Grocery Store Standoff

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It’s Friday night and the grocery store is abuzz. Couples bickering with each other on what to eat, Grandma looking at the Heinz ketchup label trying to decide what’s the best ounce option to price ratio, lonely bachelors wandering the isles wondering why they came down that particular isle in the first place, and me, deciding what cereal to pick up. Designed like a Las Vegas style casino, I try not to get lost in the dimly lit glam that is C-Town. I’m strategic. Cereal, almond milk, register, home.

And then it happened…

“We’re out of bags.” she said. “That’s fine, I’ll pay the 5 cents for paper.” I replied while looking for my debt card. Irritated, she replied “No, we don’t do bags honey” while tapping her long manicured nail on their newly laminated sign. “Seriously?” was all I could utter, and the cashier shrugged with that look of, Do you still want your food?

What irritated me was not her response but that I had be preparing my entire life for this moment. Apartment living is tight living. If you look under my sink you’ll find a plethora of plastic bags saved up of which any Nonna would be proud. With varieties and sizes for all occasions of item carrying, I had none on me. Stunned, I picked up my items, sans bag, and walked into the drizzling rain and short walk home.


In the grand scheme, not a huge deal. A bit of inconvenience, but in the world that I create for my clients, it’s all about convenience. Look, a portrait is personal. You don’t just let anyone take your photograph. So when you do commit to your artist of choice, you want to know you’re being taken care of throughout the whole process. Where little things mean the world, we take the time to make sure you’re able to carry your vision of today into the the ether beyond. Double bagged.

Get personal and carry on with Karjaka.

Aleksandr Karjaka
Aleksandr Karjakahttp://karjaka.com
Aleksandr Karjaka came to New York for the music, but stayed for the visuals. As a classically trained musician, he’s had the honor of performing with some of the greatest musicians, and artistic houses, in the world. Often quoted as "Listening through his eyes." he's photographed the lives and stories of thousands of artists of all fields over the years. Here are their KARJAKA portraits.

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