The resourceful use of the camera makes this a pretty interesting short feature. In showing a view of a street market, it makes use of an overhead angle, presumably taken from a nearby building, and it slowly pans down the street. The technique by pioneer cinematographer Edwin S. Porter is quite inventive for its time, and it turns what could have been a fairly plain scene into an interesting and lively two minutes of footage.
Thanks to the good camera usage, it shows many different sellers and customers in the fish market, and catches a good deal of detail. It's also interesting to watch for those in the crowd who realize that they are being photographed. The children seem to be more likely to notice the camera than the adults, but there is one man whose amusing reaction reveals a rather low opinion of the camera's activities.
Most of the activity in the footage centers on the simple and expected sights from an outdoor marketplace, yet it works well, and it does a good job of conveying the atmosphere of the setting. This feature is worth seeing both for the interesting footage of its times, and for the good technique.
Thanks to the good camera usage, it shows many different sellers and customers in the fish market, and catches a good deal of detail. It's also interesting to watch for those in the crowd who realize that they are being photographed. The children seem to be more likely to notice the camera than the adults, but there is one man whose amusing reaction reveals a rather low opinion of the camera's activities.
Most of the activity in the footage centers on the simple and expected sights from an outdoor marketplace, yet it works well, and it does a good job of conveying the atmosphere of the setting. This feature is worth seeing both for the interesting footage of its times, and for the good technique.