"Favourite people photos" Personal Page by pfsmalo

This was taken outside the restaurant "Le Maxim" in Lomé, Togo of one of the bar staff. Originally in colour, I used Photoshop to sepia tint the photo, that I think betters the original.

Taken near Kandé, Togo of a Tamberma woman around 82 years old, still smoking her pipe. On her chin is a piece of bone that is inserted through the inside of the lower lip for decoration. She was also carrying a bow and you can see the quiver belt across her shoulder. I was told she was off hunting !!

An off the cuff shot taken in Bamako,Mali at one of the homes run by the Catholic mission for young girls, whilst she was giving me a hand to repaint the walls. There were 2 units at the home, housing 6 girls in each, ranging from 18 to 27 y.o. Most of these girls are orphans, taken in because of a certain intellect and the will to get there. Each girl has her day for cooking and cleaning per week but must still follow the schoolwork.
Jeanne was most pleased to find herself in front of my lens.

I was in my pirogue at Ganvié, Benin on my way back to the quay when I spotted this young girl on another pirogue watching me as I swept the boats through the lens looking for a photo. A little cropping gave me this intense look.

We were in a small bar waiting for our sampan to Kenh Ga, Vietnam, when this little boy walked on the terrace and just stared, without a word. He didn't move, smile or bat an eyelid as I brought the camera up and I managed this shot that seems to show that small kids do have the possibility to be serious. Or, is it the thought that all adults are possibly mad !!

A young Jarai girl, near Pleyku, Vietnam that was very hesitant before stopping when I asked her if I could take her photo. She finally said yes and rewarded me with a very curious smile. It is true thar Pleyku and Kontum are way off the beaten tourist trail in Vietnam and do not see many visitors.

This young boy was our guide and navigator on his father's sampan when we were on the small canals off the Mekong near Cai Be.

A ravishing smile from a girl that was so pleased to have sold us some coca cola on our boat, whilst visiting Chong Kneas floating village in Cambodia.