Boston farmers market

[Ron Evers]

It was quite a hive of activity.

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

[pixilstudio]

kinda uninteresting and flat no real focal point

 

[arcooke]

I see a lot of missed opportunities here. It looks like you just randomly took some snapshots with no real goal. I would have tried to get a profile shot of someone inspecting a piece of fruit. I would have gotten down to the fruit's level and taken a close up shot looking down the many bins of fruit, gradually fading out of focus into the distance. I would have gotten one of an employee behind the fruit stand, with the fruit also in the frame.. particularly that smiley fellow with the Bud Light shirt. I would have done something with that neat strip of light bulbs from shot #2

 

[Derrel]

kinda uninteresting and flat no real focal point

Pixilstudio is so diplomatic Ron...I was gonna say, "these suck." (lol, jk, I'm not quite that cold-hearted, but I need to keep up appearances for the peanut gallery!)

I dunno--these just seem "too far away". In formal C&C language, these lack the "visual immediacy" I crave...I want the camera to be closer to the tables, the produce, and the people. I am craving a visual taste of the pineapples...but they are too small within the frame, and too far away. These shots are what I would class as "medium shots" if this were a film...the camera is far enough away that we can see a lot of the overall scene, but this is a modern street market, not an old-timey one...the feeling these shots have is of a disconnected, dispassionate, somewhat timid observer, standing well back and documenting whatever is in front of the lens.

For example, the pineapples...dang, I love fresh pineapples...had you used an ULTRA-wide lens and shot tall, and been three feet from the pineapples, they would be rendered large and in the front of the frame. The rest of the veggies and fruits would have then been the sole background. The vendor in the Bud light shirt....him as background subject in a tall shot, with the red and yellow peppers as strong foreground elements...now THAT would have gotten me drawn (visually, emotionally) into the booth...these are just shot from too far away to make me want to care about anything going on. As purely for-historical-record-purposes, these would work as records down the road.

It might seem cliche, but these simply lack an interesting foreground element, and are made from so far away and with such a dull, boring focal length that there isn't much visual reward in the photos; they lack a "hook"; the people are small, the wares are small, and well, I dunno...just no focal points to draw me in and make me want to look at the images. This type of street work depends on having something "interesting", shown at a big enough size, or sufficiently oddball, that it will cause the viewer to explore the photo. These do not meet that criteria--today. Maybe in 50 years they will have more appeal, like the old-time city and street and storefront views so popular on Shorpy.com.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

Did you meet Bitter there?

His Boston farmers Market thread...

 

[manaheim]

Man both Bitter and Ron were in town and I had no idea. Sadness.

I tend to agree with the previous comments, Ron. That place is a train wreck which is full of all sorts of potential interesting stuff. I don't think you quite captured any of it, unfortunately.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I went last year. Rons post reminded me that I never posted pictures from there. It also fun to see his pics and know exactly where he was. You can even use information from his pics and place him in mine. LOL Ron that place was an absolute zoo, so I headed for higher ground...err, the parking garage at the one end to capture it. Hope you had fun in Boston!Manaheim, next time I go out there again I'll let you know. I was only there for 24 hours. So much more to see!

 

[manaheim]

^^^ that'd be cool, Bitter. Would be cool to meet you!

there is a TON to see and shoot in Boston, too. Great little city.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

there is a TON to see and shoot in Boston, too. Great little city.

LOL little city... You've never been to Moncton I see. I know Ron has. Unfortunately we never had the opportunity to meet (I was fairly new to TPF last time he was in town.)

 

[Ron Evers]

I get the point you folks are trying to make & will try to incorporate another time but as Bitter said it is a zoo & you are hard pressed to get a shot without someone right in front of the lens. This was the only time on the trip I was not using my Tokina 35-105, I switched it out for a Vivitar 24/2.8 before I got off the bus. Anybody find a Vivitar lens cap in Boston?

 

[pgriz]

What you're showing us, Ron, is shooting at the farmer's market is not for the faint of heart! We have several farmers' markets in our area and they are a total beehive of jostling people swinging bags filled with heavy produce, kids darting in and out between feet, parents in hot pursuit of said kids, and various rude and polite people trying to get past each other. I've often thought about the photographic opportunities of such markets, but I'd probably need a couple of bodyguards to watch my back while I take photos - because some mama with 50 lbs of whatever won't care whether I get the shot or not - she just wants to get the weight off her hands and is making a beeline for the car!

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Ron, did you get any pictures of the cool bridge? I can't remember what it was called.

Did you get a tour on the "Duck Boats"?

 

[manaheim]

Ron, did you get any pictures of the cool bridge? I can't remember what it was called.

Did you get a tour on the "Duck Boats"?

Zakim Bridge.

This sucker...

 

[shortpants]

You're making me want to go before the cold weather. I love the Boston farmer's market. It definitely is a zoo.

 

[Ron Evers]

Ron, did you get any pictures of the cool bridge? I can't remember what it was called.

Did you get a tour on the "Duck Boats"?

No bridge pics.

As the bus passed the park the tour guide pointed out the Duck Boats but we did not stop.

Bitter, did you do Plymouth & see the pathetic Plymouth Rock?

We have bigger rocks than that in our yard. I was expecting something like Gibraltar or the cost of Newfoundland.