Mornings in Prague are quiet, especially at 5:30 a.m. Yet the early hours of the day have proved particularly good times to encounter locals, as tourists aren’t typically early-risers. I’ve found that, while there aren’t many people walking the streets of the city, there tend to be a good amount of folks gathered at tram stops in the morning on their way to work. Such was the case with the two men above.

I first approached them because, from a distance, their bright red uniforms reminded me of fire-fighters. They spoke next to no English, but I was able to communicate my desire to make their picture well enough through gestures. After attempting to chat with them again, they were able to communicate that they worked for a construction company and were on their way to work. The one on the left was eager to see the photos I had taken, while the one on the right kept to his cigarette the whole time.

There’s something intriguing to me about the emotionless stares they are giving in this photo, and I can’t quite put my finger on why I like their vacant expressions so much. Maybe it’s because they are fairly accurate representations of the demeanor of Czech people as a whole. On the other hand, they also look kind of scary. Anyhow, I’m grateful the two were up for a photoshoot at such an ungodly hour.