Posts Tagged "photojournalism"
Maxim: Street Musician
I will post a short series of Russian street music performers. I will kick it off with Maxim, who was playing in front of the metro near my apartment in Moscow. He said he had been playing for about 1hr in 0c (32F) degrees and that his fingers were numb. Thus, he sent his fellow musician to fetch a bottle of vodka to warm themselves up so they could pkay a bit longer. He offered me to try the vodka, adding it was a quality brand ('5 Seas' brand). He said he planned on playing another 45 minutes before heading home. I asked him what kind of music he played. He said rock and that he was inspired by Pink Floyd.
Maria: Serbian Roots (2)
Maria said the 1990s were a very difficult period economically. Thus, she - like many others in Russia - decided to only have one child. She said she regrets not having a second child, adding her son may not be so egotistical if he had other siblings.
Maria: Serbian Roots (1)
Another photo of Maria from St Petersburg. Maria, who has Serbian roots. said she studied foreign langages at university after her grandparents dissuaded her from studying acting. Nonetheless, after talking to her for 5-10 minutes, it was clear she has the spirit of an actress.
Village Children from Vladimir Region
Visited a farm in a village about 120km from Moscow. After the farm visit, I took a walk around the village and saw about 8 children and teenagers playing what seemed to be war games in front of their home as their parents worked nearby. Quite a few of them were brothers and cousins. I will post a few portraits of them. He was probably the youngest - and perhaps therefore the shiest - of the group of kids playing in the village. I didn't initially notice the toy gun in the top pocket (left side of photo). Another of the boys from the village 120km from Moscow. He chose the pose himself...begs the question what he watches. Another boy from the village doing his best job to fulfill the old stereotype that 'Russians don't smile. This boy from the village wanted to show me his gymnastic skills. He was the most outgoing of the group snd practiced a few Englidh words with me, He was playing what seemed to be some sort of 'cops & robbers' or war games with his friends, using a concrete cylinder as a hiding place. You can see his friend in the background with a toy machine gun as well as the concrete cylinder.
Krygyz Bread Seller in Moscow
Ruzali comes from Kyrgyzstan and works in a small kiosk at a market selling fresh bread. I photographed him as he leaned partially out the small window that he transacts through. He said he has been living in Russia for about four years, sending money he earns home to his family.
Ira: Daughter of Geologists
Ira was heading out for the weekend to join her parents for some hands-on geology work. She said both her parents are geologists, but she intends to study biology.
Misha: Former Soccer Player
Misha was on his way to a big shopping mall in Moscow when I bumped into him. He said he played professional soccer in Russia until and injury stopped his career.
Maria: Worker on Skates
Maria works part time at a fast food restaurant located in a busy Moscow mall, handing out flyers on the street to pedestrians as she rolls by them on skates. She said she works 4-hour shifts and the gig will run til December, when there is likely to be snow on the ground and hard to skate. She says the constant skating keeps her warm in the sometime cold autumn weather. She plans on studying banking to work as a loan officer.
Tajik Butcher in Moscow (1)
He has worked 15 years at the Dorogomilovsky market in Moscow. He says he works about 6-9 months in Moscow and then goes to his native Tajikistan to be with his family for a few months.
Calcutta Kiosk Owner in Moscow
I have bought chewing gum from him at his very small kiosk stand near a Moscow metro for the past 11 months, but only recently asked him about himself. He said his name is Habib and came to Russia more than a decade ago from Calcutta, India to study medicine... following the steps of one of his relatives, who studied medicine in Russia during Soviet times. Habib got his medical degree and would have returned to Calcutta he says .... had he not fallen in love with another med student from Russia. He says he works at a hospital in addition to working at the kiosk.
