When people ask me what I love about photography, I talk about how photography, in general, captures a moment and expresses love for life. It shares gratitude to have been able to witness something. This reasoning is a big part of why when someone tells me they take bad pictures, I say if the picture made you happy, it was a good picture.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and so is good photography. When I share my pictures with a stranger, I find that pictures remind them of something. The birds remind them of a home, a day they were on vacation or an adventure; in some way, by sharing my photography, I am connecting with their memories and their stories and combing them with my own. I hope that, somehow, I am encouraging them to remember their journey and appreciate the small moments they experience.
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I am sitting in a farmers market in the middle of July. I must be insane to think that many people would come this way, but there have been people, and there is a romantic sense of community. I am sitting in a foldable chair across from a churro food truck playing Mexican music with the shade of my canvas tent protecting me from the sun. There are maybe fifty tents around, and I think about how each of these people got to the point of wanting to set up in this heat and share their product. While they are motivated by profit, lots of them are also motivated by a passion for art, literature, hobbies, and well freedom. There is a hope that this interest will grow and provide more opportunities.

I imagine that the farmers’ markets will be much more popular during the fall and winter months when the heat is not so oppressive, but I am happy to learn how to set up the markets while traffic is low. I had a moment when the wind was blowing my pictures out of my stands, and I was low-key freaking out. I thought about how embarrassing it was that my setup wasn’t going to withstand the tiniest of breezes. I even considered just packing up and leaving before the market truly started. But I stopped that line of thinking, and I restarted putting the holders on top of the pictures as weights to stop the pictures from blowing away. Sure it isn’t the most beautiful of setups, but it works, and I am here. I can improve my setup for next time and be prepared for stronger winds.

I understand the hesitation f wanting to push forward when the outcome seems daunting, but I have to learn so I can be prepared for the next opportunity. Spending the money to be at the market is just a learning opportunity for me to improve how I share my photography with the world. I am not seeking to be a millionaire; I am seeking opportunities to improve my craft and be self-sustaining.

I am also happy to report that my setup of using the. Bluetooth keyboard from iClever to type is very inconspicuous and will most certainly be a worthwhile activity to do while sitting in a booth waiting for the occasional customer. I highly recommend anyone thinking about doing markets find a way to take the downtime and turn it into an opportunity.

As Gary vee says, documents don’t create. So here I am documenting the experience of doing a market in the middle of July in Arizona.