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Sale Stalls: Photographer documents how street stalls differ across the world

In his ongoing series Sale Stalls, German photographer Simon Koy travels the world to explore what stalls might look like in different cultures.

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Three mannequin heads wearing colourful hijabs in rust, grey and bright blue displayed on a market stall alongside textiles and accessories

From India, Peru and Albania to China, Iran and Cuba, he has so far spent more than 10 years documenting the many street markets and shops that he's come across. And it's a quest that he claims to be never-ending.

He explains: "Stalls are everywhere and can tell you a lot about a country. In many cases, they're completely improvised – just a pop-up type shop in the middle of nowhere, selling all kinds of unusual things. It can be very amusing and heartwarming, and I love to meet the people who run them. Sure, not everyone I meet is friendly, but how I'm welcomed reveals a lot more about the local culture than you'd expect. Sometimes, it can be sad... for example, in Cuba, they often sell things which would otherwise be thrown away in Europe. It really highlights the depth of poverty in some parts of the world."

Koy adds: "When I take these pictures, people are usually very friendly and happy for me to photograph them, but they don't understand why. For them, it's nothing special. For me, it means everything and really helps to paint a clearer picture of how countries are so different."

To discover more about the Munich-based photographer, visit his website at www.simonkoy.de.

Via direct submission

A colourful beach vendor cart laden with inflatable toys and souvenirs sits on sand with a bay and city skyline behind it
Hundreds of shoes suspended on strings fill a shop doorway, displaying an eclectic mix of footwear in various colours and styles for sale
Butcher shop owner sits outside his stall in Albania with carcasses hanging from hooks above the storefront
Overhead view of a fish market stall with fresh fish displayed in colourful plastic containers on a dark textured surface, from Simon Koy's Sale Stalls series
Weathered turquoise painted wall with boarded-up window and religious offerings of candles and flowers displayed on the ground below, documenting a street stall in Cuba
Open car boot displaying a fresh fish for sale on a street in Cuba, with an orange umbrella and blue fence visible behind it
A man stands at a bus station carrying branded bags and a metal container, with parked buses and crowds visible behind him in India
Meat vendor holding up a cut of raw meat at his stall in India, surrounded by hanging carcasses and cuts of meat
Collection of colourful pens and pencils arranged on a dark striped surface, likely from a street stall in one of the countries documented in Simon Koy's Sale Stalls series
Brightly dyed chicks in vivid shades of yellow, red, blue and pink clustered together at a market stall
Man in bloodstained white coat stands behind a wooden counter with raw meat cuts displayed, against a pale wall with metal rail fixtures
Various grains and legumes displayed in sacks and bowls at an Indian street market stall, with a vendor resting in the background
Shelves displaying mannequin heads wearing colourful Nike and Adidas beanies and winter hats in various bright hues and designs.
Colourful Venice Beach souvenir stall with socks, skateboards and toys, with owner standing in doorway beneath California and American flags
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