Tobacco & Alcohol, a photo from Olomoucky, Moravia

Photographer's Note

From relatively old photos to a relatively new one. This is from Olomouc in the northeastern part of the Czech Republic, or Czechia as the country's leaders have recommended it should be called.

I spent a couple of days in Olomouc last year and enjoyed the city very much. It had a very pleasant atmosphere and to my mind a perfect mix of old and new, elegant and rough buildings, marvellous baroque churches and fountains and a very good museum for modern and contemporary art, beautiful artistic graffiti and ugly ones as in this photo.

I am sure this photo won't suit the taste of most TE members, but I was fascinated by this shop (and the one next door) with a sign and display of the goods that looked so incredibly pre-1989. In my own country I have probably not seen a shop like this since the 1950's (and of course alcohol is never displayed like this, and never in a private shop, in Sweden).

I wanted to document this fascinating view of the shop advertising "cigarettes and alcoholic soft-drinks". I just waited for someone to step into the picture and soon this woman arrived with her dog.

This is the kind of picture where nothing happens, nothing is going on... but wait...I think the dog had something in mind...

To be continued in the workshop.

Here is a larger version.

ikeharel, snunney, papagolf21, gervaso, saxo042, Fis2, worldcitizen, PiotrF, alvaraalto, ourania, ChrisJ, bukitgolfb301, jhm, Royaldevon, adramad, danos, pierrefonds, macjake, tyro, Hansaphotos, Cricri, mcmtanyel, adores heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

ikeharel (113291) 2016-09-19 7:17

As much as I can be impressed with the colorful bottles and cigarettes collection on the window, Gert, my attention was drawn to the old door with graffiti painted upon - not a great art, and yet in contrast.
The passing lady with the cute dog gave another vivid scale to the scene. Well spotted.
Good afternoon,
Ike

GyurMaster (24818) 2016-09-19 7:22

Dear Gert,

No wonder you were 'amazed' by it if it is not so common is Sweden. As someone, who concerns EU law as well, I know your Systembolaget from the Rosengren case of the ECJ. For some 5 years we have a similar system for tobacco, but not for alchololic beverage. (Thanks God! :)) Nonetheless I agree with you that this kind of advertising is a bit balcanic, fortunatelly most shops are more discreet recently.

To say something about the picture as well, I think that it really worthed to wait for the lady, it enchances the otherwise flat scene.

Best Wishes,
Gy.

snunney (130967) 2016-09-19 7:38

Hello Gert,
Good Heavens! I don't think I have ever seen a shop window so stuffed with booze and fags. I like the composition very much. The lady walking her dog is a delightful addition but in addition to the well stocked window I am drawn by the colours and textures to be observed in the surroundings. Excellent street photography.

No_One (4) 2016-09-19 8:27

Hi Gert
I agree, this is a strange display to my eyes. Cigarettes cannot be displayed or advertised at all in Ireland, and when i recently visited Budapest I was surprised that many shops didn't them and I had to visit dedicated tobacco shops that looked like this. It is an interesting photo and a good historical document.
Best wishes
Noel

papagolf21 (152607) 2016-09-19 8:41

Bonsoir, cher Gert,
L'on sent manifestement la patte du journaliste dans cette composition et dans la note. La réactivité est manifeste et vous avez su mettre tout cela en photographies et avec des notes.
Bravo !
Amitiés.
Philippe

pajaran (115831) 2016-09-19 8:52

Dobar dan.
Lep pogled i trenutak, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad sa lepom fotografijom u radionici, dobar kontrast i ostrina, lepe boje, lepo pokazano mesto i trenutak.
Lepa trafika i ponudjena roba lepih boja, gospodja sa psom dala je car fotografiji.
Lepo popodne i sve najbolje u novoj nedelji koja je pocela, srecno.
Paja.

Good day.
Beautiful view and the moment, interesting and good text ...
Good work with beautiful photography workshop, a good contrast and sharpness, beautiful colors, beautiful place and a moment shown.
Beautiful tobacco shop and goods offered beautiful colors, lady with the dog gave the car photography.
Nice afternoon and all the best for the new week, which began, good luck.

Nicou (193806) 2016-09-19 8:59

Hello

La dame à l'air pressée et tient bien son petit chien quelle scène de rue et cette publicité rouge les cigarettes et bouteilles dans la vitrine superbe.
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

gervaso (28177) 2016-09-19 9:05

Hello, Gert!

