12 Months on Film: November — Dark Shadows at Pike Place Market on the Holga 120GNP
For the November installment of the 12 Months on Film project, I visited Pike Place Market in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning. The normally bustling market was quiet on the holiday, shops closed and locked up tight. The darkness of the underground area was too much for my camera and film selection, so a few frames are shadowy fails. But, I was able to capture the signs and lights that I had hoped to against the darkness of deep blacks. A few through the dashboard window photos finished out the roll.
Chasing Pike Place Shadows
Here are a few things I noticed this month:
The Richness of Fall Shadows: November light cuts through urban spaces at a much lower angle, creating long, dramatic shadow patterns. Film handles these deep, dark tones beautifully, creating a classic, cinematic mood in a busy marketplace.
Navigating High-Contrast Spaces: Moving between bright outdoor stalls and dark covered hallways challenges you to meter quickly. Choosing a versatile film stock that has enough latitude to handle both bright highlights and deep pockets of shade is key.
Isolating Intimate Market Details: In a chaotic environment, the best compositions are often the simplest ones. Focusing on the graphic line of a sign, the reflection on a wet sidewalk, or a single slice of light cutting through a crowd helps anchor the frame.
