interesting old document (haha, this time my picture was older). Who could visit this place now? Riding a bike on this street with such holes can be dangerous. The guys are not so nasty, that are just interested who makes picture. Fine signs, similar but one is better than theother. Interesting adobe walls.
Kind regrad s Malgo

PaulVDV (62802) 2017-02-04 2:55

Hello Gert,
Perhaps behind the corner you could find 'Le meilleur café' (The best café). After all there are three degrees of comparison.
It surely looks like 'Meilleur café' attracted more clients while 'Au bon café' had been forced to close. Maybe the café behind the corner was packed ...
This is a picture that I would have liked to see in colour. I can imagine that adobe houses have a pretty colour. Perhaps the colour of coffee with milk, fitting nicely the subject. Just my personal opinion.
Enjoy your weekend, Paul

npecanhuk (79329) 2017-02-06 7:37

Hallo Gert!
Getting more recent...
Truly interesting scene!
Really attractive picture!
Sharpness, exposure, black & white and composition really pleased me!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

Hansaphotos (11381) 2017-03-10 7:56

Hei Gert

Det er mulig du kategoriserer dette i som "ikke noe spesielt", men for oss som ikke var så heldig å reise rundt med kamera i denne regionen tidlig på 1980-tallet, så blir dette likevel interessant. Tittelen fanger øyeblikkelig oppmerksomheten. Når vi i tillegg leser ordene som akkompagnerer bildet, så knyttes en god historie til det visuelle. Jeg har en fornemmelse av at takrennene som stikker ut fra veggen ikke er like mye i bruk som takrenner her hjemme, haha. Gjestene ved kaféen denne dagen bidrar selvsagt til å skape liv i bildet. Klesdrakten til gjesten lengst til høyre står i sterk kontrast til det spartanske uttrykket til bygningen. Veldig bra:)

Ha en fin helg.

Hilsen Erling

ChrisJ (171222) 2017-04-11 2:09

Hello Gert,

Excellent textural and tonal details in the slightly angled adobe mud brick wall. It mustn't rain much here for such a wall to survive. The men in deep conversation at right animate the scene. Good sharpness and shadow detail. Tfs!