Wall Painters at work

Here is a picture of a worker painting a house. Holding a brush in his hand, concentrating on his work.

Cambodian Sculptors

Here are photographs of artisans from Cambodia. These type of sculptures carved from stone or wood are popular with tourists. These are all closeup photographs of the skilled workers making small figurines and statues in Siam Reap, in Cambodia.

You might also like Bali Artisans
Or images of Indian Artisans making small statues or Artisans in India or Tanzania artisans

Or Pictures of Indian Weavers from Aurangabad

Welder and welding

Photographs of a welder at work in India.

You might also like Masons at Work or Knife Sharpener from India or Wall Painters in India or Indian Cobblers or check out posts filed under Skilled Labour and Unskilled Labour

Cotton Mattresses

These is a picture of workers packing cotton into thick material to make a mattress. Such shops are common in all the cities and town of India. Cotton mattresses are comfortable to sleep on but unfortunately lose shape quickly. Re-packing them after treating the cotton inside is the common practice after a few years.

Cotton mattresses are now out of style in developed countries, and have been so for more than a century. Spring mattresses are popular.  Rubber, foam, coir are all used today but in poorer countries cotton mattresses are still used as they are cheaper.

Production of cotton mattresses is a labour-intensive activity.

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Knife Sharpener from India

Here is how a poor man is making his living - sharpening knives and other objects. He lives and works in the same area. The first pictures speaks a thousand words about his lifestyle. The wood stoves, the small bed and the hanging blanket. Pots and pans lying around.

The knife sharpening tool or machine he is using is rarely seen in the modern world. It's an old machine.

The knife sharperner is checking to see whether the sickle is sharpened enough.

Sparks flying off the sickle he is sharpening.

You might also like: Indian Cobblers or Artisans in India or Glass making - photos of a glass maker at work or Indian Artisans making small statues or Masons at Work

There are also a lot of photographs of other occupations ranging from weaving, tailoring to painting and you can check out the label Occupations  or Skilled Labour

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Masons at Work

These are images of masons at work in India. Here the worker is measuring the brick which he has just laid on a wall.

An old mason working with cement.

A mason taking a break from work. He is squinting his eyes to  keep out the blazing sun on a hot day.

Two masons at work.

Related Images: Check out posts filed under Skilled Labour and Unskilled Labour

How to make paan in pictures

Paan is made of different flavourings inside a rolled betel leaf. These flavourings consist of  finely chopped betel nut, slaked lime paste and saffron, spices and gulkand are used. This is considered "a breath freshener, and for better digestion. 

This picture shows a man lathering a paste on to the betel leaf with his hand.

It can be a little messy doing it by one's hand.

A brush can be used too, for hygienic purposes.

Chopped supari or betel nut alongwith condiments and spices is put on the leaf.

The paan is being rolled up to serve customers.

Related Images: Paan vendors in India

Cooking on pavements in India

Cooking spilling out onto pavements is common all over India.These are photographs of people cooking on the streets and pavements in India.

The first two pictures are shot in Rajasthan, a state in North India. In this first one there are people with open stoves on the pavements. The eatery or shop has encroached upon the pavement and hot oil is boiling out there as people pass by.  A gas cylinder is casually attached to the gas stove.

Something is frying here in the hot oil, outdoors on the side of the road. The clutter around the stove is dangerous for passers-by.

Cooking outdoors is now banned in Mumbai,  but continues nevertheless. The old man is stirring a small black kadhai or pot on a mini gas stove. This photo has been taken on Mumbai streets.

Not just commercial establishments, but also individuals cook on pavements. One is used to seeing slum-dwellers cook on pavements outside their huts, but this picture is of a homeless person family cooking in the middle of the day in a posh locality near Churchgate in South Mumbai. Slums are nowhere in sight. Wood is being used to light up a small makeshift stove made with bricks. The girls was (not surprisingly) upset that the photograph was being clicked as this area is regularly policed as it is a posh area. 

Related Images: Road-side food stalls or street food or Road side vendors in India blocking the pavements

Tailors in shops and stalls

These are pictures of tailors in China and India. This photograph is of a street tailor in Pune. Small time tailors often sit outside shops or on the streets with a sewing machine and usually undertake small jobs like repairs of garments.

A close-up of an Indian tailor cutting cloth in a tailoring shop.

A close-up of a tailor sewing on a sewing machine.

This is a photograph of a tailor's shop in China. Machines and threads of different colours can be seen in the image.

Chinese tailors at work in China.

A Chinese tailor measuring a suiting length to make a trouser.

