Street Portraits from Moscow

Artist at his booth on the Arpatskaya.

In March, 1990, Louise and I were in Moscow, working on a documentary about the fall of the Berlin Wall. We had previously been in several other Eastern European countries where the newfound sense of freedom was like wine in the air. Not so much in Russia. Things had loosened up somewhat, but Christians still had to meet in secret for fear of the police.

One of the places in Moscow with limited freedom was a street near Red Square called the Arpat, or Arpatskaya. It had been closed off to traffic and was a sort of pedestrian mall, with booths and small shops lining both sides. We had a few hours off one afternoon, so while Louise took a nap in our room, I picked up my camera and went for a walk to explore the Arpatskaya. I was into longer lenses in those days, so I was carrying an Olympus OM2n fitted with a Tamron 100-300mm f4 zoom, a really fine lens that gave me many good pictures. Several rolls of Fujichrome 100D film were in my pocket.

These two young women were together, sitting on a bench in the middle of the street. They were obviously friends, yet they could hardly have looked more different.The one on the left looked as if she had just arrived from Paris; her friend, with the classic Slavic features, was the embodiment of what westerners might think of as "Communist Worker Chic."

 

 

 

Looking back, I wish my camera had been digital so I could have shown the girls their pictures on my camera screen. That's hindsight, of course. In those days it would never have occurred to me that such a thing could be possible. Technology brings good gifts and some not so good, but instant review is one of the good gifts.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 This attractive young woman was gesturing to me that I should give her some money for taking her picture. I smiled, thanked her in Russian, and moved on. It was an interesting and enjoyable afternoon on the Ar-pat. I made many more pictures, but these are some of my favorites.

 See my October 3rd post for information about ordering original signed prints from the Rock City Barns book.

 If you like my pictures, visit my online gallery at https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $4.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Photography and text copyright 2025 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:   photography    film photography     Olympus OM2n film cameras   Tamron 100-300mm f4 zoom lens        Fujichrome 100D film     Moscow    Russia     street portraits      Arpatskaya     documentary photography

More Street Portraits from India

Religious objects booth, Madras, India.

            "Wannakil" --"hello," I said with a smile, right hand in front of my face with fingers up, palm slightly forward in the South Indian gesture of casual greeting.

            "Wannakil," replied the attractive young Indian woman, continuing to paint intricate details on a small plaster Hindu temple for her sidewalk statuary stall.  Her husband and small child watched the tall, bearded foreigner with friendly interest from a nearby tent.

            Still smiling and with a question in my eyes, I tilted my camera slightly.  With a pleased smile, she nodded as I gestured to indicate that she should go on with her work.  As she did, I began my work also, making exposures from several different angles, then changing to a second camera body with a wider lens for a few more frames.

            "Nandri" -- "thank you," I said with a repeat of the salute-type gesture.  She responded in kind, we both smiled, and I moved on down the street in search of other opportunities to make brief but no less genuine personal contacts with the people of India.

"The function of photography is to explain man to man."

            As a photojournalist, I'm always looking for opportunities to make portraits.  Strong photographs of people add power to the message I want to communicate, because people are interested in people.  That's why we call it "human interest."  When someone from another culture is portrayed in all of his or her humanity, dignity, and individuality, both the subject and those who view the photograph are served.  As the great Edward Steichen, creator of the landmark "Family of Man" exhibit said, "The function of photography is to explain man to man." (From an article I wrote for Rangefinder Magazine in 1999.)

Fishermen, Madras Beach.

The two fishermen watched me warily before deciding that I was probably harmless. What kind of fool rambles around a beach in the early morning taking pictures of fishermen and boats?

Housewife on her front steps, Madras. 

 

 This lady was sitting on the front steps of her house in late afternoon. She was both flattered and shy, which is a condition I've often encountered. I made her picture with my Pentax 6x7 camera with the 105mm f2.4 Takumar lens (the only lens I brought with me for that camera). The film was Kodak Ektachrome.

 

 

(From the article) Photography bypasses the logical centers of the brain and communicates directly to the heart.  When the subject is someone from another culture, an incisive portrait can arouse in the viewer a deep awareness that this also is a person, a member of my species.  

