Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Eastern Market...The answer to life, the universe and everything

Well, at least it was for me on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010. As I'm sure we've all heard by now - ad nauseum - Sunday was 10/10/10. Or, if you prefer: 10-10-10. Or, one more time: 101010, which, strangely enough, is 42 ... in binary. Hence the title of this post.

["Please Lord," he prayed silently but fervently, "don't let me be the only one who gets the joke."]*

It was bright and sunny so I decided to head out with the camera, brave the Orange and Blue line shutdowns, and take some pictures. But where should these pictures be taken? Well, Eastern Market on a Sunday is, as Goose once said, "a target-rich environment." Photographically speaking, of course.

Instead of boring you to death with 10 or 15 pictures, I've picked out just six today to tantalize you and direct you to my Flickr photostream for the rest (there's 23 more).

Warning! Photographic knowledge ahead! Warning! Unlike the pictures here, (OK, the last set I put up) Sunday I was experimenting with very, very big apertures, f/2.8 generally speaking. What this does is pick a point in space and focus on it and other objects not at that point are going to be out of focus. This is especially fun when you're shooting faces in a crowd and you want just one to be ... well ... the focus of the picture. I tried that a bit here, hope you like them.

Have you ever noticed how many people are selling mirrors at Eastern Market on Sundays? I sometimes feel as if I'm about to be interrogated for a crime I didn't commit. Anyway, in this picture, I think I managed to get parts of four different people reflected in five mirrors.

These guys were playing some fantastic bluesy guitar music. I would have hung around longer, but some woman passed out right next to them and that was my signal to exit stage left. This is a good example of a very shallow depth of field. The player in the background is in focus, but the hands of the closer one are not.

Please note, if you will, the sweet smell of success there on the right. If that doesn't do it for you, perhaps the wet kisses in the middle are more your speed.

These almost make me wish my nephew was still in onesies. But he's not, he's four and more fun to play with anyway.

This woman's face jumped out of the crowd at me. I don't know why, perhaps it's because it seems like although she's surrounded by people, she's created her own space.

And, remember, remember the sixth of February (hmmm, not as catchy as "the fifth of November..." but it'll do). That tan-and-orange hat on top of the pile on the right? It's got a fringy 'fro thing going on. I almost bought it.


For more pictures, go to my Flickr page. Or you can click on the link over there on the right side of the page.

*The answer to life, the universe and everything is 42. If you don't know that, go read a book.

15 comments:

lacochran's evil twin said...

Do you remember... the 21st night of September...

Titania said...

These are beautiful, as usual, Foggy... One of these days I'll kidnap you and make you teach me some photography!! Hope nobody lost that loving feeling at eastern market

FoggyDew said...

evil twin - uhhhh, no. Should I? But it does ryhme.

Titania - no kidnapping necessary. I'll go along peacefully. Check out the photo stream, there's a couple pictures of people who had that "loving feeling."

Anonymous said...

those are fantastic pictures! i love the guitar players, there's so much soul in his face, both on this one and on your flickr. love them.

Jenny said...

Now I wish I had known that 101010 was "42" - my currently-in-Kansas friends and I were trying to figure out something to do 10 (or 1000) times to celebrate. 42 would have been easier than 1000!

Liebchen said...

One of the questions at trivia Sunday night was "what is 10.10.10 in binary? and what question does it answer?" If we'd known the binary, we would have absolutely known the question. As it was, we kicked ourselves when the host said, "42."

FoggyDew said...

firecracker - As I was listening to them I had a flash of John Lee Hooker in the Blues Brothers. These guys were so cool they had their own weather system.

Jenny - I was going "a thousand??" what's that got to do with it. Then I got it.

Liebchen - You know if Adams had included it in the book, we'd all know. It'd be like answering "What is your name? What is your quest? What is the average airspeed of an unladen swallow?" So easy.

Sujong said...

Beautiful photos! I am sure there were many treasures to be seen at the market! It looks like fun!

hannah said...

My old stomping grounds.... how I miss EM! I love the mirrors photo - I have a mirror from that shop by my front door.

FoggyDew said...

Sujong - there are many treasures buried at Eastern Market on a Sunday. The problem is there's so much junk you also have to sift through to find them.

hannah - as i was wandering here and there, i was thinking how much i miss my friend who used to live just down the block. although, by now, i'm sure EM pales in comparison to some of your local markets.

suicide_blond said...

i was there on sunday too.. ive been going a lot lately... great shots!!!
xoxo

Alice said...

i'm going to hire you one day to walk around the city and teach me how to use my camera better.

FoggyDew said...

blond one - hmmm, makes me wonder if you showed up in any of my other pictures?? It was a beautiful day for the market.

Alice - you and Titania get together and pick the date. I've got a couple of my favorite spots in mind to practice.

hannah said...

EM has a special community feeling that I really love. Plus, as much as I enjoy this city, I know I'll never be able to make it my permanent home. That mirror photo - definitely fun! You should bring your camera here to see what you can find.

Pauline said...

"I would have hung around longer, but some woman passed out right next to them and that was my signal to exit stage left"

I hope she was o.k. Why did she faint anyways?

Your photos look great. I'm a newbie who is still figuring out how to use my new camera. Hopefully my photos in the near future will turn out!:)