The Tobacco Harvester
Serbia 2018
A Roma, or gypsy woman, harvests tobacco leaves on a farm in Serbia. One of our drivers spotted the group and we descended on them cameras blazing. We were a welcome diversion to the men and women who kept working as the eight of us tried to get a worthwhile shot.
The ground was muddy and tobacco leaves exude a sticky residue that stuck to the skin of those of us wearing shorts. No wonder the Roma had encased themselves in plastic bags. I usually carry a zoom lens and a wide angle lens. It can get awkward especially if you want to squat to get a lower viewpoint. But I was glad I had it here because the effect is of tobacco rows to infinity. I’m sure that is the way the harvesters feel at times, although they were youngish.