Man sleeping on tractor

This is an image of a wiry young man, probably the driver of a tractor, sleeping in an odd position on the tractor or a similar vehicle. It is hard to imagine anyone taking a nap this way as only the upper half and lower half of his body are resting on a hard surface. Half his torso is hanging in mid-air and he doesn't seem to be the worse for it. He was fast asleep when this photograph was clicked.

Another photograph of a sleeping man - a labourer taking a break from work. He is sleeping on some type of packed material lying on top of some old tyres. It is so typical India. People working long hours, and not getting enough sleep at home! Or perhaps he is simply taking his siesta!

You might also like: Workers taking a break
Or check out images of poverty from India:  Old Women Destitutes and Beggars or Homeless in India - Photographs  or Disabled Beggars  or  Child Beggars  or Old and elderly women in India  or Destitutes and beggars - portraits of old men or Drunk and drugged people lying on the roads

Tandoor Oven, tandoori rotis and cooks

These are photographs of people cooking tandoori rotis (roasted Indian bread from North India) in the typical Indian clay tandoori oven in New Delhi, India. The men in the small kitchen are from Kashmir who have set up shop in Delhi. They also appear to be living in the same place.

Here you can see how the cook is making the rotis out of white refined flour (maida). He is flattening/rolling the soft white dough on a tava or bridle and then pressing it down with a wooden object (with a design) before putting it in the hot oven.

This is what the final product looks like. The tandoori rotis, typical of North India, are eaten with vegetables or non-vegetarian food.

This is a photo of a close-up of the tandoori clay oven. A bottle which is used to spray fat on the food can be seen on the side.

More pictures of Indian food: Indian Thali - typical Indian vegetarian meal or Masala Dosa and Sambar from South India.

Glass making - photos of a glass maker at work

These are photographs of a glass maker at work in Italy on the Venetian island of Murano. Murano glass is very famous. Here you can see the glassmaker taking some molten glass and trying to shape it. Glassmaking in Murano goes back to 9th century Rome, with Asian and Muslim influences.

It's a golden colour glass and the final product was a stallion. I was a little surprised to see that he was touching the hot but soft glass to shape it. Even after the glass stallion was ready it was still fairly hot! The whole operation took barely fifteen minutes, if not less.

Indian Weavers

Here are few photographs of weavers in India working on manual looms in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. This is the way traditional handweaving and spinning is done. In the West however most commercial fabrics are woven on computer-controlled looms.

In the first picture you can see an elderly Muslim man working on the loom. It is a painstaking and highly skilled job. A light bulb shines directly on his hands.

The photo below shows another view of the same weaver. You can see the red and yellow designs on the cloth he is weaving.

This is another photograph of a weaver at work. There is a clear view of the loom he is working on.

The tools of the trade are clearly visible in the image below. The weaver is working with red and blue threads/yarns. His hand is moving fast and skilfully.

Related images: Artisans in India. If you are looking for photographs of other types of skilled workers try the label "Occupations" or "Skilled Labour"

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Artisans in India

These are artisans working at an artwork in the Taj Mahal, Agra. They are probably copying an existing artwork from the walls of the tomb. You can see the elaborate carvings around.

Although the colours in these pictures are not very good, the picture clarity is good. You will be able to see the detail. Here you can see the design on the walls more clearly. It does look like the artist is creating an imitation.

Beautiful design adorn the walls of the Taj Mahal. A post on Taj Mahal designs is in the pipeline.

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Indian Cobblers

The Indian Cobbler is not seen at every corner these days. This is because footwear has become cheap, salaries have gone up, and people use and throw their chappals (slippers) and shoes. Their numbers will surely decrease but it is doubtful that the small-time cobbler will disappear from Indian roads. Not for a few decades more.
The first photo below is shot in Mumbai and shows the cobbler busy repairing a slipper. A customer is waiting. In the cobbler's shop you can see soles and shoes/chappals of different sizes and shapes.

This second picture is taken in a small town in Madhya Pradesh. Usually  cobblers have brushes to polish shoes as well. These are visible in the picture. A black umbrella protects him from the harsh sun.

Cobblers have also become far more expensive than they were. Gone are the days when you can get your slippers repaired for a rupee or two. Cobblers often look at the quality of the shoe/chappal and charge accordingly.  The picture below was shot in Thane. A cobbler is taking a break from work. He is reading the newspaper. The tools of his trade can be seen in the shop on the pavement.

A girl waits for her slippers or chappals to be fixed. The cobbler usually does it on the spot.

Related Images: Artisans in India