• Camera: SONY
• Camera model: NEX-7
• Exposure time: 1/160
• Aperture: f/5.6
• ISO: 200

(5 years and 383 days ago)

4 Comments

coffee

Zizounai says:

Congrats for all these winning entries Olga, you are the chaaaaampiooooon

REPLY

author says:

Thank you.

(5 years and 372 days ago)

photonut says:

Well done Olga for 1 an2

REPLY

author says:

Thank you Brian.

(5 years and 371 days ago)

Howdie stranger!
If you want to rate this picture or participate in this contest, just:

LOGIN HERE or REGISTER FOR FREE

• Camera: SONY
• Camera model: ILCE-6300
• Exposure time: 1/800
• Aperture: f/4.0
• ISO: 200

The next time you sit down for a cup of tea please think of this tea picker for this is her life. She does this work barefoot in a leech infested hillside for 8 hours a day. Day after day, week after week, month after month...year after year.

Imagine grabbing these tea leaves with your fingers, then a quick snap of the wrist is needed to break the leaves off the twig, then she throws the plucked leaves over her shoulder to a bag hanging there.

She works from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...has one tea break and a lunch break. Her daily required quota is 18 kilograms of tea (that is 39.6 pounds). For this she makes 750 rupees. (178 rupees equals 1 USD)...or $4.21 USD.

Imagine the RSI she suffers (repetative strain injury). Indeed her hands over the years become deformed, sinewy, painful.

If this woman "plucks" one kilogram more (2.2 pounds) for this she will earn 35 extra rupees. or 19 cents extra. If she plucks less of course she will get less.

Enjoy your cup of tea. (5 years and 379 days ago)

8 Comments

tea

skyangel says:

Sounds like slave labor. They have mechanical tea harvesters in our area.

REPLY

author says:

It is slave labor and where they live is another story...horrible working and living conditions. Thank you for popping by.

(5 years and 379 days ago)

kyricom says:

Have to be careful, too, though. If something like that is introduced to quickly, it can have devastating results on the local economy, rapid unemployment, and these people's situation might actually become worse. I am NOT saying their lot shouldn't be helped, just that it has to be done carefully.

(5 years and 373 days ago)

photonut says:

Straight to the point in this,whether to include all of her in this is debatable,but does get the point of her hands doing the work,another reason to count our blessings in the west.

REPLY

author says:

Focous is on tea (and tea plucking) had I included all of her with her garb it would be just another tea picker photo...(my reasons at least). thank you.

(5 years and 378 days ago)

photonut says:

Yes right to the point

REPLY

kyricom says:

Nice photo. Thanks for the information. Very interesting and something to think about. I'm sure this situation exists in many parts of the world for more than just tea.

REPLY

author says:

Yes, you are right. I was told that these Tamil women (from Tamil Nadu India) are brought to Sri Lanka and are kept illiterate so that they can be easily manipulated. ....and here I was in Sri Lanka spouting out "STRIKE"...only to have this explanation given to me. I am so glad I'm a western, educated, affluent (well sort of), woman.

(5 years and 372 days ago)

Howdie stranger!
If you want to rate this picture or participate in this contest, just:

LOGIN HERE or REGISTER FOR FREE

• Camera: NIKON CORPORATION
• Camera model: NIKON D5200
• Exposure time: 1/60
• Aperture: f/2.8
• ISO: 200

(5 years and 380 days ago)

3 Comments

still26 says:

I like the dof you used. Have you noticed that men drink their tea clear and women add milk...or is that just me? This is a very comfortable photograph.

REPLY

author says:

Thank you Still. I have never noticed this difference between men and women. I have only seen British people adding milk to their tea. Their fundamental issue is to decide wether pouring the milk first of the tea first in the mug
Maybe Photonut could tell us more about it

(5 years and 378 days ago)

still26 says:

I will need to investigate this further with a few British friends I have although it was my British female friend who mentioned that women add milk and men don't.

REPLY

Howdie stranger!
If you want to rate this picture or participate in this contest, just:

LOGIN HERE or REGISTER FOR FREE

• Camera: Canon
• Camera model: Canon EOS 6D Mark II
• Exposure time: 1/40
• Aperture: f/4.0
• ISO: 1000

(5 years and 381 days ago)

2 Comments

still26 says:

Nicely set up this image, simple yet strong with good exposure. All you need is chocolate !

REPLY

author says:

Thanks Olga

(5 years and 381 days ago)

Howdie stranger!
If you want to rate this picture or participate in this contest, just:

LOGIN HERE or REGISTER FOR FREE

• Camera: SONY
• Camera model: NEX-7
• Exposure time: 1/200
• Aperture: f/4.0
• ISO: 100

YUM (5 years and 380 days ago)