Berlin Farmer’s Market - 004

This photo might’ve been taken sometime in 2024. Honestly, I clear out my Lightroom so often just to save space that I’ve done a horrible job archiving my work. What I do remember is that this was taken at the Berlin Farmer’s Market.

This place hits differently for me, it is super nostalgic. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, though it’s been around way before my time. For those who don’t know what the Berlin Farmer’s Market is, think of it as this old-school, gritty New Jersey staple that’s been around since the 1940s. It started as a traditional farmer’s market but turned into a kind of hybrid: part indoor market, part outdoor flea market. It’s got vendors who’ve been around for decades.

Berlin’s outdoor flea market is very different than its indoor shops. You can find just about anything here—used work uniforms, comic books, retro toys, random tools, you name it. It’s basically like a yard sale exploded into a small town. The air always smells weird, like this mix of grilled food, fried dough, and cigarette smoke. My favorite part? The apple cider donuts.

While walking through the outdoor flea market with my brother, I had my camera with me (I try to keep it on me when I can). I snapped a couple of shots. The thing is, my brother hates when I take photos of strangers. He was getting so irritated he started walking ahead of me, attempting to disassociate himself from whatever I was doing.

Then I looked up and saw this face, buried in his phone. I brought my camera up into position. The moment he looked at me, I snapped. Not intentionally, it just happened that way. After I took the shot, I quickly looked away like nothing happened, hoping not to be discovered. I figured I might’ve caught something decent. I shoved my camera back in my bag and told myself I had taken enough for the day.

When I got home and cleared my card, this photo stood out. I gave it my usual touches and saved it to a folder on my Mac. While going through my archive this week, I saw this photo. Difficult to ignore, the subject’s stare caught my eye again.

Enjoy.