Selling Souvenirs, Zagreb, 05/09/2013

I just got back from Zagreb, my beloved and beautiful hometown. I am not the sort of photographer who takes thousands of pictures but I did take enough to make it difficult to decided which ones to edit and share first. The easiest choice was my favourite of all, the one of a girl with a red umbrella wearing a national costume selling postcards and souvenirs on a popular old town street. To make it a theme I have added two other images of women doing the same just around the corner.

I have always been attracted to this street corner with its old lantern and four windows in the background and have taken many pictures there. But this time I was treated to this girl wearing ethnic clothes and standing just in the perfect place. She saw me and kept turning around thinking I wanted a picture of her facing the camera, but I really wanted a full view of that lovely red umbrella. The umbrella and the costume are characteristic of Zagreb,  precisely of  Sestine, a village nestling at the foot of the mountain Medvednica.

This stand was new to me, it was not there last year when I was in Zagreb. I thought it looked delightful with the tree to the left, the old street light behind it and the backdrop of a city view in the distance. I only managed one shot with the girl in the frame. Next she decided to hide her head behind the goods she was selling.

This woman attracted my attention just by sitting isolated against a wide wall. She looked unusual and mysterious in her white outfit selling little pouches of lavender with angel heads. Strangely, she seemed more interested in whatever she was doing on her mobile phone than in attracting customers.