Too often are the people of Georgia portrayed as peasants struggling to emerge from Soviet oppression. Spending time in the cities and villages revealed a different reality; one that I wanted to capture in this series of portraits of every day Georgian people from three distinct regions.

The hawk-nosed old man selling potatoes out of the back of a beat up old Volga can still be found, and the country is indeed experiencing the aftermath of violent conflict, but Georgians on the whole are optimistic and cheerful; preferring to choose stylish clothing and welcoming attitudes over drab fabrics and depression. These portraits represent the average population I encountered in the wine region of Kakheti, the central Imereti, and the mountainous Svaneti.

These are but 14 of more than 60 portraits that were made in Georgia. Other images will soon appear in various exhibitions and print projects.

Photo: Mark Feenstra