Farmers Market Produce Stand
The Ferry Building, once San Francisco’s largest transportation hub, is now home to one of the largest Farmers Markets in the west. Local farmers pile the building and the Pier behind it with colorful local products every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This explosion of colors and contours appeals to photographers for obvious reasons.
Despite outstanding photography, you will find some of the finest local products the Bay Area has to offer. Although the price tag of some products appears steep, it is impossible to match the value and quality of the local produce. After sampling the fruits, street food or fresh oysters you will know what I mean. The organic food does not compare to the organic food at your grocery chain store. The pears are as large as a baby’s head and as sweet as you can possibly imagine.
The friendly, relaxed atmosphere and the terrific, tasty treats make the Farmers Market one of the most pleasant places to photograph.
How to get there
Ferry Building Map (click to enlarge)
Take King Street Exit from I-280 northbound and follow The Embarcadero, which will lead you directly to the Ferry Building; or follow The Embarcadero east from Fisherman’s Wharf. You can even walk here from Fisherman’s Wharf.
GPS position
37° 47.720′N 122° 23.547′W
How to photograph San Francisco’s Farmers Market at the Ferry Building
From The Embarcadero, steps lead up to the second floor of the Ferry Building. From here, you have a superb perspective on the busy market inside the building’s first floor. Look for shoppers and vendors, try to isolate action or let the crowd blend to one continuous mass of people!
I took the picture at the start of this article upstairs looking down. Deliberately underexposing the picture, I made the rest of the store and other shoppers vanish in the darkness. This helps to isolate my main subject between the two produce racks. The symmetry and the saturated colors create a pleasing picture.
Honey Stand at the Farmers Market
The market is even larger outside. Whether you are a street photographer out to capture people or a still life photographer ready to capture fruits in their various shapes, colors and arrangements, you will find the subject you are looking for.
Ferry Building with Palms
Isolate your subject from the busy background to enhance your composition.
Do not isolate yourself though, and follow the behavioral code of street photographers by blending into the crowd. Become a part of the crowd you are photographing. Sample the foods and buy a few items. Vendors are here to sell their quality products. Photography should be a secondary aspect of your visit, even if you are a serious photographer. Enjoy yourself, spend some money and people will open up to you. Most sellers will not mind some photographs of the fruit stand after you bought a few items.
You have your pick of scenic backdrops from the pier area behind the building. The Bay Bridge, San Francisco Skyline or the Ferry Building itself serve to put your photographs into the context of the city.
The Ferry Building can stand as a subject in its own right. Walk across The Embarcadero towards the Embarcadero Center. Photograph the building with palm trees in the foreground from here. Stay mobile and walk around, looking for compositions that best suit your needs. Include a street musician, the strange fountain sculpture or another person or isolate the building.
Best Time of the Day and Best Season
Saturday’s are the busiest and thus the most photogenic but also most stressful. Spring through fall is best.
Time required
About 90 minutes are sufficient to sample the goodies and take some photographs. Sit down in a restaurant and add the appropriate time to your budget. It is worth it.
Equipment
- A 50mm lens is great for street shots
- The “kit” lens that sometimes comes with your camera is great too. It is small and unobtrusive. I used my Rebel with Kit Lens for the photographs on this page.
- Less is more for this kind of photography.
Fees
The market is free, but there is no free parking. This map outlines nearby parking lots and their respective cost. The information booth at the market will validate your ticket.
Difficulty Getting There
Traffic on The Embarcadero near the Ferry Building is usually very dense during market days. You need to plan sufficient time or plot a detour to your desired parking garage.
Close Locations
- Pier 7
- Fisherman’s Wharf
- Fisherman’s Wharf Street Photography
- Pier 39
- Financial District
- Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill
- Chinatown
- Lombard Street
- Cable Cars
- Alcatraz
- Treasure Island
- USS Pampanito Submarine
Useful Resources
Ferry Building Market Place Website
L.A. Times Article on the Farmers Market and the Building
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3 Comments
Love the colours in ‘produce stand’
Perfect subject for this harvest time of year. Love the colors.
The farm markets offer a plethora of colors, don’t they? Nicely done as always.