It's curious to see a more recent photo, but of an image that would look like a scene of at least a decade ago, for the lot of cigarettes for sale. It's something we don't see very often anymore, at least here in Brazil. But the result is great, especially with the inclusion of the woman with her dog, giving more life to the scene. Excellent composition! Great job!

saxo042 (38078) 2016-09-19 9:16

Hej Gert,
Det är bara Firearms som fattas för att få en hel federal myndighet. Men affären bredvid kanske säljer sådant under disken. En fin liten historia ändå.
Hälsningar
Gunnar

BennyV (34748) 2016-09-19 9:47

Hej Gert

Nothing special, as you write. Certainly not for me, as it culd just as well have been taken in Brussels, perhaps even Antwerp. But that doesn't mean it isn't a good picture.

In Belgium we've always had a very, very relaxed attitude towards alcohol and suprisingly little trouble with it, to be honest.

Cheers

Benny

Fis2 (170693) 2016-09-19 10:16

Witaj Gert!
Excellent scene from street.
Very impressive shop.
Good framing and colors.
Woman add flavor to this composition.
Well Done.
Good evening my friend.
Krzysztof

mjw364 (1466) 2016-09-19 10:53

Hello Gert

Cigarettes and alcohol - famous song by Oasis! Yes - this is distinctly European for me - with the small window serving hatch - this is something I saw in Russia too.

Thinking back in the UK years ago there was outrage at the use of Beagle dogs for testing cigarettes and cancer. Maybe this dog is one of those escaped dogs and he is going quickly to the shop to but some cigarettes? On the other hand the woman is carrying a shopping bag that coudl carry quite a few bottles home... the desperation of addiction is evident here!

Have a great evening.

Cheers

Mike

rbassin (27472) 2016-09-19 12:08

hello Gert,
un excellent cadrage sur cette scène de rue.
J'aime bien voir tous ces objets exposés créant un bon fond d'image, tout en apportant de la couleur.
Amicalement
Roland

worldcitizen (16048) 2016-09-19 12:30

Hello Gert,
Gritty, urban street scenes are definitely my taste. :-) It's fascinating to see all the bottles and cartons in the large windows. The red and white sign also catches my eye, and that old wooden door is great, too. With the woman and dog passing by, you captured an intriguing scene.

PiotrF (54602) 2016-09-19 13:08

Hello Gert
Interesting picture from Olomouc.
Great look at these small shops, nice street scene.
An interesting note,fine presentation
Regards
Piotr

alvaraalto (42804) 2016-09-19 13:16

Hello Gert
I enjoyed the story of this two pictures very much and also your confession by the second one.
Maybe this is not a popular theme on TE, but certainly one of my favourites.
What can be more attractive than the combination of daily life and humour.
Groet Rob

ourania (51103) 2016-09-19 13:18

Hello Gert,
just at the spot where the next customer of the tobacco shop would stand:) Your composition is great, I like the sense of movement within this loeaded, gritty and still setting. It looks exotic to me too, as there aren't similar displays in Greece either. I like the urban colours and how the shop's sign stands out. Many clear and well-placed details call for our attention. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a good night,
Ourania

Tue (92322) 2016-09-19 14:33

Hello Gert,
Oh wow, I thought at first this was also a pretty old photo, due to the old signs and somewhat old-fashioned shop window, I guess. It's a really nice impression of the city and the lady walking her dog is a great inclusion to the foreground, particularly because her white and blue clothes stand out nicely against the walls of the background.
Lars

carlo62 (81265) 2016-09-19 15:15

Ciao Gert
anche io sono rimasto colpito da questi negozi, ce ne sono di simili in Polonia, non sono abituato a vedere sigarette e alcolici in vetrina.
Quando si è su una strada qualcosa accade sempre, basta solo aspettare.
Saluti
Carlo

ChrisJ (171822) 2016-09-19 17:00

Dear Gert,

The dachshund straining at the leash initially catches my eye here as the focal point. Sort of resembles a Toulouse La Trec image composition wise. Tfs!

Periko (9107) 2016-09-19 19:08

Hi Gert
The same brands everywhere, no matter the country. No possible to buy an exotic pack of local cigarettes as a souvenir.
You caught an interesting moment of the present world.

Regards
Pedro

bukitgolfb301 (54014) 2016-09-19 19:23

Hi dear Gert

Ya this shot is essense of you high inspirations and keen senses. Bad image for heaith but very eye-catching image at all. As usual main subject plus human, this is your signitured image at all.

All the best and have a good day! Takero

jemaflor (147076) 2016-09-19 23:31

Hi Gert,
Well presented with the lady and the running dog, funny. Interesting view of the shop with also the old door on the right side.

dkmurphys (79209) 2016-09-19 23:46

Hi Gert,
You're right, this kind of shops has almost gone, here are very few left also, especially with the cigarettes commercials (now being banned). Good idea to capture this.
Have a good day.

