A market notebook

Markets are workplaces before they are visitor attractions. Start by observing the flow of customers and leave entrances clear. Ask before taking portraits and accept a refusal without argument. The sound of conversation, the order of a stall and the way goods are wrapped can be interesting without a camera.

If you want to buy something, make the exchange straightforward. Ask about a price and a product rather than inventing a competition over bargaining. Write down what you learned afterwards. A notebook can describe an encounter without claiming that one visit explains an entire community.

Notebook exercise

Take ten minutes to record one detail from your own day. Include the date and setting, then leave the page open for a later observation. Keep any private information out of a version you share.