The Artisan
Tashkent, Uzbekistan 2012
The cluttered workshop was cold. The walls were dingy with the dirt of the ages. Damp scarves hung to dry on wires crisscrossing the room. Two young women made up the entire labor force. One did the block printing while taking care to keep the ink from staining her hands and the other, older and resigned looking, pushed a heavy iron back and forth over the finished product.
The block printing was inexpertly done but the gauzy cotton was soft and airy feeling. I tried to get a bargain. The question seemed to strike fear into the heart of the older woman. I got the feeling that if she lowered the price for me, her boss would deduct the difference from her wages.
Even full price was a bargain. I paid. I wore the scarf every day and sometimes at night when in Mongolia. I remembered this day. Remembering moments like this is what travel is all about for me.
A portrait showing the subject and the environment is my favorite. Get your wide angle lens out and decide if you want a blurred background or not. My background is far from my subject and so it does not detract. She is important but so is the background. Sometimes a blurred background is needed so as not to detract from your subject. If you can’t decide at the moment, get both. Works for me!
Contact Penelope at www.uzbekjourneys.com to collect your own travel memories