For me, Cambridge Market Square is the first point of call when I hit the center of town. It’s a great way to tune my eyes and it rarely disappoints in inspiring my creativity. There is always a wealth of interesting characters, both stallholders and shoppers alike, all going about their business and mostly unaware as I twist through the lanes with my camera.
It has become somewhat of a rite of passage for all Cambridge street photographers and you often see others, cameras primed, milling about and looking for their next great shot. And it’s easy to see why.
The plentiful stalls add some much-needed colour to the city and the metal structures create perfect frames, with leading lines and multiple angles to play with, as well as some nice shade in the summer.
As the day progresses, the market evolves. By lunchtime, it is heaving, with crowds hungry to grab something from the many food stalls. The air filled with smoke, steam, and wonderful smells with every corner and tight lane of the market occupied by people eating and chatting.
Through the afternoon, as the light moves, shadows are cast further and the crowds thin out until finally the vans arrive and the packing away begins. This can sometimes be the best part of the day for those wanting to shoot silhouettes as the white vans offer the perfect backdrop to the busy stallholders as they gesture and gather their belongings.
As Cambridge Market is quite small, it isn’t really possible to occupy yourself there all day but it is a spot to return to throughout the day and still find something new on each visit.
I wanted to thank Matt Hall for writing this guest blog, you can check out more of Matt’s work via his new website: Click here
