AfriGadget pictures from around Accra, Ghana

I’ve been having a great time in Accra, but not nearly enough time to spend on the details of every cool product or invention that I see. In the meantime, here are a couple pictures from around Ghana that will whet your appetite for what is coming up in the next week:

A trash collector on a trike

Trash Collecting Trike in Accra Ghana

A roadside motorcycle mechanic

Motorcycle mechanic's shop

Carrying tables and chairs

Carrying tables and chairs

Hauling “trucks”

Push truck

A truck being pushed

Author: Erik Hersman

Erik is the owner of White African, a blog about technology and Africa. He is the co-founder of Zangu, a new web and mobile phone application that he hopes will change communication in Africa. AfriGadget is another web project of his, not that he doesn't have enough of those already...

10 thoughts on “AfriGadget pictures from around Accra, Ghana”

  1. there have been a lot of pictures like these that i’ve wanted to take – stuff seen from a cab or trotro or something – but it often seems to bug people to have drive-by photos taken by white (= not black) people. i mean nobody says anything but you can see it. any thoughts on this or how to approach this?

  2. @Paul – There is no reason to feel bad about drive-by shooting done discreetly.

    http://gallery.ruwenzori.net/main.php/v/travel/2009-Ghana_western_coast_tandem_Pauline/20090215_152735_7425_Ghana_western_coast_tandem.jpg.html

    But if you don’t like it you can opt for the other approach to street photography : talk to the subject. Small talk can go far – just saying hello might break the ice. Or slight flattery like “whoah that is a lot of chair you are carrying” while you take a “do you mind if I take a picture” gesture will relax the atmosphere. Or take a minute to actually have a conversation – then you will have all the time you want to take a few pictures and have a good one, and the conversation is often even more interesting than the pictures !

    http://gallery.ruwenzori.net/main.php/v/travel/2009-Ghana_western_coast_tandem_Pauline/20090216_130930_7676_Ghana_western_coast_tandem.jpg.html
    http://gallery.ruwenzori.net/main.php/v/travel/2009-Ghana_western_coast_tandem_Pauline/20090226_141347_9136_Ghana_western_coast_tandem.jpg.html

    Of course sometimes it does not work… Those guys were working – greeting them from afar and taking a single picture with a smile only earned me rude gestures…

    http://gallery.ruwenzori.net/main.php/v/travel/2009-Ghana_western_coast_tandem_Pauline/20090215_153014_7429_Ghana_western_coast_tandem.jpg.html

    I’m only beginning to grasp the social skills required for street photography, but I guess that the basic approach of establishing human contact naturally works… I just have to practice much more !

  3. U r right Paul but not all blacks have the freewill to take shots. For instance i tried taken a shot of a very interesting scene at a trotro station and whoa i was almost beaten up. So u c the whites take pics and get the looks but the home ppl take shots and they get what i will call “thats a journalist, get him.” kind of treatment. lol

  4. Paul u can try taking the shots from distances like in the pic above with the guys pushing the truck, that i will say will be the only best way but if u want close and personal, then u may have to let them know ur intentions. Cudos on your taking of shots spree. lol

  5. These are wonderful pictures depicting everyday life! I have included a link back to your blog from my post today “Around The Blogosphere 13 August 09.”

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