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'The Daily Grind' A Photo Essay: Myra Rudin

 Note from the editor: Myra Rudin shows here one of her travel collections, one where she has been photographing people at work.  I like her composition skills and her thematic choices.  Scroll till the end! You will have a surprise! Tell us how many people do you recognize? 

This is what Myra has to say: 

When I travel, I enjoy taking photos of the local scene as much as the important or notable sites.  That includes folks at their daily jobs, some of which are basic throughout the world, others indicative only to their respective city/country.   

Some of these photos are from my own city (NYC), where having a cell phone on hand makes it easy to capture someone at his/her "daily grind". With so many tourists around town snapping photos, I often just blend in with the crowd.  When away from home, I AM the tourist, and somehow feel less timid when I want to photograph someone.  

Obviously, there are thousands of "daily grinds" around the world.  These photos include just a few of them,  showing some happy folks, others not so much...all doing their best to earn a living.

Ancient instrument player (NYC)

Antiques dealer (NYC)

Zen garden keeper (Oregon)
Painting restorer (Mexico)
Oyster checker (France)
Laborer (Costa Rica)
Garment workers (children!) [Cote d'Ivoire]
Fruit and veggie seller (Peru)
Floating soup seller (Thailand)
Camel keeper (Morocco)
Building cleaner (Peru)

Bubble maker, NYC                

Potato vendor (Cote d'Ivoire)

Pottery painter (Mexico)

Sodafountain workers (So. Dakota)

Tailor (Italy)

Tiler (Tunisia)

Tortilla maker (Mexico)

Cigar maker (Aruba)

Plower (Peru)

Weavers (Peru)

A real 'daily grinder' (France)

Bélé dancers (Martinique)

Division of Personnel, Unicef, staff at work  1989! (NYHQ)


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Comments

  1. Maie Ayoub von KohlApril 29, 2023 at 7:09 PM

    Fantastic collection! Great photos! I love the end picture! So many I know and so sorry not to be able to remember the names. Thank you Myra for a feel great moment :-)
    Stay safe everyone.

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  2. Maie Ayoub von KohlApril 29, 2023 at 7:14 PM

    Upon second look, I believe I know each and all in the DHR photo. Those were the days where you could still have that privilege.

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  3. UnknownApril 29, 2023 at 11:07 PM

    What great skills Myra. Besides the skills, what you capture shows you care for these workers. Yes, the last picture reminds me what a privilege it was to work as a UNICEF staff member contributing to making a difference in countless children, women and men.

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  4. Baquer NamaziApril 30, 2023 at 3:55 AM

    Great work keeping memories of great times and even greater friends alive. Bless you for your vision and good efforts

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  5. Mehr Khan WilliamsApril 30, 2023 at 8:58 AM

    Wonderful photos, Myra. I really enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing. You should publish a book. All the very best,
    Mehr

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  6. DTApril 30, 2023 at 9:50 AM

    Great photos Myra. I love the focus on what people do! Dan

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sree GururajaApril 30, 2023 at 2:07 PM

    Myra, Great and interesting photos. Thanks for sharing . About the DHR, I do recognise a few colleagues- what intrigued me is the unusual proportion of women colleagues in DHR in 1989. When I was transferred to NY in January 1993, I think there were more male colleagues in DHR .
    Thanks
    Sree

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  8. Rohini de silvaMay 1, 2023 at 9:00 AM

    You captured the “salt of the earth” lovely expressions. I love the DHR photos with Fuad,Tran Phu and all of us. Wow we look so young 😄
    Warm regards
    Rohini

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  9. Fouad KronfolMay 2, 2023 at 3:41 PM

    The "Grinder-in- Chief" is the second from the right,
    It was DOP then, not DHR, which is a bit too trite.
    From Kronfol to the left follow this site........
    Tran Phu, senior in years, but still very spright,
    Neville Griffith, heading a Unit with all his might,
    Mieko Tarui, petite and almost out of sight,
    Query? Query? names please !!....
    Esther Robinson, joined me in Africa Section for another fight,
    Rose Simatos, all Greek , but its allright.
    Query? Query?
    Query? Query?
    Sona, Laka....., can recall only a slight
    Franco Squerra, our shining Italian knight,
    Myra Rudin, as photographer, talented and bright.
    Rohini de Silva, went on to a new height.
    Further left my memory suffers a blight,
    Faces, yes, but names not quite.
    Please forgive my senior moment's plight
    Three decades and more have taken flight
    Since those halcyon days, and many a night.

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownMay 3, 2023 at 7:47 AM

    As always, I enjoy reading and seeing the fabulous "work of art" compiled by Myra. This one is especially wonderful and very colorful in it's presentation.

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  11. Myra RudinMay 3, 2023 at 12:41 PM

    To reply to Fouad's comment on the NYHQ photo, here are the names of those pictured (minus 2 I cannot remember). From left to right:
    Demeku Argaw, Pat Shane, Pat Wendt, Lisa Bryan, male (unknown) Nicky Georgeou, Sophie Zarvos, Paula Blackman, Jayne Hansen, Esther Robertson, Rohini DeSilva, Barbara Brown, Myra Rudin, Franco Squera, Mieko Tarui, Neville Griffith, Sona Lakhanpal, Fouad Kronfol, TranPhu. Seated: (Unknown), Linda Mayer.
    Great working with you all! Myra



    ReplyDelete

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