On the streets where I live

I'm in Port Moresby doing some administrative stuff and taking the opportunity to tweak a client's website by adding some pix of the area, Boroko, in which his motel is situated. I had a few pix in hand, but went out yesterday for a few more, using the trusty GX7 with 12-32 and 45-175 lenses carried in my little general purpose nothing bag.

Husband and wife street stall. Betel nut and loose cigaretts. The betelnut price is currently 50 toea (about 20¢ for one) half what it was a day ago, but there has been an influx of supply; the cigarettes range up 1 kina (K1 = 40¢). Slim pickings, but we are talking about survival here.

Instant snack. A "red sausage" and a cooking banana from the grill served on a piece of newspaper with salt ad lib, makes a light lunch for just K2 (= 80¢). The gas grill was yesterday's innovation, previously the vendor has used a little wood fire BBQ, but no doubt keeping up the word supply in Port Moresby city was too much of a challenge. The grilled bananas taste just like potatoes but have a slightly different texture. The newspaper "plate" is Port Moresby's answer to the leaf plate you would get in most other parts of Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby, located in a rain shadow, doesn't have the super abundance of leaves enjoyed by most other parts of the country.

"Hey, mate, take our picture!" Hmmm, had to rescue this a bit in PP, it was over-exposed, and now there is too much red. Sorry, didn't notice that; should have lowered the red a bit. Many people in PNG want their picture taken. One of these guys is a repeat "offender" -- I took his picture on the street at his request a couple of months ago. They looked at their picture on the screen, said "Oh, nice!" and pottered off to continue their Saturday perambulation.

Heke Mohou's street bookshop. He gets a box of good used and remaindered books periodically from Australia and New Zealand, adds a few local productions, and spreads them out on flattened cartons on the pavement on the edge of the Tabari Place craft market every day. As he observes, there are no bookshops in the whole of Port Moresby although a lot of people are avid readers. A few used books are offered in some of the secondhand clothing stores.

Onward Christian Soldiers! A bunch of soldiers from the nearby barracks turned out in full uniform to do a street presentation for one of the US-based fundie sects. Band, big amp, big portable generator, the lot! There is a lot of Christian street preaching here, but usually just one man with his mic and a little battery power amp (but they sure can make a lot of noise).

More wonderful shots!  I am particularly fond of the wide angle shot of the book seller. I always find it a challenge to pull off wide angle portraits, but you make it work nicely.

kaphinga wrote:

More wonderful shots! I am particularly fond of the wide angle shot of the book seller. I always find it a challenge to pull off wide angle portraits, but you make it work nicely.

One of the keys, in my experience, is to keep the subject's head fairly near the center of the frame. If their head goes off into a corner it will be seen to be attempting to go off altogether and be quite distorted.

I had one go at him, went off and took a few more pix, then thought again while I reviewed the pix with a cup of coffee. Then I went back and had a second go more along the lines Heke himself had suggested than what I had taken! Aah. that's better!

So thank you, kaphinga, but the shot isn't all mine! LOL.

Nice pics. A little fill flash or front lighting would help.  And of course, always get closer.

Thanks Geoff. Enjoyed these. Lots of good stories there, from the bookseller to the evangelists.

F.