Photographing a Village Cheese Factory in Georgia

It's my last day here in Georgia, with another chaotic bus ride back into Armenia in the morning tomorrow. To be honest, I don't really want to leave just yet. I feel that life here has so much to capture. There's always something new for me to discover with new people nearby. And I think today's sudden adventure is just evidence of this. I woke up around 10:30AM, went to grab coffee, and was immediately invited to a small nearby cheese production facility. Everything here is made with produce from the local farmers, so I was curious as to how this may look. I was told it was basically a factory, though I caught a glimpse of it on the way back home yesterday evening as the sun began to set. Not a glimpse of the interior, but a glimpse of the exterior: a small building that looked more like a home than a facility for the production of anything for that matter. I had a very quick coffee, and before I knew it, I was off down the road to the building. I gave off an uncertain greeting to the people as I entered the building, not actually sure if the camera I was holding in my hand would actually be welcomed.

It was interesting that when I asked about it, I was told that the main reason I actually was invited was to photograph the production in the first place. It gave me a little more confidence as I entered, but I still felt a little awkward walking throughout the room and getting up-close with the workers as they went about their actions. The room was filled with large containers that held some sort of liquid in them. They were mixed slowly, some left idle. The room held about three or four people in it, and it was clear that this wasn't a massive operation; though something quite large for a small village. Here people trade goods with produce still, though I suspect that this production is in the pursuit of money based on the large amounts of cheese being made. The workers seemed like everyday farmers, some in their typical farmer's clothing, a little scruffy. Varying ages that implied either family contributions or decades of experience in some of the elders.

From my understanding, the cheese would be made by leaving the water mostly idle, to which the cheese at the bottom would slowly harden and take its form. Going from being something more of a liquid into a solid. The process wasn't really entirely explained to me as I roamed the room with the camera and took photographs of the processes unfolding around me. Two men poured some sort of liquid into different buckets, I assume this came from the leftovers of the cheese that would then be used as some type of butter or oil. Another man tested the texture of the cheese in a large container by dipping his arm into it and feeling it with his hands. Eventually he began to collect it in an interesting manner with some sort of netting, to which he'd then pull out a large sum out cheese within it. Drops of liquid would splash around, some landing on me. Once I noticed these small moments, I began to focus on capturing them, the emotion involved in the process. The difficulty of collecting it all. 

It seems that I was a little late to the main part of the production, though I caught some really fun photographs of it all. It was interesting to see how a community came together to produce something with some clear complexity. Apparently they come together around the same time of 11AM each day to produce the cheese. Load it onto a truck, and then I assume sell it somewhere. What I did enjoy was also witnessing the cleanup of the whole operation. An almost empty bottle of vodka sat idle in a corner, with three empty shot glasses, a small string of cheese on a plate, and some bread. I lightly chuckled at the sight of this, with no surprise given my experience in this side of the world. Vodka always making its way into every event, even if it appears to be a workday. This also made some sense in regards to the more scruffy look to some of the workers, that clear slight drunkenness. Though this just a added to the humour of the whole situation to me.

I think in total I only really spent about ten to fifteen minutes in this little factory. The main worker seeming very open and interested in sharing the whole process to us; it seemed like a fast-paced environment in which many people would come and go, lots of contributions from different people in every aspect. Even as it came to clearing up, a new, singular person remained as they cleaned the floor with a constant hose that pumped water all over. Other elements of apparatus being cleaned with different tools and rags. All in preparation for the next day. I was alone with this person at one point, observing their movements and looking for compositions to capture. Watching the life unfolding before me, the methods of something that I had just never even thought of, let alone had seen before. It was a really interesting experience, and definitely a ton of fun to capture with the camera. 

So much so, that I even wanted to go back and capture more after I had returned home. Though it was a bit too late at that point, and most items had already been cleaned, and the main event had already finished. It was more a sign that I had to return here some other time when I had more freedom, and spend more time with such individuals. I really love photographing moments like this, capturing the differences in culture, the little moments of action. I can't wait to do more.

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