D

abmdsudi (95869) 2016-09-19 23:48

Hi Gert
A lively street scene with that welcoming rustic 'wall artwork' background. That canine looks so cute but she must get very hot during the summer month I guess, but their strides in almost the same rhythm is spot on. Excellently seen, placed and captured well performed street candid, and a great social comment as well with some bold colours to finish off. Congrats.
Best wishes

jhm (211736) 2016-09-20 5:28

Hello Gert,

I remember me the shops out of the begin of the sixties in Belgium, now forbidden for advertisement for tabacco in Belgium.
Sharpness and clarity are perfect
Also the frontages with lady and dog makes your picture completely.
An excellent composition and nice presentation.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John

Sergiom (117241) 2016-09-20 6:06

Bonjour Gert,

Une scène de rue très bien construite. La dame au chien est bien placée dans le cadre et nous laisse admirer cette devanture où les produits sont très nombreux.

Amicalement

Serge

batalay (41261) 2016-09-20 8:46

Hello Gert,

It's a wonderful slice-of-daily-life photo from Moravia — a liquor and tobacco products filling up every square cm of the shop window — but one small area, it seems is just dark. Is there and opening there for the proprietor to show his head. There is also the colorful graffiti on the doors. Is that protest or endorsement graffiti of the products being sold? The woman with her dog adds atmosphere. It Rome last year I saw a similar shop window with a new brand of wine — the labels featured Mussolini, Hitler, Staling... and a few other modern dictators.

Warm regards,

Bulent

rychem (72187) 2016-09-20 9:08

What an assortment of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, a paradise for addicts, and you are right, it is a shop in the old style, very well captured scene
regards Ryszard

sacimar (38173) 2016-09-20 10:52

Hello Gert,

this is an interesting composition, I like the window with all of these things and the woman walking by with the dog, well seen,

Best regards,

Sergio

Silvio1953 (221525) 2016-09-20 11:10

Ciao Gert, lovely daily life composition with walking woman and dog, I like very busy window, fine details, excellent clarity and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

Royaldevon (85896) 2016-09-20 11:15

Hello Gert,

The shop is extremely old fashioned in its display.
Perhaps, in corner shops in England, in small towns, you would see windows similar but not quite like this this, into the 60's. The lines of shelves were similar but not such a narrow range of goods.
It's a bit like a 'Where's Wally?' picture, where you have to search carefully amongst all the images to find the one you want!
It's a great composition, the incoming lady and pouch adding the movement and human interest.
She does seem to be looking into the window though, as you note, her dog has other ideas!

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

adramad (72970) 2016-09-20 14:56

Hello Gert.
A magnificent composition, with the window of this store liquor and tobacco, two articles highly sought after on some trips, No. 4 door shows his old age, a little abandonment and the ugly graffiti, the lady with the dog is a good extra.
Sharpness, lighting, color, and the magnificent composition; are all factors perfectly made, in this beautiful image.
Well done. I like.
You have a good day.
Best wishes.
Luis.

emka (158092) 2016-09-20 22:55

Hello Gert,

This shop somehow reminds me the kiosks in Belarus, specially in a small town of Baranovichi. But in Poland the kiosks have also similar displays with soft drinks and fags. In my neighbourhood there are many shops dedicated to alcohol that are open 24 hours a day. Imagine something like this in Sweden :). But I agree that there is special atmosphere of the old days here, these dilapidated walls, the next door to the dentist all in graffiti. Amusing story of the dog. And what the lady did? Had she removed it?
I like the Workshop picture, it is like from Cuba.

WArm regrad s MAlgo

danos (110407) 2016-09-21 0:00

Hello Gert,
nice the snapshot with the woman to entering the frame with her dog and is ready to passing by in front of the display window of the shop.I like the good light and colour management of the scene with the timing of the shot to be well taken.

Regards,Danos

lousat (139220) 2016-09-21 2:04

Hi Gert,original post from this czech city,i'm curious to know what is the prize of cigarettes there.eheheh...in effect the shop seems typical pre-89,you have raison..nice idea to wait that someone passing by,with a curious end for the tired dog in the WS,well done.Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

willperrett (14215) 2016-09-21 12:53

Hello Gert

Without the pedestrian and her Dachshund, this would still be an interesting documentary shot; their inclusion makes this true street photography. I love the details in the shop window and the graffiti on the door. It looks seedy, but the lady mitigates that, I think. But I do believe she's slightly out of focus, so I suspect your autofocus found the wall, and then she walked in front of it! (no EXIF data, so I don't know what aperture you were using)

Regards

Will

pierrefonds (114395) 2016-09-21 17:49

Hi Gert,

The presence of the woman and of the dog is animating the scene. The point of view is showing the details of the facade of the store. The light has a good effect on the colours. Have a nice day.

