Global Eye: Pakistan

Photographer: Ayaz A. Asif  from Lebanon, NH

Getting the Shot: The shot was taken on a drive back from a remote farming village in the Sindh Province of Pakistan.

The Details: This is a restaurant called the BBC Hotel in Dabayjee, (the word hotel is often used to refer to restaurants in Pakistan). The BBC Hotel is located off the National Highway which runs north from the port city of Karachi. I stopped at the restaurant for dinner and was pointed to the one table and chair they had there. Patrons normally sit on bed-like platforms on which the food is served. Familiar with the custom to sit on the floor and eat, I had not heard of or seen this variation, and I was intrigued by how the water was served in large ceramic pots. I liked how the color scheme of the beds matched the colors on the walls and ceiling.

The restaurant was very dimly lit, so I put on my fastest lens and tried to be as discreet as I could be about the photo. I didn't want the subjects to be self-conscious about having a camera pointed at them. I took several shots, the one I ended up picking had the subject in the foreground with an appealing expression in his eyes.

The Camera: Canon 5D Mark II with 85mm f/1.8 Lens; settings: f/1.8 @ 1/50 ISO 3200.

We like: How this captures a quiet moment and an interesting custom in Pakistan. Think you have a Global Eye? Add your photos to our Flickr pool.