This past weekend kicked off the start of Spring here in South Texas. Every year the Oysterfest comes to town and ushers in the season of getting out by the water.
A sweet friend from church blessed my girls with a whole envelope of tickets to ride the rides and they had a ball!
I was a FOOL and didn't charge my F100 batteries so I only got ONE film shot (the colors, the contrast, the motion blur! ) but I did have my D750 (as always) and was able to snap a few in between moments of motion sickness
Here are some tips for getting out and shooting your local fairs!
1) Pack Light
Living in a small town means are fairs aren't as huge as something like the Texas State Fair or anything, but it is still a crowded event. Keeping my gear close to my body is absolutely essential, so there's no room for extra or frivolous items (THOUGH - this means you need to check to make sure everything is charged, memory cards are loaded, film is in your pocket, etc. Lest you end up in the situation of spinning on the carousel trying to figure out why the shutter on your camera won't release sending you into a total freak-out. Not that I know anyone that happened to.... )
2) Embrace the different lighting situations
I don't think I've been anywhere recently with SO many creative lighting opportunities! Hard light, open shade, natural reflectors, artificial lights (low light if you're shooting at night!), back light, the possibilities are nearly limitless! Use this as a fun opportunity to look for light and capture it in ways that you don't normally at home or on location for a session.
3) Shoot Wide
So my love of my 35 runs deep, and really I'm eyeing a 24 tilt right now (...how much longer til Christmas? ) but I don't feel like I could have gotten wide enough shots the entire time I was there! Our little ferris wheel seat was TIGHT! I found myself stretching back as far as possible, even though I'd normally feel pretty comfortable that close. But, another, more practical mom reason, to bring a wider lens - to stay close to your littles. We live in a very small, very low crime rate, very tight knit community, but still.... backing up 10 feet from the girls in a crowded area, gives me the willies! So having my 35 allowed me to stay nice and close but still get them all in the frame.
What about you? What is your first local fair? Do you celebrate the Oyster Harvest too?
