As a writer, I’m always trying to avoid clichés, so naturally that applies to my photography, too. That thought was on my mind when I visited the Ballard Sunday Market near my home in Seattle. It had been too long since I’d wandered down to the market, and so my wife and I dragged our non-caffeinated selves out of the house and into the sunny morning.
(Click any photo to view it larger.)
After grabbing breakfast crèpes at one stand and much needed coffees from the Convoy Coffee cart, my brain was in a better place to start making photos. And that’s when my inner editor spoke up: “An open market? Could I get any more urban cliché than that?”
That voice is a real pain in the ass. Yes, a market can be a visual cliché. But a Sunday market is also filled with color, and variety, and interesting morning light. Those are all things that are great to put in front of a camera lens.
I also reminded myself that I wasn’t on assignment, or even shooting photos for any specific project. I deliberately chose to spend a lazy summer morning at the market, sampling food, talking with the woman I love, and experiencing life. I gave myself permission to take photos that appealed to me, and if none of them turned out well, that was okay.
I ended up leaving the market with a bouquet of sunflowers, a bottle of hard cider, half a dozen freshly made mini donuts, and a few photos I like.
Jeff Carlson | Never Enough Coffee Creations 