People and Cultures Photography
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Jamuna Bridge
Breaking bricks
One afternoon, I went chasing after a persistent tapping noise. I found the noise but must have looked rather dumbfounded at the construction site. The young man on the left called out to me that I was welcome to take a picture of the woman breaking bricks. Still not sure what was going on, I nonetheless squatted next to her, held up my camera and asked, Okay? I was more than a little intimidated by her piercing gaze, and I suppose she was as puzzled about me as I was about her. She eventually nodded yes and I only took a few images before moving on. I later learned that at demolition sites, people are hired to break up used brick so it can later be used as aggregate in concrete, and are paid by the size of their pile of cobbles.
This fellow had one of the many tables set-up on a pedestrian bridge. I asked him to hold up a t-shirt for a photo. Hopefully, his choice wasn't making a statement.
The fruit is Jamun (Syzygium cumini), and is native to SE Asia.
While I was photographing the Parliament building in Dhaka, I caught this fellow amusing the crowd by photographing me with his camera phone while mimicking my stance. When I turned the camera on him, he quickly feigned innocence, but the hoots and hollers from the crowd betrayed his guilt.
I really wished I could have bought some Jamun from this fellow, even though I do not eat street food. He somehow survives in the continuous noise, smell & chaos of Dhaka's traffic, and does so with a cheerful smile.
This girl in a bus, stuck in a traffic jam, locked her gaze on me and didn't flinch even when I turned the camera on her. How I wish I could have known her story.
The busses do not stop to pick-up passengers (except for the elderly). Instead the fellow in the doorway hawks for fares and helps them come aboard.
This street vendor did not want his photo taken, but didn't want me to go away without an image either. He transferred the beans back and forth until I was satisfied I had something. I was repeated impressed with how kind and accommodating people were to me.
One of the many boats on the river that I presume are used to gather a particular kind of clay to fire bricks. Bangladeshis are amazingly friendly.
Catch of the day.
When I saw this fellow heating up a pot of food for a mid-day meal, I climbed down the road bank, held up my camera and asked if I could take a photo. I was puzzled when he turned around and all his friends appeared to start teasing him. For a moment I thought I had offended him, but then he turned back to me. I began taking some photos while the teasing grew louder. What I then realized was that he turned his back to me to primp for the photos.
Chimneys of the numerous kilns used to fire bricks.
