What caught my attention while capturing this image is how the chef expresses himself between the orders. That’s the expression I was really focusing on to justify the moment and make it a part of the series. It is an extremely tough job to be able to carry out while your thoughts are running across the face and there is every possible chance of getting one's emotions caught by one's eye. In this case, it was my lens.
The typical way of placing an order in most of the fair markets is to first take the money from the customer, usually cash and then initiate the making of forralt bor. This whole transaction is done on trust, with the assurance of a warm food and drink afterwards. I deliberately chose the angle behind one of the lit Christmas trees, so as to hide the face of the customer and highlight the main subject-the chef.
When work is taken up as a passion and not task, expressions do change magically. To see how passionately he is working behind the stand and afterwards to be rewarded with this smile is simply priceless. This essentially exhibits his love for work. The fuming smoke in the background joins him in this celebratory moment.
n Hungary, forralt bor ("boiled wine") is typically made from a cheap version of the country's popular Egri Bikavér and spiced with cinnamon and cloves. In frigid winters of Budapest, forralt bor comes real handy as it keeps you warm. It requires continuous stirring, maintained at a constant boiling point and is served hot and fresh. The forralt bor is now carefully handled and about to be served.
I wanted to highlight this expression keeping in lieu with the Christmas décor. As monochrome takes away the essential glitters of Christmas tree, it made much more sense to rather highlight the Christmas decorative. Here, I wanted to highlight the merrier side of the chef, little time he got away with from serving customers.
If one would have witnessed this moment, I am sure it would bring lots of open-ended questions- What is going on? Why is he burying his head in his hands? What happens next? That is exactly what I wanted to capture, and I just got it in split second.
The shift gets over and it's the time to handover duties to the next chef. Apron, in itself personifies the state of a work place. Removal of apron signifies that it is now time to celebrate Christmas with his friends and family. But wait, wasn't serving customers meant spending time with even a bigger fraternity. It is definitely a bittersweet moment for him and shift handover just marks the end of Christmas celebrations with one set of family and friends.
As he bade good-bye to his fellow colleagues, he shed some tears in the process. It was quite an emotional moment for him and his crew. After all, Christmas is all about being together, and sharing moments with each other. It is through his eyes, I witnessed a complete different perspective towards celebrating Christmas for the first time. My hands were numb by now and I could only stand there and be part of the ongoing celebrations at Christmas market.
