By Brian T. Evans – brianevansphoto.com
Did you know we have the oldest continuously operating farmer’s market in the United States right here in Downtown Lancaster? For more than 275 years, residents of Lancaster have been gathering “at market” to socialize and, of course, buy and sell the uniquely delicious bounty of our County. Central Market is not only a great destination for locals and tourists, but photographers as well.
While shooting indoors in the dimly lit market can be difficult, if you’re up to the challenge the payoff in terms of subjects is rich and diverse. From mouth-watering fruits and vegetables, all kinds of patrons and shop-tenders, decades old vendor stands, and items that are uniquely Lancaster County such as quilts and whoopie pies, there’s no end to the shooting opportunities. Even with recent renovations within the past few years that let in a little bit more light, you’ll still want to make sure your ISO is comfortably high and shoot with a wider aperture lens to get the most out of your interior shots. Wandering the aisles of markets is a fantastic culinary experience and provides plenty of local color to shoot to boot.
On the exterior, Central Market’s brick Romanesque Revival building with its twin towers is a great subject on its own, but it also provides a great backdrop for portraits. Market’s nice long expanses of bright red brick offer a great way to isolate your subject without any distractions in your frame. And if you enjoy finding a little bit of well-worn paint and rust here and there as I do, the streets and alleyways that immediately surround Market are rife with little gems of decay that come along with having a thriving century old building smack dab in the middle of modern urban area.
So the next time you’re down at Market, make sure to bring along your camera. You’ll be sure to take home some great photos in addition to all the items on your grocery list.
