Smiles and Sunflowers

The annual Sunflower Market in Downtown Chandler, AZ truly brings out the best of what the community has to offer. Vendors from all around the area begin setting up as early as 5 AM! I showed up a little early that day to watch, and help out with, the hustle and bustle. And let me just say, I’m definitely glad that most days I’m just the photographer and don’t have to be there before the sun. Early mornings are not my cup of tea, but sometimes they prove to be worth the struggle to get my lazy a** out of bed.

It took a little while for the town to wake up and join us in the square, but once they did, the day truly began to bloom. The sun began to shine overhead, and the shoppers started to flow in, bouncing between rows of handmade goods and fresh produce. Sunflowers were handed out to anyone who made a purchase, no matter how big or small, and I made it my mission to catch the look in people’s eyes as they received theirs. I wasn’t disappointed. Kids of all ages, big and small, smiled right through their teeth. It was one of those days where you could feel the joy coursing through the air, and every picture I took felt like I was catching that emotion and bottling it up inside my camera.

As a photographer, I’ve learned that it’s not just about documenting what’s there, it’s about feeling it, too. The laughter, the warmth, the feeling of community, it all seeped into the photos. The Sunflower Market may only pop up once a year, but the energy it brings lingers long after the booths come down. It’s a reminder that beauty often lives in the small moments, in gestures as simple as giving someone a flower and watching their face light up. Those are the stories worth capturing.

Often times we look back on our lives and our younger days like there will be a time or place where we’ll be able to live them out once again. But the reality is, those moments have passed and are cemented in the eyes of our mind. Only in our memories do they exist. We are the only ones that have experienced those moments from our own perspectives, and that’s what makes each one of us, and our stories, so special. Which is why when you find yourself in a space or atmosphere like this, where you can seemingly feel the emotions smacking you in the face, take a second to slow down. Breathe it in. Smile. After all…the present moment is the only time you truly are, completely alive.