Caution! People at Work

People photos. That’s Tina’s Lens-Artist Challenge #292. This is difficult. I’m only just learning to be less shy about making snapshots of innocent strangers, with or without their permission. One way or another though, people at work is an easier ask, so I’m off to see who we can find doing just that.

We’ll start at the second biggest fish market in the world: Jagalchi Fish Market, Busan, South Korea. Here’s someone who’s probably been filleting fish for decades. She could probably do it with her eyes closed.

An experienced ajumma at the fish market

Here are some workers who have a head for heights: Window cleaners in Warsaw; a telephone engineer in Wensleydale; and two workmen doing something useful at a Thames-side structure.

This auto-rickshaw driver isn’t working at the moment. He’s proud to have taken a very green, very-jetlagged-but-too-wired-to-sleep English tourist (me) on an informative two hour whistle-stop tour of Bengalaru, and is cheerfully posing for a photo.

My first friend in Bengalaru: the rickshaw driver who took me on a tour of the city

Here’s a different kind of job. Most Brits have heard of Clare Balding, radio and tv presenter. One of her jobs is presenting a BBC Radio 4 programme, ‘Ramblings’ about the joys of walking. A few years ago, two friends and I had the pleasure and privilege of walking part of the Nidderdale way with her. You can read all about it here. And here Clare is describing the scene before her, as her producer and sound recordist Lucy saves her every word on that muff-on-a-stick while we hover in the background.

Clare and Lucy on the Nidderdale Way

Not all work is paid of course. Every year, sheep farmers from all over the north of England and beyond gather for Masham Sheep Fair, to show their sheep off at their very best. Some of the keenest contestants for honours are under ten, the farmers of the future. But the featured photo shows someone who is paid – very little I suspect – for his work: A herdsman in Albania, constantly moving his herd of sheep and a few goats in quest of lush pasture.

Waiting for their sheep to be judged, two young contestants.

But over in India, you could be working with different animals -elephants, perhaps at Dubare Elephant Camp. You might be washing them in the river, or cooking their next meal of jaggery, millet and vegetation.

You might be a waiter. Here are two French ones. Only they’re not really French, or serving at table. They earn a crust as actors – in this case at Ripon’s annual Theatre Festival.

Zey kept ze crowds amused at Ripon Theatre Festival

Or you might be a slave. A willing one. At half term, my grandson was taken on – for half an hour only – to be enslaved to a Viking master who turned out to be extremely personable, and even helped him with some of his tasks, such as wood turning. Well, it was part of York’s annual Jorvik Viking Festival.

Children can be good at working for free – unless you want them to tidy their room. Catch ’em while you can.

Castles to build …

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

56 thoughts on “Caution! People at Work”

    1. Yes, we used to get nice sunny days once upon a time (said she, gazing at the unremitting rain). And I wish I had the focus young children seem to have when they’re really interested.

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  7. I love your take on the challenge. There’s a sense of collection given both by the monochrome and that they’re all working people. Favourite has to be the Sheep Fair one, although all of them are amazing.

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  8. Beautifully done Margaret! Loved your use of B&W throughout as well as your having chosen a theme of people at work. Of course your images of the children were my favorite, especially your grandson at work. that one really brought me a smile. Likewise the 2 children with their sheep. Thanks so much for joining us!

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  9. Fantastic photos! Great idea to show “working” people, including the Viking ‘slave’ and the two workmen who were doing something useful.
    Monochrome works really well here.

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  11. I really enjoyed this post. Your theme of work and choice of B&W really tied this varied set of images together. I love the ajumma at the fish market (you can’t beat a good market for people photos!) – ajumma is a new word for me 🙂 Also love the guy cooking for the elephants with its sense of movement and the last one – you can really sense the determination and focus from his pose even without seeing his face!

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    1. There’s nothing more determined than a toddler on a mission! I’d really like to know whether these facts – and they are facts 😉 – about Korean women hold up in North Korea too. Thanks Sarah.

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      2. Certainly in Pyongyang we saw a marked difference between the young smartly dressed women, but in the more remote areas (rural but also poorer cities) it seemed both young and old dressed more for comfort.

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  15. I listen to Claire Balding’s Ramblings, I’ll have to go and check if I heard your one.

    A while ago a speaker at our camera club said in the future people will think hardly anybody walked the earth in the early twenty first century. Some photographers just prefer scenery and cityscapes without people getting in the way, while others are nervous and unsure if they are even allowed to take pictures of strangers in public. Unwitting strangers appear regularly on national news, either in a dramatic incident or stuffing their faces in obesity items. If you are a woman of a certain invisible age snapping with a smart phone hopefully nobody notices you. Pictures with people in are more interesting.

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    1. As I don’t hear her on sport or animal type programmes I may catch a different side of her. She was a great walking companion – warm and curious. It was just like walking with an old pal whom you hadn’t seen for a while.

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  17. You have WONDERFUL pictures of people at work! I did that once, took the people pictures, when we were tourists in NYC. I loved doing it, had a small camera that wasn’t so conspicuous so mostly got away with it. It WAS nerve wracking though!

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  19. This is a wonderful post, Margaret! B&W and working people – small and big…You made it into a lovely gallery – and the favourite for me is the guys holding the sheep. Love their face expressions.

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  21. Love this post, Margaret! These working people are a great choice. They tell wonderful. Their hard work and special skills improve our quality of life.

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