SJ Made at San Pedro Square Market

Today at San Pedro Square market in San Jose I shot SJ Made, an indoor vendor fair showcasing handmade goods by local artists. If you love Etsy, then you will adore this event.  Jewelry, homegoods, clothes, accessories galore for your holiday buying pleasure.

You know what's great about buying handmade goods? It's that they are oozing 'meraki.'   What's that? Just my new favorite foreign word--It's Greek and has no direct translation in English.  It means to put your love, soul, and creativity into whatever you are making or doing.   I chatted it up with a few vendors and you could really tell these artist had tons of meraki for their creations.

Shooting style wise, I challenged myself to ask strangers if I could photograph them.  I was nervous at first, but I realized quickly that they always say yes.  A smile never hurts. Here are my shots from the day.