Canadian photographer Vladimir Antaki studies the mysterious life of shopkeepers

For most of us, a store is just a store. Or maybe we don't pay attention to the miracle of these city temples? At its core, each shop is a unique treasure trove of goods, and it does not matter at all where it is located and what kind of sign it has. And for the owner of the store, it is home. 

In this amazing series of photos "Keepers" we can look at the life of entrepreneurs from different parts of the world. A hardware store, a second-hand shop, a newsstand, a machine shop and a bookstore-they all have their own unique secret.

Newsstand: Jaynul works on the New York subway six days a week for 12 hours a day to send the money he earned to his family in Bangladesh.

Butcher shop: the seller Rashid on the background of pink and red behind the counter in Paris.

Abu Georges is standing behind the counter in his store.

Jacek maintains perfect order in a London bookstore.

Vladimir Antaki, a photographer from Montreal, has been working on a unique project since 2012. He spends the whole day with each "keeper" of the store to find out what they do and how they manage their business. Usually, the photographer takes pictures only at the end of the working day. 

Temple: Melissa with pink hair looks like a real stoic among all these religious things, including a giant statue of Jesus under the counter, in Montreal (Canada).

Salesman Richard in a Montreal thrift store.

Esther claims that her super-ordered fabric store in Montreal fills her life with meaning and gives food for thought.

On weekdays, David and his dog work in a London antiques store, and on weekends he takes part in the reconstruction of medieval battles.

Until the age of 35, the ornithologist worked on Wall Street in New York, where he managed to make a small fortune, and then he decided to open his own music store.

Avraham, a Lebanese mechanic, is developing the automotive industry in the Middle East.

Parisian Denise was forced to restore her pastry shop after a gas explosion in the basement.

Jose is in a basement electrical supply store in New York.

Edviz looks out from behind old magazines in his shop in Paris.

Doesn't look like a shoe store? Parisian Baba works as a shoemaker, although among the many books and globes in his workshop, you can find only one shoe.

In the bookstore of Terrence, residents of Montreal can not only read various literature, but also take a break from the noisy streets.

Marie is fond of antique objects from the last century.