CNN senior writer and globe-trotting shutterbug Nadia Lancy explains the best ways to capture street markets. Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao in Bogota, Colombia (pictured), isn't found in most guidebooks, but it provides a chance to document Bogota's real flavor.
Nadia Lancy/CNN
Ugly is beautiful —
Flowers and fruit are always beautiful to look at. But sometimes "ugly" subjects make more compelling pictures, says Lancy. She means the gutted fish, not the fish monger.
Nadia Lancy/CNN
Ugly is also interesting —
You might get a little dirty photographing a butcher in a bloody apron, but for real photographers, the results are worth it.
Nadia Lancy/CNN
Focus on faces —
All those exotic fruits and lush flowers make awesome subjects. But don't forget about the men and women selling them.
Nadia Lancy/CNN
Buy something —
Subjects are more relaxed and willing to do you a favor (pose nicely) after you've done something for them.
Nadia Lancy/CNN
Get close, fill the frame —
Wide shots can help you set the scene, but at the sacrifice of details.
Nadia Lancy/CNN
Get close, fill the frame —
Getting close to a subject -- from a vividly colored bucket of corn to a group of wooden spoons -- make photographs more interesting.
Nadia Lancy/CNN
Watch your lighting —
Markets present real challenges with lighting. You might be shooting outdoors, indoors or both. Lancy's recommendation: choose automatic white balance on your DSLR camera.
Nadia Lancy/CNN
Learn to use automatic white balance —
The automatic white balance setting allows you to shoot freely without worrying about changing lighting.
Nadia Lancy/CNN
Get the lay of the land —
Doing some preliminary reconnaissance helps you find the most interesting stalls in sprawling, gigantic markets.