The top two photos were made with Olympus OM film cameras and various Olympus Zuiko lenses. The film was Fujichrme 100D.

 See my October 3rd post for information about ordering original signed prints from the Rock City Barns book.

 If you like my pictures, visit my online gallery at https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $4.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Photography and text copyright 2025 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:   photography    film photography     Olympus film cameras   Olympus Zuiko lenses        Fujichrome 100D film     Madras     India     street portraits      Pentax 6x7 camera     Pentax Takumar lenses

Street Portraits in India

 Hindu woman, Madras.

In 1992 the mission/relief organization Compassion International sent me to the Orient to document their work in India and South Korea. We also had a one-day layover in Singapore along the way. Naturally, I was busy checking out everything with my cameras everywhere we went. 

Our first destination was Madras, India, I had a good bit of free time there, so I hit the streets to see what I could see. The Indian people were friendly and open, so I was able to make quite a few portraits that I liked.

The Hindu lady in the top photograph was with several men who were working on some kind of addition to the church we attended. She didn't appear to be doing anything -- perhaps she was waiting one one of the workers. Anyway, she gave assent when I indicated I would like to make a picture of her. Like many of the people I photographed, she regarded me with great seriousness. I wish I could have showed her the picture, but in those pre-digital days it just wasn't possible.

Shopkeeper, Madras.

 I saw the same seriousness in the face of the man who had a small grocery shop on one of the streets near the mission house.

Young family, Madras.

 However, this family, which I think may have been a fisherman's family, since we were close to Madras Beach, were quite pleased to pose for a picture. 

Wherever I went I found the Indian people to be friendly and open. I never encountered suspicion or resentment. I think most were somewhat flattered that I considered them interesting enough to want to make a photograph of them.

The photos were made with Olympus film camera bodies and various Olympus Zuiko lenses. I carried four of them on this trip -- 24mm f2.8, 35mm f2, 85mm f2, and 180mm f2.8. No zooms. The film was Fujichrome 100D.

See my October 3rd post for information about ordering original prints from the Rock City Barns book.

 

If you like my pictures, visit my online gallery at https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $4.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Photography and text copyright 2025 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:   photography    film photography     Olympus film cameras   Olympus Zuiko lenses        Fujichrome 100D film     Madras     India     street portraits

I'm Back . . .

 Civil War reenactor, Chickamauga Battlefield National Military Park, Georgia.

 . . . with a new blog design, courtesy of my granddaughter, Jennifer Jenkins Steinmetz.

I didn't intend to stay away so long, but frankly, after nearly 800 posts since 2019, I was written out. But now I'm back at my keyboard and will try to post new blogs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as before. But I'm not promising anything.

Part of my problem is that I'm not making any new pictures. I've had persistent trouble with my back and legs since I had a bad fall in August, 2024. I can walk, (with a cane) but it isn't much fun, and it's difficult to do the kind of photography I like to do if I can't walk freely.  

Jennifer, my oldest grandchild, grew up in the Atlanta area but went to college in Idaho. She met a really fine young man there, married him, and has been there ever since, producing five beautiful children along the way. She has always wanted to return to Georgia, and now it's happening. Her husband has been offered a good job with a medical firm in a northeast suburb of Atlanta, and they're moving back in December. 

 

 Jennifer

Jennifer is a talented writer with a good eye for design. She blogs at https://peachesandpotatoes.com/.

This redesign of my blog is not yet complete. Some of the links do not work, and we have not yet chosen a background color. However, I've decided to go ahead and use the design. It may take some time to get the bugs worked out, because, as I said, Jennifer is moving and will have little time to work on it.

The photo of the Civil War reenactor was made around 1976 with a Nikkormat Camera, a 100mm Vivitar lens, and Kodachrome film. It was my first prize-winning photograph.

See my October 3rd post for information about ordering original prints from the Rock City Barns book.

 

If you like my pictures, visit my online gallery at https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $4.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Photography and text copyright 2025 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:   photography    film photography     Nikkormat camera   Vivitar 100mm lens        Kodachrome film     Civil War reenactments     Chickamaura Battlefield National Military Park     Georgia