Markets (write up)

For one of our weekly topics, we were given the brief of “markets”, which in turn we saw the arrival of the popular German Market in Leeds. Along side the topic, the choice of technique to be used was Aperture.
The majority of the set was taken at an aperture of approximately 3.5f – 5f. My reasoning for this was to highlight the objects I was shooting, so when presenting the photos it’s clear what my subject is to my audience. Using a wide aperture is an excellent technique to highlight a particular element; which is perfect for the topic in hand. Controlling the depth of field is vital to emphasize a specific part of the scene.
As the German Market is a well-known event every winter, as predicted, the area was somewhat crowded. Particularly on a couple of the photos I’ve taken, a shallow depth of field worked beautifully – it highlighted the subject, however the blurred crowd in the foreground is subtly distracting which brought a lively feel to the image. The set of photos are mainly taken at the German Market, however I took a look around Leeds Market too. Whilst planning the shoot, I asked some friends what they thought of when asked upon the topic of “markets” – the majority answered “fruit and veg”. The two photos of the oranges and cherries, I tried shooting when people were purchasing the fruit. I thought this brought an everyday feeling of real life within the market, compared to the hectic, lively experience of the German Market. I think this brings a nice, symmetrical balance to the set of photos.
Before going to the markets, I’d already planned the settings I was going to use. In my opinion, maximising the depth of field around the markets would have resulted in a lack of atmosphere and focus; people in society go to markets to look for specific things whether it is fruit, veg, or miscellaneous objects. Therefore, for me a smaller aperture was the obvious technique to use.
Though I was pleased with the photos, I would have liked to use a variety of lenses. For example, a wide angle or fisheye lens would have brought a different feel to the images, bringing the scene together rather than focusing on a particular area or object. Generally, the choice of settings within aperture I think were crucial for this topic. I really enjoyed the German Market and it’s made me realise what interesting things you can find – and shoot.