Two of my favorite places to shoot are farmers markets & public markets. Not only can you get some weekly shopping done (how many other photo shoots can you say that?), but the photos are colorful, energetic, & show a sliver of daily life. Here are some tips to get the best photos possible on your next trip to the market:
Go on off-times
This means visiting a Saturday market when they first open or just as they’re beginning to tear down – you don’t want to be competing with shoppers random hands & arms & shoulders in your shots during prime shopping time. Even better: find markets that are open during the week, when most people are at work. It’ll give you more space to work.this photo in the popular (crowded) Pike Place Market in Seattle works because it highlights the apples & is free of distractions – it was taken at 3pm on a rainy Friday afternoon (C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reservedthe popular West Side Market in Cleveland had plenty of room to shoot at 9am on a Friday morning (C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
“Read” the vendors If you shoot enough markets, you’ll learn how to figure out which vendors don’t mind you shooting their products & which wish you’d just buzz off. If you’re getting a negative vibe, simply ask the vendor if it’s okay for you to shoot there. They might ask you to buy something – then it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth it or not. Better yet, develop a relationship with the vendors who have the most “photogenic” displays. If you do some shopping & shooting, chances are they’ll mind your loitering a bit less.
I ended up buying this pint of raspberries at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City – but I didn’t mind because I loved this shot & the berries made the perfect breakfast (C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
Get up close My favorite market shots are when the item you’re shooting completely fills the frame. If you can, take the time to compose the photo in camera, rather than depending on cropping tools in post processing. In addition, look at your subject from different angles & in different light – both things which take an ordinary photo to extraordinary.
a very small aperture makes these calla lilies really pop at the Union Square Greenmarket (C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reservedbeing eye level with these peppers made the light more interesting at the Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market (C) Christina Saull – All Rights ReservedI crouched on the floor to get the shot I wanted of this colorful bulk candy at Mercat de La Boqueria in Barcelona, Spain (C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
Look for “non-food” scenes One of my favorite markets in the world is on Saturday morning in Barbados. It’s a huge gathering of ex-pats from several countries &, after shopping, many folks hang around to eat breakfast & converse with each other. A perfect opportunity to practice street photography! Children climb trees. Old friends chat over tea. Small talk is made in the coffee line.mingling at the Brighton Farmers Market in Barbados (C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
Enjoy yourself I’ve really never found an unhappy market!
dreaming about dinner at the Granville Public Market in Vancouver (probably my favorite market in the whole world!) (C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
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