Pierre

macjake (98438) 2016-09-21 18:26

Hi Gert
not your clearest or sharpest of photos, its kinda blurry, but hey...i've posted blurry shots too :)

and I think i mentioned to you before that I wanted or planed on visiting this city on our trip to the Czech Rep, but we just didn't have enough time to fit it in - so i appreciate seeing your shots.

as for THIS TE member, I like it. the grittier the better, or at least sometimes. I get the feeling Sweden and Canada have alot in common. In Canada if a shop owner had this display i'm sure it wouldn't take long before he's told to clean it up lol

this is a very cool cultural scene, the window offers the most visual interest for me. nice one.
cheers
Craig

PS
I'll actually be posting photos from Ireland much sooner than you think. I'd like to get to Ireland, post a whole lot from there...then post alot of my local Vancouver Drone photos (i have a few for sure). That way I can then mix it up a bit with vancouver drone shots and the occasional UK, Chicago, India shots which I still have.

thanks again

Hansaphotos (11381) 2016-09-22 11:20

Hei Gert.

Wow, det ser ut som at omtrent hver eneste millimeter av plass i dette butikkvinduet er brukt til å profilere produktene som selges der. Ettersom jeg bor i et land der både tobakks- og alkoholreklame er forbudt, og tobakk ikke er synlig i butikkene, og alkohol delvis selges fra Vinmonopolet, kan nok dette fremstå som vel eksotisk, og politisk ukorrekt. Vel, jeg lar debatten ligge.

Det er et herlig bilde med mye sjarme. Damens matchende klær og veske matcher den lille blå sigarettreklamen(?) på veggen like foran henne. Ja, det ser virkelig ut som tiden har fått lov til å stå stille her. Fint bilde også i WS. Herlig:)

Ha en fin kveld.

Hilsen Erling

tyro (30513) 2016-09-22 13:26

Hello Gert,

An interesting note and two fine and quite amusing photographs to accompany it. In Britain cigarettes are not allowed to be displayed in shops or in their windows but alcohol still frequently is on clear display. Whether hiding alcohol and tobacco from immediate view actually discourages people from buying them is another matter.

It looks very much as though this shop doesn't actually sell anything else - no newspapers, no sweets - nothing - but you have caught the lady passing by with perfect timing. Just a pity that her little dog has been caught "on the hop" and having to obey nature's command, something even better seen in your workshop picture.

Two excellent photographs, each well seen and taken and with good light, colours, exposure and sharpness. And, of course, a fascinating note.

Excellent!

Kind Regards,

John.

P.S. I think I must try to follow your lead and put something earlier in my notes to direct viewers to any workshop pictures I've uploaded - I feel the majority of people (yourself and Malgo definitely excluded) rarely read notes in their entirety (if at all) and, probably on account of my tedious note, I think very few actually looked at the workshop pictures I uploaded with my last picture. And, of course, the workshop pictures were probably better than the main one too.

serp2000 (47063) 2016-09-24 12:08

Hello, Gert,
Yep, Czechia is just an one of symbols of alcohol trips. The world famous beer, Beherovka etc. make this country more attractive for the guests too.
This is very picturesque photo! Well captured!
Serghei

Cricri (176) 2016-09-28 8:44

Hi Gert
Oups il y en a pour tout les gouts , du moins pour les fumeurs et ceux qui aimes boire de alcool!! une vitrine ou tout est bien serré les uns près des autres, belle présence de la dame et son petit chien, belle version en WS
belle soirée
cricri

kasianowak (17676) 2016-09-28 13:19

Hi Gert
Nicely cropped street shot, drawing the viewer's attention to the shop front. I also like the converging verticals creating perspective corresponding to the direction where the lady is moving. You are right, it wouldn't be the same without human presence and I also think the dog is thinking of doing something naughty...
You made me wonder... I'm trying to recall how tobacco products and alcohol are displayed in Poland these days.
Best wishes
Kasia
Ps. Just another post-communist country... you must have swept the street before taking the photo... ;-)

mcmtanyel (68447) 2016-09-28 21:37

Hello Gert,
I like the colors, textures and abundance of geometric shapes in this photo. The pooch is cute, too.
Regards,
MT

PaulVDV (62880) 2016-10-04 12:01

Hello Gert,
The display window of this shop is really crammed with the merchandise.
A dog that pulls hard to take its owner to the door of an alcohol and tobacco shop ... That's surely something special!
After having seen the picture in the WS, I realize the dog is pulling the woman away from the entrance door :)
Best regards, Paul

adores (46979) 2018-02-01 15:41

Hi Gert!
Looks like some stores we have in Portugal and yes, we still have alcohol displayed like this :)! I like the details on the shop window and the woman passing with her dachshund.

jmdias (115100) 2018-08-30 9:20

gert

nice details of the "smoke" store and the woman and her dog walking in front of it. nice daily life scenery.

take care

jorge