Small Businesses, Big Stories Project

[AntonioCorreia]

Domestic Frying
In the modest interior of an improvised kitchen, I observed this woman in a calm and deliberate gesture, dipping something into hot oil, surrounded by pots, utensils and pans showing signs of constant use.
The vibrant blue wall contrasts with the warm tones of the fried food and fabrics, creating a welcoming and authentic chromatic balance.
The atmosphere is intimate and functional, full of small details that reveal a daily practice carried out with dedication and skill.

[LenR]

Interesting image Antonio. She seems to be cooking on charcoal and gas. Was this taken on your visit to Chile?

[AntonioCorreia]

Yes Len, it was. I think she was cooking with gas.
I have many more which I like. I'll keep posting here.
Thanks for asking.
Cheers !

[Chataignier]

Nice shot Antonio. As you say, the colour contrast works very well.

I wonder if cropping a bit on the left to remove the distracting red object would help ? This would also move the woman a bit more off centre. Just a thought...

[AntonioCorreia]

Thank you so much, David, for such a valuable suggestion !
You know, when I was working on the image, I clearly noticed the red stain and the product advertisement, but at the time I thought: "Well, it's there, I'll just leave it like that." It seemed to me that it was part of the natural scene.
But now that you've drawn attention to it, I have to admit you're absolutely right.

As I'm a bit stubborn by nature and I'm really determined to keep this crop proportion that I created on an inspiring sunny day , I decided to give the image another chance. I went and opened the file and made the stain disappear.
You're right, it looks much better now! The image gained a visual cleanliness that it didn't have before, and the focus stays where it really should be.
It's always good to have fresh eyes and constructive criticism like yours.

Thank you so much for the tip - it was truly precious !

[AntonioCorreia]

Intimate Market
Let us observe the complicit intimacy that blossoms in this everyday encounter, where two women transform a simple commercial transaction into a ritual of silent sharing. The gentle light caresses their faces whilst the vendor's experienced hands dialogue with the buyer's curious attention. This moment reveals how traditional commerce preserves deep human bonds, creating generational bridges through ancestral gestures that transcend the merely economic.

[AntonioCorreia]

Open Market
The energy of the women, busy preparing and selling vegetables, is marked by quick gestures and knowing conversations. The environment is that of an open-air market, where the daily routines and the strength of local relationships between vendors and consumers stand out.

[AntonioCorreia]

A coexistence between packaged products like bottled water and fresh ingredients suggests multiple narratives, evoking sensations of abundance and movement. What could spark her curiosity?
The choice of wide angles increases the sense of involvement, bringing us closer to the genuineness of the environment without losing the human warmth, even if only implied.

[AntonioCorreia]

What at first glance appears to be a chaos of colour and structure reveals itself, to a careful eye, as a vast labyrinth organised into a meticulous grid of production.
Blocks of whites, blues and vibrant hues sketch fleeting geometries across the raw texture of the urban environment, bearing witness to the colossal human effort, the invisible engine of this landscape.
Here, the space pulses like a living organism, where work and community life merge inseparably to define the singular identity of this place.

[DanK]

An interesting image.

This would make a good drone shot, I suspect.

[AntonioCorreia]

Thank you Dan for your comment.
This was a view taken from a bridge, the highest point available, to give an overall perspective of the setting of this laundry in Mumbai, India. When we went down, we had to be careful and were guided by someone from inside. We did a short walk that allowed us only a very limited sense of what happens here. The visit was in November 2016 and, honestly, I’m not even sure drones were around then.
At the time, I was shooting with a Panasonic GX7, using an Olympus 12–40 lens and the 7–14. Here are a few from inside this enormous space.

[LenR]

Hi Antonio, an interesting image and as you say at first take a little chaotic.
It seems there are several tiers of both business and living quarters.