Well, it sure has been a bad week in the stock market, hasn’t it? You’ve got to feel for these poor folks who work the world’s stock markets. Judging from their expressions and body language, it seems like an awfully uncomfortable profession right now.

As a picture editor, I’ve often remarked that the photos from the stock exchanges are the same whether the market goes up or down—-the traders are usually very expressive regardless. This week, I’ve compiled a few photographs of traders, and have a few observations:

(1) a chart in the background seems to help, particularly if you shoot from behind the trader.

(2) Traders rub their eyes and bury their faces in their hands a lot. Here’s one that also has the variation of the “chart in the background” theme, and another with the “head-in-hands” motif.

(3) Brazilians by far are the most excitable traders.

(4) Traders are really good photographic subjects—most seem to be totally oblivious to the camera, although I wondered about this guy.

(5) The economic pain knows no borders.

Here’s a link to the larger photo gallery. Let’s hope next week is better for these folks, and the rest of us too.