44 Communication World • September–October 2011 www.iabc.com/cw

In my travels as a photogra-pher and tourist, I am oftenthe target of a sales pitch.Tourism ultimately provides

livelihoods. We carry home souvenirs—sombreros, jewelry,carpets, scarves, trinkets and talismans—reminding us ofwhere we have been. No matterhow hard we bargain, we invari-ably come out on the short end,yet we continue to come backfor more. Instead of avoidingsalespeople, I often photographthem. I photograph their pas-sion and boredom, their skilland craft, even the risks theytake to make a sale. For mostsellers, what they do is a matterof economic survival. Theirwork is more than just a job—itcan define who they are. Whileall three of the following exam-ples relate to specific cultures,the points made by each of themare universal. They represent the

nature of the game of salesman-ship itself.

In my first example (right),young souvenir vendors work-ing on China’s Li River, nearGuilin, attempt to sell theirwares to the throngs of touristson passing boats. Success is rare,and the physical risks are high.The big boats are in constantmotion, and the fragile rafts thatthe vendors lash to the sides ofthe larger watercraft seem at riskas they are dragged through thetreacherous currents. This photois rich in incongruity—one doesnot normally find salespeopletaking such risks for a few centsof profit. My image embracesthree levels of activity: The fel-low at left appears to be casualand confident in his approach,the man with his back to usstruggles to stabilize his raft, andthe three dealers at far rightenergize the photo with theirfrantic gestures. The picturespeaks of energy, entrepreneur-ship and risk.

I made the second example(left) at the Hubbell TradingPost in Ganado, Arizona, whichhas served the Navajo Nationfor more than 100 years. Itbecame part of the U.S.National Park Service in 1967,and has been maintained as anactive trading post ever since.Little has changed here over theyears, except the goods on theshelves and their prices. We weregraciously welcomed by thisNavajo sales clerk—he offered

us coffee and cookies and told usabout the historic room wherehe works. While he was speak-ing to us, he placed his handover his heart, a gesture of sin-

photocritique by philip n. douglis, abc, iabc fellow

Men at workIn capturing salespeople in their daily efforts, we see the true meaning of livelihood

A Navajo sales clerk at the historic Hubbell Trading Post

expresses sincerity with a hand-on-heart gesture.

CWSepOct_p044-045_ForPrep_CWNovDecp042-043 7/31/11 10:06 PM Page 44

cerity. This trading post hasalways been more than a store; it was the heart of the region’sNavajo community. Today itserves mostly tourists, but the

locals still meet and greet oneanother here. The water-damaged wall dominating thebackground could symbolize thegradual erosion of the ancient

Navajo culture itself.My final example

(above) features thefiercely competitive car-pet sellers of Istanbul,Turkey. They engagepassing tourists in con-versation, virtually beg-ging them to stop andhaggle. Here, night hasfallen, and customersare few and far between.I found these threesalesmen “working thestreet” outside of theirshop well into theevening. One rests on a window ledge, whilethe other two wait topounce on prospects atthe entrance. By mak-ing this image at night,I abstract much of thescene through back-lighting and am able to showcase the carpetsas context. The darkmood also creates anatmosphere of loneli-ness and boredom.

Retail sales are often a game ofchance, and these men will stayhere for as long as they think itwill take to make the wait worththeir while. ●

www.iabc.com/cw Communication World • September–October 2011 45

about the authorPhil Douglis, ABC, directs TheDouglis Visual Workshops, now

in its 41styear of train-ing commu - nica tors invisual literacy.Douglis, an

IABC Fellow, is the most widelyknown workshop leader and col -umnist on editorial photographyfor organizations. He offers all ofhis training programs as one-on-one tutorial workshops in digitalimaging and photographic com-munication. These tutorials pro-vide flexibility in cost, length andcontent; extend from one to fourdays; and can be adjusted to covereverything from basic digitalphotography skills and photo-editing to photographic expres-sion. The tutorials are offered inPhoenix, Arizona, on dates con-venient for the participants. Forregistration information, emailpnd1@cox.net. You can viewDouglis’s multi-gallery cyberbookon expressive digital photogra-phy at www.pbase.com/pnd1.

Souvenir vendors on China’s Li River (left) take great risks tohawk their wares, while carpet sellers in Turkey (above) workinto the evening despite the seemingly deserted street.

CWSepOct_p044-045_ForPrep_CWNovDecp042-043 7/31/11 10:06 PM Page 45