Photofeed Portrait Photography 121: a market vendor

here is a series of candid portraits from the Sunday market in Shiroda, Maharashtra, India. we are regular customers of this vegetable vendor with her simple stall on the main street. the market is a lively place where we do most of our shopping for the week but it is also an important social and cultural event

a customer is interested in the squash but before any transaction the squash must be thoroughly inspected and the price must be negotiated

a newcomer to the market may only be interested in getting a good product at a good price on the spot but for residents and regular customers other long term considerations are more important. developing a relationship of mutual respect and give-and-take dynamics is necessary for the vendor to gain and keep loyal customers and for the customer to be assured of a regular supply of good quality produce over time.

so the discussion and process is far more intricate and elaborate than the actual squash at hand. shopping like this is undeniably time consuming but it is time well spent on moments of human interaction

i took these shots with my S22 phone camera., the candid shoot lasted 32 seconds.