My boyfriend Erlend and I have spent our past few Saturday mornings perusing the Portland Farmer’s Market. While he (smartly) gathers a week’s worth of food and vegetables for himself, I’m more interested in what I’m able to eat right then and, of course, the photo opportunities the market present.

I’ve always been a little bit shy about pulling my DSLR out at restaurants and most places in general. I guess it’s a residual from growing up? My parents were pretty strict with dining table manners and etiquette: no cell phones/Game Boys/etc at the dinner table were allowed. Dinner time was family time, no exceptions allowed. To be honest I’m not even sure what they would say about today’s trend of taking pictures of and instagramming one’s food.

Eitherway, I’ve been making an effort to get past my irrational embarrassment about my DSLR. Besides, food photography in real life presents fun challenges that I’ve learned to control in my janky setup at home. For instance, whereas most of my photography at home takes place under soft, muted light  from my window (that I filter with a bedsheet!), the farmer’s market had bright, brilliant sunlight that created beautifully harsh contrast and dramatic shadows. Think: bright vivid colors and tight composition. I loved it.

Without further ado: