In the Market For...

I feel like I've been hinting about the photos I took at the Mercado do Bolhao in Oporto, Portugal for some time now.  I definitely mentioned it at least here and here and maybe elsewhere on my blog.  I already posted some when I had a post on sly portraits though I really didn't identify them as market photos.  My personal favorite, sunflowers in black and white, was included in my post on flor. (If you haven't already seen it, click on the link and check it out.  I really like that photograph.)

Now I thought it was finally time to do an actual post on the market itself.  Described as "bustling" and "exuberant", "flamboyant" and "colorful," my friend Laura and I specifically selected it out of our guidebook (thanks Rick Steves) as a place that would likely have great photo opps.  And it did.  Although we caught it on a slow morning, Laura and I wandered down the halls of this old open air market place, stopping at stalls and snapping photos.  It was made for black and white photography.  

I wish I could have bought something from one of the many housewives hawking their goods, but there was no place for flowers and no kitchen for cooking meals on our road trip through Portugal.  But there was always (well, at least at this point in the trip) room on my memory card for more photos.

I also want to thank everyone at Black&White Wednesday, hosted by The Long Road to China, for welcoming me so wholeheartedly!  I shared my first post last week and everyone was so supportive.  Thanks guys!  I'm so happy to be part of this great community.  And if you haven't had a chance yet, go check out the other great blogs that participate now (well, after you scroll down to the bottom of this post at least).  

Also - I'm now on Twitter (though I'm still very, very new to it and just learned what certain things like "RT" mean).  Follow me @CameraGirlK if you like. 

(Oporto market, photographed June 2010)