These days I tend to dawdle along in the slow lane, out of consideration for other drivers---to reduce the impact of "Oh wow", slam on brakes, reverse........ This gentleman was standing on the roadside as we headed to Baalback, he looked so colourful and was impossible to resist!
So I hopped out and started a conversation, explaining that I love taking photos of elderly gents... we soon gathered a group of onlookers, local chaps who knew Kassem, who were half or quarter his age. Kassem is Syrian, a shepherd and has lived and worked in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley for the last 20 years and is originally from Idlib in Syria. He owns 130 head of sheep, sells young males at 3 months when they are about 30 kilos and will get about 5$ per kilo. Having discussed this with my Dad, we feel he's onto a fair earner!
When asked about his age, he wasn't sure...early sixties was his best guess...The crowd were a great help filling in information and interacting so that laughter was plentiful. Meeting, however fleetingly, such wonderful strangers is a tremendously uplifting experience.
Ruth this is a gorgeous portrait. You are so brave to stop along the road and start a conversation with a stranger! He certainly was worth stopping for though.
Love this portrait Ruth. You have a way of capturing the very soul of a person! Fav. I also love the fact that you stop and talk to the people and find out all the interesting parts of their life stories, and share those with us! Just beautiful! Thank you
I love this picture, it has put a smile on my face on a cold Sunday morning! What a lovely place you live in where you can stop and have these conversations....here people would (largely) look at you like you were insane!!
What a fabulous portrait Ruth and a good tale too.
You need a sign for your car "warning! Keep well back - photographer driving - vehicle liable to sudden unpredictable stops"
And of course this is a fav! :)
This encounter must have left you with a real uplifting feeling...there's nothing like the discussion of the price of stock to get people bonding ,I reckon a good price too! Love his cheerful, happy face! Good DOF too!
I identify with your driving habits, admire your bravery in asking to take these magnificent shots and am impressed with the skill you have to capture and compose them! Awesome color and clarity.
Love all the laughing lines around his eyes.. he looks so happy and content. glad he's got some friends who gathered around..you're so brave approaching strangers and getting some wonderful pictures.
Brilliant, love how you've captured his personality so well. The clarity and colour is amazing, its so lifelike that he almost comes out of the screen. Fav
i have been looking at your portrait shots and find them so interesting. the thing i like about them is that you not only get to capture their faces but their characters as well.n i like what i see. i used to live in muscat in the mid-80's and i find the locals to be very friendly and sincere.
Soon as I hit your page: such a smile - and I smiled back. I showed my husband the portrait - he smiled! Thanks for sharing the joy around. What a lovely man and moment
Congrats on the PP. I had no doubt it would go there since I first saw it. Sorry for Kassem's spelling in my first comment; this knew technology spelling helpers have their own mind and I didn't realize.
Really enjoy your shots, Ruth ! Great captures of real life both in your pictures and in your writeups. Reminds me of Mimo's work, but these shots are uniquely you. I'm a fan :)
It is so good to see people laugh and not hold back! Another amazing portrait Ruth! Isn't it interesting so many middle easterners don't know their birthday?
@skipt07 Thanks Skip, I think that it has to do with the registration.....60,70, or 80 years ago parents were allowed at least 6 months to register a birth, this, of course, had to be doe by the father, and they commonly forgot the exact date and probably put down whatever came to mind!! Ih also has no bearing on some people's lives, they possibly only went to school for a few years or never at all, may well be illiterate.....all the official forms that are so important in our lives are not needed in theirs!
@ruthmouch - I kind of wondered if birthdays were as big of a deal as it is with westerners. It makes sense about the fathers not remembering. I have a hard time remembering when my children and grandchildren were born.
@skipt07 Generally with these type of folk I'd say no......Birthday cards are a recent arrival here, are extremely expensive and only exist in expensive malls of Beirut....not a place you will ever find this gent.
Wow!! Ruth!! what fabulous capture. I like taking pictures of old age people too. I uploaded recently this one...Tell me what do you think bout this one http://365project.org/hemu/365/2013-01-18
A fav for me! I avoid portraits and so admire those of you who can ask a complete stranger for a photo... the smile on his face is priceless! Wonderful light, color and dof!
Excellent Portrait. Love his laughter! I also love that you always tell us a story and I read every one and always enjoy them! Thanks so much for sharing you side of the world with us!
FAV!.....and a great reminder of the possibilities that arise when you are looking for them and have a great attitude. Thank you so much for the backstory...it's good to know that, through actual human interaction, we can attain great pics and have great happy moments with people.
Somehow I`ve missed a lot of pic. of you to comment. I`ve seen them now and I apologize for not comment all . I do love them , it give`s a great view of the part of world you live in
You need a sign for your car "warning! Keep well back - photographer driving - vehicle liable to sudden unpredictable stops"
And of course this is a fav! :)
This was a fantastic portrait full of life