Point Fortin Farmers’ Market

I buy a lot of my food at the Point Fortin Farmers’ Market and I take a lot of pictures, well, more pictures than the average person. Over time I’ve come to develop friendly relationships with the people who sell or grow a lot of the food I eat. I like that. When I was a child I disliked going to the market. It seemed to noisy, too smelly, too crowded. Boy how that has changed. In fact, I’ve been designated the market person in my family, much to my chagrin. One of the things that happens when you take photos is that people are wary, or shy, sometimes (too often) self-deprecating (a lovely woman once asked me why I would want to take a picture of an ugly lady like her). So often I’ve heard from beautiful brown-skinned women that they weren’t ready, that I can’t take their picture with them looking like “this”. I try to convince them that I never take a bad photo (you need to exude confidence and a bit of false modesty to cajole a determined vendor).

These market photos have been part of my mission to document and show other aspects of life in Trinidad & Tobago beyond Carnival, and to highlight the beauty of people doing their daily work. Sometimes I make prints and take them back. Because there is so much love tied into what I’m doing, and the skills I’ve developed, they shine through. I’m pleased to say the vendors have been very happy with my work. You can see more photos Point Fortin Farmers Market here.

Enjoy

L