I went window shopping today! I bought four windows.
Tommy Cooper
I have to admit to rather liking shopping. Even grocery shopping can be quite enjoyable if you’re buying some of your favourite foods. And while shopping for clothes isn’t quite the unadulterated pleasure it was when I was younger, it’s still great to come across something that looks and fits just right, even if that’s a rarity these days! I don’t even have to be shopping for myself; Christmas shopping for gifts also gives me pleasure.
Whoever said money can’t buy happiness didn’t know where to shop
Gertrude Stein
But the most interesting shops, I would argue, are those you come across while travelling. I love to bring home a few souvenirs, but I don’t go too crazy with these; I don’t want to spend the bulk of my travel time shopping even though I quite enjoy it. However, you don’t have to be interested in making a purchase to get pleasure from shops on your travels. Window shopping is fun and can teach you a lot about a country: what people eat, what they wear, how they furnish their homes and how they enjoy themselves. And shops provide excellent street photography opportunities, which regular readers will know is one of my passions.
So come with me on a whistlestop tour around the world to see how and where other people shop. All these photos were originally shot in colour and converted with Nik Silver Efex to work for Margaret’s Monochrome Madness theme of ‘Buying and selling’. By the way, you won’t see any markets here as I covered that topic when I hosted a previous Monochrome Madness post.
My feature photo was taken in Paris, in one of my favourite streets there, the Rue de Seine.
Clothes shop on the Rue Mouffetard, Paris
In contrast, the famous Parisian department store, Samaritaine
A shop on a typically steep street in Valetta, Malta
Local shop in Sliema, Malta
Bookshop on Via Martelli, Florence
By the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal
‘Selfie’ with antique seller in Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Local shop in Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Small shop in Patan’s Durbar Square, Nepal
Souvenir shop in Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar
Dried fish shop, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
General store in Woody, California
Ready for Halloween in Grass Valley, California
10 Comments
Anne Sandler
Wonderful street photography! I especially liked your feature photo and selfie images. You are the queen!
bushboy
A wonderful and varied selection Sarah. I am on team dried fish and is a fab photo for a drive by
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Brian 😊 I’d seen several of those shops in passing so was pleased to be able to grab this shot!
margaret21
What an evocative selection of shots Sarah. It makes me want to get out my rucksack now! My favourites are the Nepali ones, though that dried fish shop takes some beating.
Sarah Wilkie
Many thanks Margaret 😊 I enjoyed your challenge theme, not least because it gave me a reason to share that dried fish shot! I took it from a car one evening and it didn’t really fit any of my previous posts about the city.
margaret21
No, it is a bit of a niche shot. But it deserves its 5 minutes of fame!
Marie
Wonderful gallery. Those dried fish are fascinating.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Marie 🙂 We saw similar shops all over Jaffna!
Teresa
Love your shopfronts Sarah. Great shots in Monochrome.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Teresa 😊